Buying online is so new to most of us that we haven’t learned the skills and strategies we need to make wise purchase decisions.

After all, it’s not like going to the mall.

You wouldn’t set off for a shopping trip without bringing your credit card or checkbook. You wouldn’t try to get all the back-to-school shopping done for three kids in an hour on a Saturday afternoon in August. And you wouldn’t head to the grocery store with a big family dinner coming up without bringing a shopping list.

Those time, money, and hassle-saving strategies are second nature to you because they’re familiar.

You’re probably not accustomed to buying online, so you need to learn a new set of skills and strategies that are more appropriate for Internet shopping. They’re not hard to learn, and they make sense – they’re just different.

So what are some of the characteristics of a successful online shopper?

1.A “Successful Online Shopper” is patient and persistent.

He or she knows that persistence and patience are critical, at least when substantial money savings are the goal.

Visiting a dozen online stores to comparison shop for luggage takes time – although substantially less time than visiting a dozen physical stores!

And, unfortunately, some online retailers make the order process unnecessarily complicated. (After all, online shopping as an industry is fairly new – many online retailers still have a lot to learn.)

Many would-be Internet buyers give up when just a few more minutes spent in figuring out a particular website’s system would do the trick.

2.A “Successful Online Shopper” thinks long-term.

Yes, the Internet is a wonderful resource for in-a-hurry, buy-it-today purchases. But for the greatest discounts, a savvy online shopper buys year-round to take advantage of end-of-season sales and is able to make a quick buying decision when that gadget they’ve always wanted is 90% off for one day only.

Also, many online savings strategies are cumulative. The longer you employ them, the more money you’ll save.

3.A “Successful Online Shopper” always, always, factors in shipping costs and time.

When you shop online, you simply will not get what you’ve paid for right away – and you usually have to pay to have it sent to you. A successful online shopper adds shipping costs into the total cost when comparing Toaster A to Toaster B.

He or she also factors shipping time into buying decisions and tries to minimize shipping costs however possible.

4.A “Successful Online Shopper” does his or her research...

… into the reliability and security of the online merchant, the specifications of the product desired, and the shipping, refund and return policies of the Internet retailer.

Successful online shoppers allow time to read the fine print… and double-check everything before hitting the “Order” button!

5.A “Successful Online Shopper” takes advantage of site tools and gets help as needed.

Successful online shoppers visit deal forums, use website search tools, and subscribe to newsletters from favorite manufacturers. All offer ways to find discounts and evaluate online retailers.

6.Finally, a “Successful Online Shopper” learns how online security precautions differ from offline security.

Again, it’s a matter of what you’re used to. You know, because you’ve learned over time, that you should lock your car door, not flash wads of cash in front of strangers, and never leave your purse unattended in a shopping cart.

Similarly, successful online shoppers learn how to verify that a transaction is secure, how to protect personal and credit card information, and how to avoid Internet crooks and thieves.

About The Author
Diana Ratliff reveals more than 86 ways to save time, money and hassle when shopping online in her latest book, available at her website, http://www.InsidersGuideToShoppingOnline.com. Free newsletter for limited time.