Internet Shopping

By Mark Chilivetis

 The internet. It is impossible to ignore the pervasiveness of this force that is quickly leaking into every aspect of our lives. Some love it, some hate it, and some fear it, but I personally think it’s a convenient Godsend. I’m a personal shopper, so naturally I have experienced the ease of online shopping firsthand. However, the week after Christmas, I had an epiphany. I wanted to spend my hard-earned Christmas bonus on some Green Friday electronics when a gigantic blizzard blew through and shrouded my entire state in a blanket of snow. Needless to say, I didn’t get out of the house much that weekend, so I was forced to shop for my electronics online. To my surprise, I found that buying electronics online was the easiest and smartest way to shop. That weekend I not only hopped on the online-electronics-purchasing bandwagon, I took a running leap and landed smack dab in the driver’s seat. Please allow me to enlighten you to my epiphany.

Purchasing Electronics Online: The Phenomenon

The online world is completely saturated with electronics stores. This is excellent for consumers because it forces stores to offer deals that set them apart, meaning you can find better equipment for the lowest price possible. Electronics are not like furniture, or clothing and accessories, or anything of the sort; you don’t need to see them in person or try them on. Unless you enjoy flushing money down the toilet, you cannot just look at one and say “this is pretty, I want it.” Therefore, when you choose to buy electronics online, you have all your research at your fingertips. See a GPS you want? Open a window and look at the consumer reviews (from people not working at the store). Can’t decide between several HDTVs? Line up the features and compare. While shopping on the internet you can become an expert on the product you’re considering and compare features and prices. An added bonus to the madness? No taxes.

How to Shop for Electronics Online

It is absolutely necessary to educate yourself on what you want to buy. It does not matter what kind of deal you’re able to find; electronics are simply not cheap. Therefore, it is crucial to research. What should you expect from every basic model? What are the most state-of-the-art features? What do you need it for? Is price a concern? Electronics are always being updated, so it is important to buy a state-of-the-art product that will keep up so you are not constantly replacing it. Once you have the answers to these questions, search for products that combine an ideal mix of your answers. Narrow the choices down between three and five products. Now you’re ready to compare.

Although you may have a favorite in mind from your choices, it is still important to do the research and remain as unbiased as possible. Compare the features to figure out which you like the best. What are your hesitations about the non-first choice products? You can write pros and cons lists all day long, but the best way to research the usefulness and functionality of the product is to read consumer reviews. Ad nauseum. Read those reviews until you’re cross-eyed, because in the end you will have a better picture of the product and more realistic expectations. Obviously a $2000 HD camcorder is going to have more features and better resolution than a $200 one, but will the $200 camcorder get the job done? There is no point in paying extra for features you don’t even know you have. This is what you’ll read in consumer reviews. You will also discover how reliable the product is, what features annoy users, and whether it will break in a year. You simply will not get this information (honestly, anyway) from the people who work in the store.

Once you have narrowed down your requirements, find the best price. There are some electronics stores that offer high-end equipment with a promise to “beat the competitor’s prices.” Shop there. They have done the research and adjusted their prices accordingly. If you find the same product cheaper somewhere else, they will usually give you a better deal. It is a no-lose situation. You can either buy right then and there or wait a couple days to mull it over. Unlike going to the store, there is no pressure to buy the product right that second because you can buy it online whenever you want. Knowing you will have to turn around in an hour and go back to the store to buy the product you left behind puts a lot of pressure on you to make a split second decision. It is a good idea to give yourself time to make this decision, and once you do, even if it is midnight, the website will be waiting there, eager to receive your billing information.

I hope I have enlightened you to the wonderful world of internet electronics shopping. They are, without a doubt, the easiest items to buy online. Take advantage of that. You’ll buy the best product, for the best price, that will last the longest. In other words, you will not be sorry.

Mark Chilivetis is a personal shopper. His favorite items to buy are electronics because they are always a hit with the recipient. He recommends giving video game accessories, a portable GPS navigation system or home stereos as they are often appreciated.

Internet Shopping

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By Andy West

 These days, competition for those online dollars that consumers are increasingly reluctant to part with has gotten more ferocious than ever. That’s why it’s so important to give your online enterprise every advantage you can. There’s only so much that any vendor can do to lower prices without cutting into their profits. Business owners, however, can increase their online business and make their site more effective in comparison to competitors by offering the best service that the Internet has to offer. Getting the right ASP shopping cart software, that is specifically customized for your site will prove to be a great investment.

One of the most obvious things that you can do to improve your business immediately is by streamlining the ordering process on your website. Face it; one of the biggest drawing cards that any Internet business has to offer is convenience.

However, if you have a clunky, ugly to look at, hard to use website that makes searching your inventory and ordering products a cumbersome chore, then there’s no telling just how many potential customers you’ll drive off.

Personally, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten frustrated and refused to use some online vendor because of how time-consuming and badly organized that company’s ordering process was. What you need if you have an online business is the best software you can get. This will make ordering from your website a breeze. The easier your site is to use, the more word will get around.

I’m a firm believer in the old adage that word of mouth is the best advertising, even in the Age of the Internet and other electronic media. With money as tight as it is, and the futures of so many different businesses held in doubt, it may seem counter-intuitive to be spending money on something like new shopping cart software, but trust me, right now, it will be money that’s well-spent and will continue to benefit your company and your bottom line for decades to come.

When you finally come to the realization that you really need that new software, here are some things to bear in mind:

1. Expense: The most expensive software isn’t necessarily going to be the best. Even if it advertises that it’s got all the latest bells and whistles, cost in the software industry isn’t necessarily related to the best of the best. Sure, you want software that’s flexible to use and rich in features, but it’s also got to be easy for your IT staff to install and maintain. Plus, you don’t want installation that’s going to be a system hog, either. Even though servers and peripherals have gotten less expensive, it’s still important to get the biggest bang for the buck when you’re buying software products for your enterprise.

2. Adaptability: Aside from being economical to purchase and run, I think the next most important thing about shopping cart software is that it’s got to be adaptable to many uses, both for your enterprise, and for your customers. For instance, does the software you’re currently considering buying enable you to control your shopping carts, your content management, and your customer accounts? It’s not enough that you can help your customers place their orders, it’s essential that you can track their orders, your own inventories, and every step of the transaction until your product arrives at your customer’s front door.

There’s no point in buying ASP shopping cart software that doesn’t do everything you need it to. Don’t wind up piecing together a system from different vendors that may have compatibility and licensing issues. That will prevent your cobbled-together system from functioning at peak efficiency. It makes much more sense to buy one product that satisfies all of your needs and is expandable for the future growth of your company.

Andy West is a writer for ASP Dot Net Storefront, an online resource for all your ecommerce software needs. Get your ASP shopping cart products here! Visit ASPDotNetStorefront.com for more information.

Internet Shopping

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