How To Make The Most Of Your Online Shopping?

Online trade makes a lot of sense for both businesses and customers. For businesses, it cuts a lot of costs in terms of rentals, staff salaries, bills and as a consumer, I don't have to move out of the comfort of my home to make an important purchase and sometimes I can even treat myself to some retail therapy in my office hours!

One thing is clear, this industry is here to stay and capture a whole lot of more eyeballs in the coming future.

What then should we know more to make sure that we are getting the best out of our online shopping experience?

1. Website: First and foremost, make sure the sites you are purchasing from are well-known and have a legitimate customer base to make sure your money is going to an established business that cares about its customers and will deliver quality goods and services. Google is your friend here. If it's a website you're unaware of, look for testimonials and search results.

2. Products: If you're buying something standard like a book or an electronic device, you know that what you pay for is what you will get. However, if it is something like clothes or accessories that need to be touched and felt before buying, the color, size, feel could be entirely different from what may appear in the image on the website.

3. Terms and Conditions: Read through the website's exchange and return policies. Make sure you keep receipts and take note of delivery terms.

4. Payment Gateway: Most websites use PayPal as their payment gateway which is the safest way to swipe your card on the internet. They accept both your credit and debit cards and don't 'phish' information, which means none of your card details and passwords are saved by the websites, according to lifehacker India. Plus, your card issuing bank has its own gateway before the transaction goes through for you to enter your personal pass code. This entire structure makes sure your details are safe and secure. If you don't hold a card, you can go for the 'Cash on Delivery' option if it's available.

5. Shipping and Handling: Most websites usually charge shipping and handling charges to deliver your order to your doorstep. But many websites also offer free shipping or free shipping on orders that are over a certain amount.

To make the most of shopping online, of course after having made sure that the above given basics are in place is finding great deals and offers that many websites offer. Every day there are more and more bargains to be snapped up. But let's look at a few things to do before you get too tempted and spend your money in a hurry:

(i) Research- If you're buying an electronic item on the net like mobile phone or laptop, read the reviews, ask your friends and if possible get a user experience before buying. Make sure you've done your research before making a big ticket purchase

(ii) EMI'S- Many websites offer you the option to convert your big credit card purchases into EMI's. For example international air tickets and electronic gadgets

(iii) Discount Coupons and Deals- There are many websites that cater to bringing great bargains to online shoppers in the form of discount codes and coupons. The biggest name is groupon.co.in which is the Indian portal of the international website and there are many others like couponzguru.com, coupondunia.in, coupondekho.in etc. Also, many retail websites keep running promo codes on their merchandise from time to time

(iv) Limited Time Period Offers- Some sites offer limited period offers to build excitement around their discount deals. The best example of this is fashionandyou.com that holds sales that last only between 3-5 days.

(v) Shopping festivals- Did you know that shopping festivals have also moved online? Festivals organised like the OMG sale by Citibank and GOSF (Great Online Shopping Festival) are a great time to get your hands on the best deals online. Some sites also offer extra discount during odd hours. A great example of this is Cyber Monday which is the ecommerce version of Black Friday internationally!

(vi) Exchanges and Returns- All e-stores allow a decent window of 15-30 days to request exchange and returns. If you receive the wrong size or product, most websites will exchange for the right one if available in stock. Else, you would get a credit note for the same amount that you can use later to buy any other product from the website till the time it's valid. Most of the times, websites will also arrange for the reverse pick up of the product, else will refund your shipping costs by including it in the credit note. Please keep in mind that a quality check on returns is must and only products with intact quality are accepted. Some products like intimates and lingerie might be exempt from exchange and returns.

(vii) Price and e-store comparison- With so many websites carrying a huge variety of categories and brands, it becomes difficult to look for the right thing at the right place. Sometimes too many options cause too much chaos. That's what the global ecommerce behemoth amamzon.com and its sister portals like junglee.com do so effortlessly.

(viii) Try and Buy- Some websites like yebhi.com offer their customers an option of trying their selected items before purchasing them. However this service is limited to select locations only due to logistical constraints. Jewellery e-retailers like caratlane.com and bluestone.com offer a first time home trial as they are selling high value products and need to establish trust and patronage.

(ix) Hidden Charges- many times there could be hidden charges in online transactions that end up going un-noticed. For example, many websites charge extra for a Cash-on-Delivery payment option. Also sometimes shipping is only free beyond a minimum order value.

(x) Pre-Bookings and Wish-Lists- What happens if your coveted phone model goes out of stock at the e-store of your choosing? What happens when you are eagerly awaiting a sequel in a book series/video game due to be released next week? You pre-book it, that's what! Its easy and breezy, an automated service that saves you repeated check-ins, reminders and crowd-rush. You can do this on flipkart.com and most super-stores.

(xi) Same day delivery- With a small amount of extra shipping charges, many websites let you make up for the last minute buying by doing Express deliveries on the same day, just in time for your loved one's birthday or those over delayed Christmas presents!

(xii) Gift wrap/cards- your presents not only reach on time, they reach complete with beautiful packaging with a thoughtful gift card. These personalised services are also offered by most websites at a nominal cost.

(xiii) Size Chart- Apparel purchases can be a tricky deal since color, size, fit and feel matter a lot while buying a certain item. Its best to opt for brands that you know offer good quality merchandise and consult the size chart of every brand separately since every company follows its own standards in sizing and measurements.

And lastly, enjoy the comfort of shopping for anything you want from virtually any place that has internet. Happy Shopping!