A busy work schedule can be anywhere from 40 to 60 hours a week leaving little precious time for leisurely activities and running important errands on the weekend. Users now check their smartphones on an average of 54 times in a day that can be estimated to be approximately 2 hours of screen time. We spend a minimum of 14 to 16 hours on our phones a week. They keep us connected to our office desk, lunch break buddy while we check our social media, reply to text messages and answer phone calls. We solve our problems with our phones by using Google to search for important facts, remember dates, ask for directions and questions to help us navigate our daily lives.
We receive official correspondence and letters in our online mailing box and even order food to be delivered directly to our doorstep. Doing things online is now considered a more efficient alternative that can prevent us from wasting time trying to do the same thing in person. Shopping online is not limited to first world countries as online traffic is at a high in the Asian countries with the availability of smartphones and 4g internet. Countries such as Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are growing e-commerce markets. There are local alternatives to websites like Amazon in Pakistan such as Ali Baba, Ali Express and daraz etc.
Window shopping according to the Cambridge Dictionary is “the activity of spending time looking at goods on sale in shop windows without intending to buy any of them” and will surely waste time and money regardless of the final purchase. The money spent on petrol and food during a shopping trip to the mall or several stores will waste the entire evening without any guarantee of finding the best deal in the market.
Online shopping is not limited to only searching for products online but reviewing and purchasing items online as a complete shopping experience. People are opting out from physically going store to store to find the best price, they would rather do a simple online search and review prices from various online stores to find the best deal available in the market. The following is a list of the top 5 guidelines for shopping online that will help anyone who is new to online shopping or needs some tips.
1. Check Store Reviews
E-commerce is a growing market worldwide and there are thousands of online stores launching every day. It is recommended to buy from online stores that have have been reviewed from credible sources and are locally relevant in your region. Local online stores will have local sellers that might offer free delivery service for their products. Online shopping should save your time and effort, local online stores will be able to source your product and deliver it to your doorstep. Another important factor is that they have a dedicated customer service that will confirm orders, answer queries and provide tracking of your order.
2. Check Product Reviews
When scrolling through a large list of products available on online stores an effective way to assess their validity and trustworthiness is to read the Reviews and Comments. On globally connected online stores like Amazon, reviewers are the real people behind the purchase of the product, they provide honest feedback, essential information related to the quality and delivery of the product. This information is usually unbiased and helpful to future customers.
3. Watch Review Videos
For shoppers need a live demonstration or unboxing video by a credible expert influencer to increase the guarantee and trust about the product. Not all online stores will make it a point to deliver informative reviews about their products, It will take a little more effort to search on YouTube or other video sharing platforms for credible reviews. If seeing is believing for a satisfying shopping experience then be sure to explore review videos that are honest and unbiased towards the product.
4. Compare Prices
The window displays of retail stores can be misleading showing you only the most expensive and latest products available, online shopping works differently as it shows you all available products with the utmost price transparency possible.
With important search engine tools that allow users to customize their search according to price range and brands. Online search engines such as Shopsy, kelkoo and Google shopping are easy to navigate with a simply designed website that focuses on providing fast results.
They showcase these products along with reviews, photographs, videos related to the search. Users are able to compare prices of the same product available from various online stores saving them time by not visiting each individual website.
5. Check Voucher Codes and Sales
Online shopping websites will have sales and voucher codes related to selected products that incentivize customers to return to their platform. Influencers will have their own designated voucher codes through which their followers can gain discounts and special perks of shopping with the influencers selected online store.
Fashion brands and makeup companies will often give out voucher codes to Instagram models and stylists through which expensive limited edition clothing and makeup can be purchased at special price point.
Online shopping is a holistic market that works through strong linkages and relationships between online stores, sellers, brand ambassadors and customers. The transparency of the price comparison can help first-time online shoppers feel comfortable and confident in their online purchase.
The holiday season is when the shopping malls are overcrowded and there’s no parking space outside popular stores. Choosing online shopping can be a fast effective solution to avoiding stress and anxiety over finding the perfect gift for friends and family.
Online stores have unbeatable prices throughout the year and especially during the holiday season. Users are able to spend any time of day or night to browse products with no deadline or pressure to purchase on the spot. Online shopping will only become a more seamless and intuitive experience for users as Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence technologies are being built into online stores to ensure users are able to find exactly what they are looking for in a matter of seconds.
