If you are reading this article, you must know that how to buy online has evolved to an unprecedented extent; This is because at some point - according to statistics predicted - the e-commerce revenue index is moving in a steady pace to cross the five trillion dollar barrier!
With the development of how to buy from the Internet, we mean that it has become more flexible and easier to access than before. When you browse communication platforms and the Internet in general, you stumble across non-stop online stores here and there.
From expensive electronic products to cheese boxes, from original to second-hand, there is always an online store for everything, at all prices and quality.
If you would like to know how to buy online safely, or know the steps your future customer goes through to buy from your store.
Here's a complete guide on how to buy online and even get your purchase back!
All you will need is:
An internet connection.
Credit card (depending on the country of residence)
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Online purchase steps
1) Search for the product on Google
First, start by searching for the product on the Google search engine, for example, using the most important keyword, let it be “iPhone 11”.
You will find a list of results in front of you from stores that specialize in selling the desired product, such as official stores, or stores that sell many comprehensive products such as Amazon, Jumia, and others.
There is the Google Shopping feature from Google, which allows you to search for the product you want at the price and specifications that suit you, compare the products and your specifications, and also shows you the complete information of the sellers.
2) Compare prices and specifications
The phrase “how to buy online” is a shortcut to many skills, including how to compare products and stores, effective research and review, and even decision-making skills!
How can you compare then?
Comparing products while buying them online is not much different from buying them in physical stores, but there are some additional factors that you need to take care of. Like:
Store security.
Price and safety of delivery.
Terms of purchase and return.
customers service.
Here are some important points in this step:
1. Carefully select what you want
Have a clear picture of what you want to buy, not buy to buy. (Of course you can buy to buy, but it's probably not the best investment for your money if you ask my opinion!).
It is unimaginable that you need a computer, so you rush to buy a radio, for example. The product should fulfill a need that you have, not be a random product.
for example:
Do you want a phone?
What are the indispensable features of this phone, then:
Is it the quality of the photography?
storage capacity?
Processor Power - Processor?
Or is this all?
Do you also care about social appearance, or do you not care about it at all?
Do you need a phone that enables you to manage your business and correspondence quickly and clearly without straining your eyes?
Do you really need a phone? Or a device with phone features without the need to complete calls, for example, where the tablet can do the job?
Make a list of everything you need and a list of all the extra features that are OK to have and aren't OK. The list includes the following titles:
The most important features.
Less important features.
Neutrality features.
Consult your circle of acquaintances or those who are savvy in choosing products and ask for their advice based on your needs.
Define all of this and keep it in mind. I mean literally. Write it down on a piece of paper and put it in front of you. In front of all the violent temptations you will encounter, you will need to remind yourself only what matters!
2. What about your capabilities?
Everyone desires the best, the highest quality, and necessarily the highest price, in everything. Unfortunately, life does not work that way.
In order to choose the best product - or do we say the most appropriate? - then you determine the criteria on which you will choose. Of course, it cannot be generalized to everyone.
But there are key factors:
A/ Purchase budget
What is your price range for this product that you don't like to go beyond?
This point is one of the most important steps in buying from the Internet, as you can not really choose, except by setting a ceiling to filter products based on it.
And if you're ordering this product from abroad, include the customs rate - if your country charges it - in addition to the shipping price.
Note that local products may be cheaper than imported ones, both in terms of quality and shipping charges.
B/ Your requirements for the product
As we explained in the previous point, you need to know exactly what your requirements are in the product you are going to buy. Did you find in the available products - in light of the price and other specifications - what suits you, or will you need some modification and perhaps waiving some of them?
Some specifications come at lower prices in some products, but at the same time they miss another feature that you may or may not need. That's why we strongly emphasize the need to determine what you cannot do without and what you can do.
C/ application deadline
If there is no urgent reason to own this product, you can always wait for global sale dates like Black Friday or site specials.
Read also: Steps to create a professional online store (comprehensive guide)
3) Check the seller
The third step of buying online is to check with the seller, or from the online store you are going to buy from.
More important than knowing how to buy online is knowing which seller to buy from. The seller may be a trusted niche store or brand, so you visit the official store, and the purchase is completed safely according to the criteria we mentioned earlier.
If the store allows independent sellers or independent stores to display their products on its platform, such as Amazon, you definitely need to check their information and credibility, as well as the opinions (and number) of previous buyers, of course.
Visit their official website if they own one, or review their contact information, making sure it's real and not fake.
Always choose the most popular and hot selling seller.
And pay attention to antique thieves' attempts to create Online store with different extensions. Instead of, for example, amazon.com, you will find extensions such as .net and .org. It is the oldest tricks in history, but it should be noted.
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4) Make sure the site is safe
We'll say this without embellishment: a site that doesn't have the first paragraph in its title s after http, don't waste a minute on it.
That HTTPS magic word after a little padlock sign means that the store is secured and that your personal and credit card information is encrypted and hidden while being sent to the site, and can't be exposed and stolen by anyone.
There are other safety factors in buying online that you should not overlook in any case:
Don't make a purchase - with your credit card - on a Wi-Fi that is not well secured, because almost any information you send from the device connected to that network is not encrypted.
To further secure yourself, try to make any purchase only on your home Wi-Fi network, or using mobile data.
Did we say that you should never share your credit card or bank account information via email or chat rooms?
If you can, try to designate a credit card dedicated to online shopping, and only put in it the expected amount of purchases; So that you can track any hacking attempt here or there.
If you encounter pop-up ads anywhere in the store, think twice about the safety and credibility of the entire store.
A trusted store has clear selling, refunding and shipping policies. Do not purchase until you have read this information carefully.
If you are going to buy an important product such as a phone or computer, try as much as possible to buy from the official store or authorized sellers.
For example, check the list of purchases on your electronic card every month; To ensure that they are not hacked and purchases are made on them without your knowledge.
Keep a copy of the purchase order sent on the phone or e-mail, you may need it in case of returning the product or other.
Don't share too much. Be very brief in the information you put on the store. Some electronic blackmailers in some countries use sensitive information such as birth certificate and social security number to make illegal purchases.
Use a strong, diverse password. Stay away from serial numbers, your name, and those things that are easy to guess. Create an unbreakable password, write it down on a piece of paper, and keep it somewhere secret.
5) Avoid Shipping Fee
Some stores collect all your purchases on them and ship them at once. Try to use this point to your advantage by grouping everything you want to buy and putting them in one shopping cart, so you pay a simple, uniform shipping percentage on all products instead of paying them recurring.
6) Put clear contact information
By choosing the right product from the trusted store, now is the time to check-out.
Make sure to put all the information that enables the store and the shipping company to deliver the product to you in your hands easily and in the fastest time.
for example:
Leave more than one phone number, and all your personal numbers that can reach you, and the numbers of potential people who can answer or receive the order for you in the event that you are not available or difficult to reach you.
Ensure that you are available to collect the product at the estimated time of arrival which the site will show you.
Provide a detailed - even boring - address for your home location, including the name of the city, district, street, and house or apartment number and tags. Such as the color of the building or the names of shops or buildings that guide it.
Most online stores give you the ability to write notes to the shipping employee, use it to give all other solutions to reach you, such as leaving it at the neighbors, at the doorstep, or others.
7) Enter the payment information
There are many electronic payment methods that you can use to buy online depending on whether they are available in the store you are going to buy from.
One of the most important of these methods is credit card payment (which is available in most electronic stores), so here we will explain payment by credit card in detail and with illustrations.
When you enter all the data for the purchase, you will find the payment data, which will be as shown in the image below:
Pay by credit card
Here is an explanation of each of the above statements:
Card Number: Enter the prominent numbers on your credit card (mostly 16 numbers).
Exp. Date: Enter the card's expiration date (you'll usually find it between the card number and your name).
Cardholder Name: Enter your name on the card.
cvv: It is a secret number that is usually found on the card on the other hand (it consists of three numbers).
Important notes while entering credit card payment data:
The form of the data form is not necessarily the same as what is shown in the image above.
The data in the image above is the basic data, which you will find on any credit card payment form.
You may find there is an option to choose the type of card (Visa Card, Master Card..etc).
Perhaps you will find a statement with the payment address, and here you must enter the address that you wrote when making the credit card (you can refer to the bank issuing the card if necessary).
You may find certain terms or conditions that you must agree to in order to make the payment (check the little box in front of each item, after reading and agreeing to it).
Perhaps you will find an option that enables you to use a card that you used before on the site and saved it, and then you will only need to choose the card and you will not have to write all the data because it is already registered on the store.
After entering the credit card data, you may find the option to save the data for future use (you can accept or decline according to your choice).
In the event that you want to pay through PayPal, which is the second most popular online payment and purchase method, you can return to our previous article entitled “Explanation of creating a PayPal account for free and how to activate and use it.”
Regarding the other methods The matter is not much different, the whole process is just entering the required data only.
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8) Cash on Delivery feature
Many countries, including Egypt, due to the somewhat complicated procedures for opening a bank account and owning a credit card, their users tend to choose the cash on delivery feature, because the culture of credit card payment is not yet widespread enough.
If you are going to use this feature, make sure of the following:
The price of the product in addition to the price of shipping or customs is in your possession during the completion of the purchase process. Avoid searching and buying entirely if you are not absolutely sure that the money is in your pocket or that it will be available - also absolutely - when you receive the order.
If available, ask your acquaintance's permission to order the product from their account and credit card and pay them directly.
In any case, you must make sure that you or someone from your side is present at the time of delivery of the product. But if you use the cash on delivery feature, be more and more careful that you are there. If you are not available yourself, ask a family member or neighbor to pay for it and have it delivered on your behalf.
Final Tips to Improve Your Online Shopping Process
Use vouchers to purchase higher-priced products. Always try to save it for big purchases.
Make sure your password is made up of numbers, letters and possibly punctuation as well, and don't forget to use complex passwords on different platforms.
Under no circumstances should you try to click on any pop-up ads that tell you that your computer or phone is at risk, these ads may be the same.
Do not log into your bank accounts from public sites such as cafes, restaurants, or bus and train stations.
Try as much as possible not to buy medicines and drugs from online stores, even medical ones, except in the most minimalistic limits.
If your bank, favorite store, or PayPal emails you to renew your password without warning, contact them first before you click anything to make sure they're really the sender.
All in all, if you take all the necessary precautions to secure yourself and your information to buy online, you will have a very entertaining buying experience - you may even get addicted to it - and enjoy the possibility of obtaining reasonable prices and comparing other great features and specifications that you rarely find in traditional stores.
