How to E-Shop Wisely

Internet Shopping 101

So you’re looking for a new phone. Or maybe even an MP3 player. And you’ve been hearing stories about people who got great deals from online merchants who sell their products through the internet. Being constantly on the lookout for the best value for your money, you venture straight into the e-market (electronic market) only to find that there aren’t just ten, not just twenty, but three hundred different merchants trying to offer you the same item. So how exactly do you go about picking the one you will actually buy from? Let me provide you with a few points to ponder. These won’t necessarily ensure that you will get the best deals but keeping these points in mind will help you get the most out of your shopping experience.

Prepare a shopping list before going online. For some of us, shopping at the local grocery store without a shopping list in hand can be quite disastrous. It’s like going to war without any kind of battle plan. As a result, you might end up buying too much of one item, too few of another, or forget to buy one particular product altogether. The same could be true for online marketplaces. Although it is more likely that you will only be looking for one particular product while shopping in the internet, you will still find it useful if you kept some kind of list in your mind. For example, let’s say you’re looking for a new digital camera. You know from the experience of your friends that one good brand to check out for digicams would be Sony. So you go online and find out that Sony’s line of digital cameras is called Cybershot. If you’re thinking you can go ahead and add anything with a Sony Cybershot branding on it to your cart, you’re wrong. When buying something (or anything, for that matter) remember the complete name of the particular product that you want to buy and some of its key features or descriptions to make sure you get exactly what you want. In the case above, it will prevent the prospective buyer from getting a Cybershot phone instead of the intended Cybershot digicam. Also, knowing exactly what you need and keeping it in mind will be helpful when you find yourself torn between two items.

Make it personal. Have you ever heard the saying, “Don’t talk to strangers.”? Many moms make it a golden rule for their children and yes, it applies to internet shopping too. One of the advantages of online markets is that it lets you interact directly with the sellers/ merchants. Most of the time, they’ll let you feel free to ask anything and just about everything you want to ask about your possible transaction(s). It’s your right to be informed anyway, so don’t just use it, abuse it. Make it a point to establish a connection with the merchants you find to increase your chances of getting the best deal. Introduce yourself properly and ask him/her to do the same. When your transaction reaches a personal level, there will be a greater possibility that you might even get a discount.

Sell your own stuff. Finally, be a merchant yourself. Try to find some old stuff of yours that you don’t need or use anymore. Not only will this give you a start with your shopping budget (imagine generating enough sales for your next purchase), this will help you gain a clearer picture of how the merchant feels when they’re on the spot. Especially as you attract your own customers, you will begin to understand the do’s and don’ts and the how-tos of the industry. It’s like the old saying, you see. “It takes one to know one.”