Have you ever trudged through the mall, going into store after store looking for just the right birthday gift for your best friend? Or, have you ever tried to find an article of clothing in a particular color shade, only to be told over and over, “Sorry, we don’t have that in stock.”?

How about a popular book, DVD movie or music CD that you just have to have, but to your dismay, every store you check has sold out of the title?

Maybe you are buying a wedding gift for your cousin. She wants a certain silverware pattern, and so far you’ve had no luck in finding it. In desperation, you haul out the Yellow Pages and call each store listed that you think might have the elusive pattern, but again, you are out of luck.

Or maybe your favorite curling iron or electric razor has stopped working . You go back to the store where you purchased it, only to find that
they no longer sell that particular brand.

Were you one of the many people who were standing in line this past holiday season outside of an electronics superstore at the crack of dawn, after camping out on the sidewalk all night? You were hoping and praying that when the doors opened, you would be one of the select few who were able to purchase one of the latest and greatest video game systems that the store had received a shipment of only 10 units the day before.

Perhaps you and a group of your friends gathered outside the Ticketmaster box office early in the evening and stood in line until they opened at midnight in order to grab concert tickets for your favorite music act before they were all sold out.

Or, maybe you need airline tickets, but you only want to spend a certain amount. You know you are supposed to be able to get a good deal if you purchase your tickets two weeks in advance, but when you call the airlines, they quote you an outrageous price that’s nothing like the price you expected to pay.

In all of these scenarios, shopping online with a valid coupon code could save you time, trouble, and money. You could spend a pleasant hour browsing stores on the web for a gift that would thrill your best friend, and if you used a coupon code when paying for it, you could either pocket the difference, or maybe put it toward a little bit nicer gift than you had originally planned to give.

That shirt you are looking for in just the right shade of red can be easily found on the Internet. There are hundreds of clothing web sites. Most have photos of the items they sell, color charts, and size charts. Some even have virtual models that you can customize with your own measurements, then use to “try on” the clothes. You would more than likely have no trouble at all finding exactly what you are looking for, pay a
bargain price with the help of a coupon code, and enjoy the process to boot.

I love to tell the story of a local shop owner in my community.

A home decor and gift retail store, specializing in primitive and country decor.

The brick and mortar store is owned by two very smart women – a mother/daughter duo who share and work well off each other’s talents. One has a sharp business mind and manages most of the bookwork, while the other has the creative “what’s hot right now” touch.

Neither one knows much about the internet, online business, internet marketing, website hosting or any of the other geek and technical jargon that is so prevalent on business websites today (should you choose to go looking).

They have heard plenty, however, through their association with me and my relentless spewing of online business research and statistics…

Let’s face facts though.

They don’t want to know all that technical jargon. They don’t want to learn new terminology and software programs. Read the rest…