New to Online Shopping? Eight Steps to Make it As Easy As Pie!

My Christmas gift shopping this year, began with a funny story. This year, like every year, I started to think about Christmas shopping early—mid-November, to be exact. It’s not that I love shopping so much—it’s quite the opposite—for me it’s  a chore! But family traditions demand I participate, so I do.

Like every other year, as I started to write my list, I began to talk about online shopping. But I always leave it too late, and that’s what it becomes—just talk. After several years of listening to me go on and on about where I’ll do my online shopping, and when I’ll finally start to order, Bob decided to take some action.

“Look at these sweaters,” he called out from the study, ” A mock neck sweater, you’re always saying you want to buy one for me. How about I order one, and you’ll be able to cross me off your list.”

“Sure” I said, coming to look over his shoulder. “It looks nice, and the price is right. Order it!”

It came eight days later in a plastic bag with a self-closing zipper in a small box. Too small, as it turned out. As I lifted it out of its packaging, I knew it wouldn’t fit. Later, it was worth a laugh, when Bob looked at it, and without saying a word, handed it over to me. Bob is over six feet tall, and a size large. I am five feet one inch, and petite. It fit me perfectly.

“Merry Christmas,” he said, “That’s my Christmas shopping done!”

But seriously, I am going to do at least some of my shopping online this year. After all, I reassure myself, it can’t be much different than the catalogue shopping our parents did years ago!

While some of you have been shopping online for years, others, like me, may have tried it, and given up, not knowing where to start. But as I revisit it this year, I can see that the process is streamlined—websites are easier to navigate, guiding the buyer through the search to the shopping cart, and through to the final click with barely any effort at all.

So if you’ve tried it, and have been successful, good for you! But if you haven’t had much luck, here are some suggestions that might make it easier:

Your first foray should be just for fun

-Your first step is deciding what to buy. Choose something familiar to you, with a price range you know, so you can recognize a good deal. I decided I would buy a dress for the holidays, in petite.

-Your next step is a search. I typed “petite holiday dresses” into the Google search window. Another window popped up, displaying a number of sites.

-From here you might see windows asking you to choose your price range, and provide details such as size and color. Since you are only window shopping at this point, choose price, and explore what is offered.

-bookmark this page to a folder you have marked “Online shopping 2018” and go back to do some serious shopping!

Deciding where to buy:

-To avoid the risk of choosing a scam site*, think of a physical store you know and go directly to their site. I chose HBC, I trust their quality, and know their prices.

-Or choose an established company you know by reputation, typing the name of the store after the product name: (e.g.: petite holiday dresses, Reitmans). Most major chains have parallel websites now, which offer online sales. These retailers should be reliable.

*Some scams will pretend to be big box stores, so check the domain names to ensure that it is the correct website, and a real store. Fake websites will also replace a “.com” with a “.net”. Also check that the URL is preceded by a padlock symbol followed by HTTPS. (if this is missing, choose another website).

Check the return policy

It’s always possible that the article may not fit, may be the wrong texture or color, and you may have to return it. A return policy should be clearly stated and easily found on a website. Here is one I like:

“Within 30 days of purchase, you are welcome to return your unworn, unwashed, unaltered item(s) with the price ticket(s) still attached, to receive a full refund. Purchases from reitmans.com can be returned in person to any Reitmans location or by mailing the purchase back to us.”

If you are shopping on a site that has a physical store in your town, your best option is to return it there. If not, check to see that the site has free shipping for returns. If there is no provision for returns, and you may have to pay shipping to return something, don’t shop there.

Check product reviews (as in Amazon)

Not all sites have this feature, but if they do, take the time to read through what other people think—it’s invaluable. Although reviews are subjective, they do give you feedback about the shopping experience. Come to think of it,  it’s no different than reading online reviews for a hotel.

Be scrupulous about measurements

When shopping for clothing, you must be accurate about your measurements. It’s not easy to measure yourself, so ask a friend to help. If you prefer to do it yourself, for a truly excellent guide, watch this Youtube video by BlueprintDIY.

Once you have your accurate measurements, consult the measurement chart carefully. Until you become more experienced, avoid sites where sizes are unrecognizable, especially overseas. If you want to be even safer, stick to stores where you have shopped before, and are familiar with their sizing—their online sizing will be the same.

Spend a few minutes analyzing the piece you want to buy—look at the garment in relation to your body. If your arms are short and you tend to need most sleeves adjusted, a ¾-length sleeves would work best. If clothes you try on always fit badly from your shoulder to waist, consider buying only petite sizes.

If you are unsure whether you should order bigger or not, remember that it is much easier to have items altered to be smaller. For a truly good fit, you may have to take the item to a tailor—many of us really need to have items altered to make them fit us perfectly It’s important to give measuring lots of attention. It’s a great feeling to buy something, and find it fits perfectly right out of the box. All it takes is a little planning and foresight to get there.

Allow for color disparity

You can never be sure about the color until the item is in your home. (This is another reason you need to know the return policy.) Never rely on a described color—if an item comes in different colors, be sure to consult color chips instead.  And if they aren’t offered, go elsewhere. When you get the item, if the color isn’t right for your skin tone, or doesn’t work with the rest of your wardrobe, then back it goes.

How to pay

There are three types of payment: credit cards, debit cards, and third party payment services, like PayPal, which allow you to make purchases without sharing as much financial information with each retailer. Credit cards and third party payment services are the safer options, though debit cards are generally cheaper.

Lastly, always print out the confirmation email for future reference.

Go for free shipping

Many sites will have free shipping if you purchase a certain dollar amount. This can be frustrating if you only wanted one item which doesn’t reach that amount.

You could reach the required amount by purchasing a couple of gifts for other people, or buy essentials you can always use, like undies. I hate paying shipping, so I do whatever I can to avoid it.

Please give us feedback

Good luck with your first foray into online shopping! Proceed slowly and carefully, and once you have made your first successful order, you will be more likely to continue shopping online, reaping some of the rewards like lower prices, and convenience!.

Please connect with us about your experiences with online shopping. What have you discovered that makes it easier? Or do you still prefer to go to the stores? Readers would love to hear about your experiences—please share below!