When it comes to online shopping there’s never been a better time to buy on the Internet (and not because of the recent snow J), surprised? Well, although we’re all concerned about the recent state of the economy, there are always products, gadgets and bargains to be found just a click away.
So, follow these simple ideas, grab a bargain online and when you find one, don’t forget to share!
Research well and find the best offer
1. Search Engines Ads – Even if you’re familiar with one particular site, it never hurts to research the price on other websites. Many shops use the search engine ads (you know, the ads on the right hand side and above the search result you never look at J) to list site promotions, product prices and other special offers. These ads usually look almost like a price comparison chart which will save you some leg work.
2. Google Base – Google Base is an online database provided by Google where any user can add almost any type of product and as of 2008, is available to the public as a beta version. What makes Google Base stand out is its advanced sort by options, product images and options to subscribe to product offers by RSS. Many shops add their products (for free) and it’s easy to compare and find the best deal.
3. Shopping Engines – Great for comparing cheap insurance, but also for product searches and comparisons. Shopping comparison services lets shoppers see lists of prices for specific products together with their estimated delivery costs and offer great refined search options to find the best offer. Most price comparison services do not sell products themselves, but source prices from online stores using their affiliate programme. Shopping.com and PriceRunner.co.uk are two examples, though the market is full of niche specific shopping engines as well.
4. Forums – User generated forums provide fresh product offers and list big savings every day. Websites such as MoneySavingExpert.com founded and owned by ‘ultra-specialised’ journalist Martin Lewis in February 2003 aims to provide information enabling people to save money, however recently the forums at MSE have grown in popularity. Others such as HotUKDeals.com offer an option to search by store name.
5. eBay – Online auction website, eBay is still a great alternative to many traditional online shops. It seems like eBay is now trying to appeal to the more novice online shopper, offering both UK phone support and discount codes on almost a monthly basis.
Get the product for even less
6. Discount Code / Voucher Code – Now that you’ve done some research and found a great offer, use a discount code for the online store through one of the many discount code websites such as MyVoucherCodes.com and VoucherCodes.co.uk. Those websites are free to use and the discount codes in most cases are valid, but do read what other shoppers have commented on that voucher. Most voucher codes I found were between 5% to 10% discount.
7. Cash back offers – Cash back websites are a type of reward website that pay shoppers a percentage of money earned, hence cash back when they purchase goods and services. Normally the cash back is credited to your account within 30 to 60 days, so no quick wins here. There are plenty of cash back sites and most are free to join. Quidco.com and GreasyPalm.co.uk are considered the market leaders, though Quidco has an annual £5 fee which is taken from the shoppers first earnings.
8. Credit card cash back – Though becoming rarer of late, some credit cards still offer cash back together with the added benefit of free legal protection, as an incentive.
9. Negotiate – Yes, even when buying online the great art of negotiation can come handy. Many online shops encourage the shopper to report the product price on other sites in order to price match while others will send you a discount code when available just for asking… eBay even offer an option to counter offer and after trying it myself, it works so why not try?
Now all you have to do is pay
10. PayPal - There are a few great reasons to pay using PayPal. Firstly PayPal recently launched PayPal-Offers.co.uk websites offering cash back and discount codes (some exclusive) to shoppers paying with PayPal and online shops offering it. Paying with PayPal makes sense as similar to credit cards, the purchase is protected and there’s no need to submit your credit card details to another website.
11. Credit cards – When it comes to paying online, try to use your credit card as opposed to your debit card as it comes with free legal protection. As long as you pay the full balance on the purchase within the first month, there should not be any additional interest charge.
As an Online Marketing Consultant myself, advising retailers on their online e-commerce development and search engine optimisation strategies, I have seen many online shops reacting to the recent market developments and offering fantastic offers and promotions.
For online shoppers, there’s never been a better time to spend cash online.
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Image by flickr under CC