The Ultimate Guide to Online Shopping

Whether you buy things on the internet for convenience or because you can’t get out to a store to pick up the items you need, Online Shopping has become a multi-billion dollar business that most people take advantage of at some point in their lives.

It’s easy, usually offers quick deliveries, and doesn’t typically cost much extra to use. Online Shopping is a great opportunity to purchase great things for any occasion that quickly turns into a good habit.

Now it is difficult to find a person who has no access to the Internet, Online shopping is convenient, easy, and allows consumers to compare prices, find coupons, and check reviews in a way that can’t be done in brick-and-mortar stores. However, the immense popularity of online shopping has given rise to rip-offs, so buyers must be vigilant to avoid online shopping scams.

Some online shopping trends expected to become more commonplace in 2015 and beyond are an increased focus on mobile compatibility, more collaboration between brands’ online stores and retail locations, improved encryption technology, increased ability to shop via social media sites, faster shipping speeds, and more opportunities for consumers to get free shipping.

Shopping online concept with laptop computer and git box

Grocery Shop Online, Get Fast Delivery, and More

In today’s world, you can shop online for almost anything. Groceries, for example, can be ordered online in the morning and delivered in as little as two hours by personal shoppers who hand select your produce and text you with updates as they shop. Clothing, personal items, car parts and more can all be ordered online with many stores offering overnight or two-day delivery options.

Concerns With Online Shopping

While online shopping is undoubtedly convenient, many consumers continue to have concerns over the safety and security of their information, especially as mobile sales become more commonplace.

There’s even new technology from Apple called iBeacon, which amounts to mobile monitoring within brick-and-mortar stores. This type of monitoring allows retailers to track the frequency of mobile usage around certain products to notify customers of sale items or see if they’re comparing prices on their phones.

All of these trends raise concerns about online shopping security, whether you shop from your computer at home or your mobile device. Some of the most common concerns people express about online shopping include:

Identity theft
Releasing private location information, such as a home address
Shipping costs
Price inconsistencies
Capturing the best online sales
Knowing the best time to buy
Online data storage, such as cookies
Not having time for returns
Returns not being accepted
Important packages getting lost
Data breaches

Remedies

Many of these concerns can be remedied by shopping with reputable brands on widely known websites, reviewing returns and shipping policies before checking out, and ensuring you’re using a secure payment system. If you prefer not to enter your credit card information directly into a website, you can often use third-party payment systems like PayPal, which conceal your credit card numbers from major retailers.

Who are the big players?

While a shop’s popularity does not necessarily guarantee it has the best prices, it does ensure that the company is operating under the watchful eyes of millions of consumers, and can therefore be trusted for the most part. These are the online giants currently leading the ecommerce pack:

Amazon
Wayfair
Bookings
TripAdvisor
Walmart
Priceline
Ebay
Groupon

10 Tips for safe online shopping

Look for “https” in the URL and a padlock icon in the address bar. These signal that the site is designed to be secure.
Shop at reputable sites, and make sure the one you’re shopping on isn’t a copycat. Check the spelling of the URL. Look at the site’s “contact us” information. There should always be a company name, address, and phone number to call.
If the prices look too good to be true, they probably are. Stay aware.
Don’t click on pop-up ads. They often redirect you and can be malicious, even when they show up on legitimate sites. We recommend that you do not click them.
Never give out your personal information online, such as your social security number.
Check the site’s return policy and shipping costs.
Always purchase using a credit card with fraud protection. Most credit cards allow you to report a purchase as fraudulent within 30 days of seeing it on your statement. Or, consider using PayPal.
For high-end luxury items, always purchase from the actual retailer, not a third party, to ensure you receive the authentic goods. There’s a high tide of fraudulence in the ecommerce sea.
When setting up accounts with online retailers, always use strong, secure password, and make them different for each account. Follow these tips to strengthen your passwords, and never do any online banking over public Wi-Fi.
Beware of emails asking you to click a link. That’s phishing at its most dangerous. If it doesn’t seem legit, don’t click. If they’re malicious, they will try to steal info from you like login credentials or credit card numbers. Or they may redirect you to an imitation site where you’re tricked into “resetting your password” or some other data info to “correct” a bogus account error. If you’re ever troubled by this kind of situation, simply open another window and go to the actual website of the account in question, and use the “Contact Us” portal to ask if they sent you the email.

Online shopping is a hallmark of the 21st century. It’s the beginning of a new kind of global marketplace, and it should be celebrated. At the same time, we will paraphrase a famous superhero quote… “With great convenience comes great responsibility.” It’s on each one of us to shop smartly online and to protect ourselves with both knowledge and cybersecurity. With our digital lives properly defended, we can relax and enjoy the convenience of filling our shopping carts the new-fashioned way — wherever, whenever, however we please.

Top 9 benefits of online shopping

Easy to use. There is no need to stand in queues, go for goods to another city, waste time looking for the necessary thing. You can make purchases without leaving home. This approach is especially positive for young mothers, who need to constantly monitor their children, as well as people with disabilities.
Confidentiality. Standing at the checkout in a regular store, some buyers are faced with the fact that their choice is somehow appreciated by others. The cashier can look askance, the next person in a queue can whisper something in his friend’s ear. This is especially true of cases when you purchase intimate or extraordinary goods. In the online store, no one sees the face of the buyer and no one can condemn his choice. And such goods are delivered in discreet boxes so that even the courier could not find out what is inside.
Convenient schedule. Online stores are open around the clock every day and even on holidays. You are not constrained by the time frame – you can order goods at any time, which is convenient for you.
A huge number of services and goods. You can find everything you need on the world wide web. Online stores offer rare and exclusive products that cannot be found if city shops. Thus, you can always please your friends and family with amazing presents. Maybe you are a collector? Unique products from the Internet will replenish your collection!
Lack of obsessive sellers. No persuasion in the choice of goods, no discomfort or constraint!
Best deals and prices. Have you noticed that the prices of goods on the Internet are often lower than in traditional stores? Most online retailers distribute products and services at reduced prices. In addition, large online stores often hold special promotions, issue coupons and promo codes. Using them, you save up to 50−80%!
A detailed description of goods. Ordinary stores rarely supply goods with detailed information, and it’s not always possible to find an experienced consultant. The World Wide Web provides detailed descriptions of products, as well as customer ratings and user reviews.
Shopping around the world. The choice of products on the Internet is almost limitless, here you can buy a product for every taste and colour. Earlier, people had to fly to other countries in order to purchase some goods but now they can be ordered from their own bath. The market is becoming global, unified and multi-channel. And this is the undoubted merit and strength of the Global Network.

Get Shopping!

Now you know why people prefer online shopping, what you can buy on the net, and how to choose a trusted company. This knowledge will help you get high-quality products with a good discount! Keep in mind that there are big savings to be had when shopping on the internet, it’s just a matter of finding them.

If you make use of Google, you should be able to compare prices much easier than before, and for free; no need to buy a newspaper to check out the weekly bargains!

If you’re looking for a software company you can trust for its integrity and honest business practices, look no further than Simmyideas. If you need any further help, don’t be afraid to reach out to our customer service team, available 24/7 to assist you. Return to us for more informative articles all related to productivity and modern day technology!

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