Five Secrets to Saving Money When Shopping Online

The average person in the United States will spend nearly $2,000 per person per year via ecommerce websites and that number is expected to grow significantly. As experts claim America is “over-stored” (meaning there are too many brick and mortar stores to support demand) ecommerce giants like Amazon and Wal-Mart are making bigger and bigger bets on online shopping.

Finding a deal online can be more challenging than finding a deal in a store. After all, it can seem like a few major websites have established a monopoly when it comes to online shopping. This article is designed to help readers find bargains online by following a few little-known tips used by the best bargain hunters.

Use a coupon plugin

Picture this, you find an item you want to buy online, go to the check-out page and a browser extension automatically searches the internet for a relevant coupon and enters the code in the coupon or promo-code field.

Today, online shoppers can have just this type of experience by using tools like Honey or Coupons at Checkout. Simply install the software as a browser extension, and let the platform work for you.

Automated coupon codes usually work best for large online stores. For those who are interested in discounts that are not supported by the browser extensions listed above, consider tying RetailMeNot, which acts as an online database of discount codes.  

Search for deals on factory outlet websites

While the truth is most of the clothes sold by factory outlets are of lesser quality than the items sold by traditional stores, bargains can still be found online. Websites like Factory J. Crew, and Nordstrom Rack still offer well-designed items that are priced below the suggested retail price.

When a shopper pairs items found on a factory outlet website with a coupon plugin, the amount of money saved can accrue quickly.

Find unique and well-priced items on peer-to-peer websites

Because of the massive scale of many ecommerce sites, it can be challenging to find a unique item at a reasonable price point online. Enter peer-to-peer ecommerce websites. Platforms like Etsy and Storenvy make it easy for craftspeople to sell their wares. These platforms make it equally easy for shoppers to discover unique items, and to purchase these items with confidence, thanks to the robust ecommerce infrastructure offered by the companies already mentioned.

Take Loveprom as an example. The website is hosted on Storenvy, and sells stunning dresses suitable for occasions ranging from a prom to a wedding and everything in between.

Crowdsource answers through social media

Social media is your friend when it comes to finding beautiful and well-priced items online. Using Pinterest, shoppers can search for items they are interested in, and can usually find a direct link to the website like Azazie, which sells wedding dresses and bridal gowns among other things.

Another way bargain hunters can use social media to find great deals, is by searching for specific hashtags on various social media platforms. Users on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter all use hashtags consistently. If you know what kind of product you want to buy, doing a quick hashtag search can reveal otherwise unknown online vendors with great products at a great price.

Look beyond the first page of search engine results

The first page of Google is slowly becoming increasingly “pay to play.” In the old days, Google would display ten organic search results for every query. Today, Google usually displays 8.5, meaning that more and more real-estate on the first page of Google is taken up by paid ads.

Usually larger ecommerce stores with less competitive prices will appear in the ad section. To find a great brand, you’ll need to look beyond the first page of search results. Take Taft Clothing as an example. This website sells fine leather goods made in Italy at fantastic prices, considering the quality of the goods on offer.

As an upstart company, Taft doesn’t rank on the first page of Google for many search results, but with a little digging, shoppers will stumble upon a brand that offers products at a great value.

Conclusion

For those interested in saving money while shopping online, remember that the internet is filled with resources that can help. Automated coupon plugins and discount databased are a shopper’s best friend. As are outlet websites and peer-to-peer ecommerce platforms. For those searching for high-quality items that are well priced, consider crowd sourcing an answer on social media, or looking beyond the first page of search results on Google or other similar platforms.