SECRET ONLINE SHOPPING HACKS
When Michael Aldrich connected a modified TV set via a telephone line to a real-time multi-user transaction processing computer way back in 1979, little did he knew that his invention was going to be the face of a business revolution which we are all aware by the name of “e-commerce” today. In a way, Michael Aldrich pioneered the concept of online shopping and changed the dynamics of the business methods ever since.
The period during the 1980s and 1990s was the one when this concept of “online shopping” was relatively new and still unknown, and hence it only had one direction to go – FORWARD. And as the years went by, on its every step of the way, it gradually laid a solid foundation for itself to go where it was originally envisioned.It has proven to be quite a stepping stone for modern day shopping as the people are still reaping the benefits of its fruits ever since its inception.
Enter the 21stcentury, and the shoppers all over the world expect nothing less than total convenience. They want to be able to shop on the go without any hiccups or setbacks during the process.Many people step into the marketplace and prefer to shop outdoors. Such people usually resort to the online means of buying in case they do not find their desired product at the markets in the first place. But ever since the social commerce commenced during the mid-2000s, the trend of online shopping began to spread at full flow. This was mainly because of online heavyweights like Amazon, eBay and Alibaba started their aggressive promotional campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In addition to that, the dispersal of “word of mouth” by satisfied consumers to their friends via such social networking platforms also contributed to this cause. The chain of events which were forged in the mid-1980s, developed in the 1990s and finally established post the 21st century, have all resulted into an age where online shopping has become an integral part of our regular and everyday shopping.
The internet is primarily responsible for attracting the people towards this modern day shopping method and many consumers today choose this technique over the more traditional one.Apart from the more convenient of its benefits like shopping without stepping into the store, online shopping has way more benefits and advantages than it meets the eye. If convenience of shopping at home over the tip of your fingers is not enough, online shopping and e-commerce websites also provide cheap deals and better prices for the same products available in malls and streets. Due to an extensive collection of stock in such companies, people can also enjoy more variety as they can choose and compare their products from multiple brands at the same time.
Just like the traditional way of shopping, the online method also requires a few tricks and a certain level of smartness. If shopping outdoors calls for consumers to be “street smart,” then online shopping too demanding a degree of cleverness. After all, a few tricks up your sleeve before making a purchase could only help your cause. As online shopping is capable of making the buying experience even better by saving money, a smart bet would only say that one must make optimum use of the facilities available.Hence, it is necessary to learn all the little tricks and craftiness of online errands for making your shopping experience even more enjoyable and profitable.
Check out some of the stealthiest yet simple tips which can take your ultimate way of self-service shopping to whole new levels:
1. It is better to shop during weekdays
Most people prefer to buy online only during weekends. Weekends usually provides the time when customers finally receive their much-deserved break after a week of office work and toiled hard working shifts. Thus, it gives those online shopping sites a perfect opportunity to raise up their product prices and for eradicating certain deals and offers at least for a short while. After witnessing a heavy traffic of users accessing their different web pages, shopping websites took advantage of this attendance by shooting up their prices so that they can reap as many benefits as possible from all their customers during the weekends. As soon as the weekend period gets over, most or all of those products get back to their previously stated prices along with all other offers and deals. That is why, it is best to purchase and make orders for your products during the Tuesdays, Wednesdays and the Thursdays of the week.
2. Always compare prices
Unlike the traditional method of shopping outdoors, where the price of a particular product remains constant at all marketplaces that too, without any special offer or discount, consumers can find better deals for the same products in various online shops. For example, if you need to purchase a book, and it is comparatively a bit more expensive outdoors than it is online, you can browse for the same book through all the websites which specialize in book selling. Surfing through different pages for the same will help you find the best available price for your book and hence, you can make your desired purchase.
3. Apply for reward points
In online shopping sites, bonus points get stacked up rather quickly. Therefore, it is better to ask for any rewards program before making your first online purchase. If possible, always try to seek out those products first which go towards those points. Such a ploy can help you to accumulate points at a faster rate, and finally, enough accumulation of such points can lead to retailer credits, free items, and new voucher codes on future purchases.
4. Follow brands on social media platforms
Names usually give incentives to their social media followers by giving them special promo codes. Such codes are mostly given to those fans who leave as much “likes” and “comments” on their posts. More engagement with the brand on their official social media page means better chances of getting the brands attention. The brands then incentivize their followers in exchange for their engagement by giving them individual discount codes. Another perk of following pages like Facebook and Twitter would be getting to know about all of their upcoming sales and discount offers. Sometimes online shops prefer to tease about their future sales through social media.
5. Leave items in your cart before making a purchase
When you are buying an item, it is better to add it to your shopping cart instead of purchasing it immediately. Retailers keep track of your card details, and they might send you an email notification the following day in case any particular discount or an incentive rises. It gives you a perfect opportunity to go back and thus then completing your order. Holding items in your cart until the weekend sale comes up is also a good option as it helps you to purchase those same items at a lower and better price.
These were some of the better online shopping hacks presented in detail which consumers need to apply online before going through with their purchase. Following and using such tiny details can make you an online shopping veteran in a short time, thus enabling you to save huge sums of money in the long run.
