Image from Pixabay.com
If there is one thing to learn from the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s that anything can be bought online. Online shopping is fast, time-saving, and convenient, especially when there is a pandemic that forces you to stay indoors, but you still have to “live.” In just a few simple clicks, you can have pretty much anything (groceries, clothes, furniture, cleaning supplies, pet essentials, video games, and more) delivered to your doorstep.
The online shopping industry keeps growing as more people become more aware of the benefits that come with it. To help you enjoy shopping online, here are some tips to keep you safe and garner great deals.
Security Tips for Online Shoppers
Image from Pixabay.com
As mentioned above, the eCommerce industry keeps expanding, with sales expected to hit $4.5 trillion by 2021. This success often attracts negative attention and cybercriminals have devised even more sophisticated ways to exploit online store security cracks. However, there are ways to ensure security while shopping online. Let’s look at some of them.
Use Secure Internet Connections and Websites
It would be best if you didn’t use public Wi-Fi when doing your online shopping. That is because free public Wi-Fi is the home of the bad guys waiting to pounce at your personal data and use it maliciously. If you have to use unsecured networks, ensure you do it via a VPN. The app encrypts your data, making it unreadable to anyone who might be interested in it.
Another thing to remember is that online shopping should be done on a secure site. A secure site has its URL beginning with HTTPS:// while non-secure ones begin with HTTP://.
Create Strong Passwords
Many people only change their passwords a few times a year, but this will not protect you from online threats. Ensuring that you create uncrackable passwords and change them often is essential, especially if you do online shopping. The best way to come up with a strong password is by using a password manager. It will help you create uncrackable passwords and track and enter them for you, so you don’t have to remember them.
Tips for Getting Better Deals Online
Online shopping is great, but what will be more fantastic is getting better deals and saving more. Here are some tips for landing better deals during online shopping.
Leave Items in your Cart for One or Two Days
Online retailers have learned the art of making you spend money on things you may not really need. They do this by giving “limited time” offers on their products to create some form of urgency that will make you send without thinking.
To avoid this, learn to be adding items to your cart and then taking a day or two to gut-check yourself if you really need the item right now. Is it something you would use every day, and is it worth the expense? If you still feel that you need it after one or two days, you can go for it.
Compare Prices and Use E-coupons
One of the best things about online buying is that you can compare prices between sellers and use coupon codes that may not be available (or easily found) in stores.
You can download coupon apps to help you save or try websites that collect coupon information, such as Coupons.com or RetailMeNot. Search for your favorite store, and you’ll get a catalog of coupon codes as well as discounts rated by others.
Also, do a Google search of the item you want to buy and compare prices at various stores by checking the “Shopping” tab.
With the above tips, you will become a smart online shopper and have a wonderful shopping experience. Happy shopping!