Who you used to be few years back, you are not the very same person anymore. You have changed for the better. And not only you, but things around you in all directions have also undergone evolution. Same is true for businesses too, which have evolved from brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce / online shopping. And who knows marketers will one day resort to AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) for better shopping experiences! In this post we will update you on 10 useful tips when shopping online as a customer.
1.Know your requirements
First step is to know your requirements. Whether you actually need that product or not? What kind of product and how many do you have to have? How will be its specification? What should be its material, dimensions, colour, durability, warranty, brand etc.
And above all you need to go for a product with maximum functionality and utility. If you are looking for something to use just once, then better reconsider.
2.Budget
Probably one of the best tips for online shopping is never start buying unless you have laid down a budget for your purchase. Of course, quality of product is indispensable, yet price and quality should be balanced. Simply put, you should get value of money for a product. Also, it should suit your personal buying capacity. This is how you manage your hard-earned money effectively.
3.Delivery charge
Delivery charges make a substantiated difference while ordering a minimum priced good. Let’s say if it costs 100 rupees or 100 bucks and delivery charge is 50 rupees/ bucks then overall cost becomes 150 rupees/bucks. So always take this into account while comparing 2 products. Furthermore, try to buy from same seller as much as feasible while buying multiple items.
4.Offers
There are so many offers you can avail online, ranging from ‘end of season sales’ to ‘festive sales’. Many times it’s very cost effective in contrast to physical store, where price of store-maintenance-charges are added to products. That is why seasonal sale is the time to get a perfect mattress at decent price online or desired furniture of choice.
But before getting tempted to shop for something, monitor the price of product few months prior. Otherwise, you might get cheated by fetching so called huge discount but then price of product will be the same.
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5.Options
Before paying for something, it’s always best idea to check similar products in different e-commerce websites and apps. Besides, a single website has several sellers for the same product.
The best part about online shopping is that it gives customer a vast range of options. That’s how it is mostly customer centered. Thus, online shopping is a revolutionary way to shop.
6.Assess review
Reviews are there to help a customer choose the right product. But what if it is misleading? What are fake reviews and how to deal with these?
Some companies make their own people intentionally buy their products and then give five-star review. Afterwards they refund that product. These reviews are misleading. Also, there will be fake reviews on social media and quora too. So, one of my tips when shopping online is analyzing the internet review properly.
One way you can avoid misleading information to some extent is buy that product which a large number of people have reviewed with decent stars.
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7.Expected time
We always check expected time of delivery. Don’t we? Especially when we want it urgently. But this date is not reliable all the time.
Sometimes though it promises that product will get delivered in one or two days it doesn’t. Thus, before ordering always probe that from which place the product coming from. Often when a thing is ordered while a special festive sale is going on, then most likely it will be delivered behind time.
8.Avoid cybercrime (security tips for online shopping)
Internet use has many shortcomings. In the other blog we discussed how are some viral short videos spreading blatant misinformation about health.
One major issue with shopping over internet is cybercrime. We cannot root it out 100%, but if we know how to use online shopping properly, we can minimize it. These are the following points to dodge cybercrime.
- -website should not be brand new
- -website should be encrypted and reliable
- -never use debit card to pay
9.Impulsive buying
E-commerce websites are irresistible. Because online shopping can lift your mood instantly. While scrolling through addictive social media apps, you come across advertisements. They will put on display that offer will expire in few hours. But in reality, it doesn’t. So always have this in mind before hurrying up to buy things online. So, one important tip when shopping online is to assess whether you really need that product, before placing order.
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10.Check product
Immediately after receiving verify the product physically. This is to ascertain if quality is as per description and whether product is damaged or broken or expired.
11.Give review and tips when shopping online
Give review of a product especially after few weeks of using it. Just for the sake of guiding someone out there. This how a small act of change makes a big difference.
12.Online vs offline product
Some products are better hand-picked offline. For instance, it’s very confusing to know texture of clothes. But if you are sure about brand and website is reliable then you might order online. Even so, make sure that it’s refundable.
Similarly, shoes are convenient to wear or not no one can know unless tries on. Any way you can go and check out a particular shoe physically at shop. Then get it on web at discount price. This is one way how to shop smartly from web.
Cars, TV or any such product better be purchased at store. Books if bought offline then you can scan through few pages before going for it.
Conclusion:
Consumerism and minimalism are not binary numbers like ‘0’ or ‘1’. Our changed lifestyle does not allow us to follow 100% minimalism and 0% consumerism or vice versa. So rather finding a balance between two is desirable, in order to maintain proper mental health.
What are some smart online shopping tips you want to share with, from your own experience? Please comment below.
