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I was an early adopter of online shopping. In 1997, the online shopping experience was for pioneers – those willing to travel unknown virtual lands in search of bargains and products unavailable at home.

Now, everyone benefits from shopping online. It’s pretty safe – identity theft has been proven to occur from on-site businesses and other means far more often than from online sources – and there’s no denying that online shopping is convenient. You can find you want, no matter where you live. I’m going to tell you how to find it easier and usually cheaper.

Tip 1: Online Coupons and Sales.

Not everyone is an avid coupon-clipper. I’m not. But I always Google for a coupon before buying online. Why? Because it’s amazing how often you’ll find a discount, even from obscure stores or for odd products. Discount websites that list lots of coupons are a great place to start. But you shouldn’t rely on those entirely, since no website can keep up with every coupon out there. You want to Google twice: Once for the store name and the word “coupon”; and once for the product name and the word “coupon”. Invest those few seconds searching, and you’ll be rewarded with a lot of savings!

Online sales are frequent and usually worth your time. To find sales online, Google the name of the item or store you’re interested in, along with one of these terms: “sale”; “clearance”; “outlet”; or whatever special sales term your preferred store uses.

What is a good discount online? I suppose this depends upon the person; but a 10% off coupon is not worth my time. It is so easy to find what you want at 50% off that I usually won’t shop until the price hits that point. Of course, if you love it, buy it; you’ll make up the savings somewhere else.

Tip 2: Refurbs.

If you like high end gear but have a low end budget, refurbs are the way to go. What is a refurb? A product that the original purchaser returned to the seller. Maybe it didn’t work; or the purchaser didn’t know how to operate it; or couldn’t really afford it. Occasionally these are used items traded in for newer models. Whatever the reason, the returned product is carefully examined, repaired if needed, and then made available to you at an incredible discount.

It’s understandable that many people would hesitate to purchase refurbished equipment, especially online. I took the risk years ago, and ever since, I’ve never been disappointed and have saved huge amounts of money on top quality gear. Besides the incredible savings available, there is an additional secret benefit to purchasing refurb. A trained technician has personally examined the product, and repaired it if needed. New products don’t receive that level of individual quality control before being put on the market (which is why so many new products have glitches). So, strange as it may seem, you are likely taking less risk on having a problem with the refurb product, which has been checked, than with a new product that came off the assembly line unchecked.

Tip 3: Try the Little Guy.

One of the wonders of the Internet is that it has created a virtual global “village marketplace”. Many of the individuals running niche businesses are trustworthy, dedicated to making their online business a success by pleasing customers (try to find that mentality in bigger businesses anymore). Are you the type that likes to have unique products, perhaps handmade or customized? Are you sick of giving gifts that everyone has seen before? Then try one of the niche boutique shops online.

Tip 4: Check Reviews.

Bless our fellow Internet users who post reviews of online businesses they’ve shopped with, and products they’ve purchased. Google the name of the business, or product, with the word “review”. Then spend a few minutes making sure you really want to shop with that store or buy that product by hearing the word from those who went before you. Many times I’ve been redirected to a better product or shop this way. Take advantage of this great online resource offered free – and be sure to post reviews yourself!

Tip 5: Check the Shipping Policy.

When deciding which online store you should buy your product from, be sure to look at what each store will charge for shipping (and anything else, like the nebulous “handling”). While the product price at one store may be lower, the overall cost to you after shipping (and taxes, where relevant) may end up being higher.

Tip 6: Be a Foreign (Virtual) Traveler.

I have shopped online from several nations other than the U.S.A., very happily. For example, I buy all of my eyeglasses from an online shop in Hong Kong (optical4less.com). Why? Because the quality far exceeds what is available locally at 1/6 the price, and I can customize each pair to a ridiculous degree. For what I’d pay to purchase one pair of glasses here, I can have six pairs, each for a different outfit or use. Canada often has goods much cheaper than here. Customs and shipping can be an issue, but I’ve found this to be no problem and at the most, the delivery can be a bit slow coming from places like India. But so what? Every Shopping Girl wants unique products at a good price. If the Internet can take you shopping in faraway lands, then why not go?

Tip 7: Go Tech.

I would never buy tech gear like computers anywhere but online. Why? Because the prices are awesome, you can find a wide variety of refurbs, and I’ve found the shipping and product reliability to be great. It’s much easier to compare specs online. And, while you’re browsing, you can quickly search for reviews to help you decide. The only tech gear that I would not purchase online are speakers. (As an aside for audiophile Shopping Girls, to get great deals on high-end speakers – and other audio gear – go to your local top-level used audio shop, and listen to the speakers on-site. )

Tip 8: Keep Lean.

Your system, not you…. Don’t download any “helpful” toolbars, shopping search “assistants” or similar spyware. I’ve also never found any benefit to signing up for special deals at online stores. If you do, usually all that happens is they start sending you pointless emails every day. You can speed up your online shopping speed by closing any unnecessary programs. However, I recommend having several browser tabs open while shopping, because you’ll want to be able to check for reviews and discounts while still leaving the store site open.

Tip 9: Managing Details.

This is a bit of a promotional plug, but I highly recommend Microsoft OneNote to online shoppers (and well, it’s awesome for college students and all sorts of other people too). Why would I plug software? Because as you shop online, you’ll be glad to have an easy way to save your order confirmations, notes on products you’re considering, and other snippets. OneNote is mind-numbingly easy to use. For example, you can simply “print” an order confirmation to OneNote and it will automatically save a screen-shot of the order page. You can select all-copy-paste, and not only will you get everything including all graphics in the right places, you’ll get live links and a note stating which website you were on, the date and time. Very handy for later reference and you don’t have to clutter up your desk with a bunch of printouts. The virtual notebook format allows you to create a “notebook” for any special shopping project, say a “Holiday Shopping List”, with a tab for each person, where you can paste ideas, their sizes or wishes, and receipts as you go. I’m sure that there are similar software products offered by others, if you don’t or can’t use Microsoft. And true, you can accomplish these things without specialized software; but the speed, convenience, and organizational options really make this a plus in your shopping arsenal.

Tip 10: Take a Chance!

Now, I don’t advise risky shopping. If a website looks amateurish or questionable in any way to me, I won’t shop there. When I advise you to take a chance, I mean on a new or different product. The Internet brings the world to your door. Always wondered how you’d look in a sari? Buy one – why not? Even if you don’t wear it, you’ll find that lovely length of hand-woven silk useful for something. How about kitchen equipment to cook ethnic cuisine, like a cast-iron wok identical to those actually used in China? Or a vintage hat from a charming virtual boutique? The Internet makes shopping enjoyable again; so enjoy yourself!

10 GREAT ONLINE SHOPS, BY DEVON DRAIG ©2008