Now that I’ve you you so much about shopping online, getting bargains and using coupon codes, you’re probably all excited about the money you can save. There are a few things you need to know in order to keep yourself safe while shopping online.

Never Buy A Coupon Code!

A disturbing trend has come to light on auction sights such as EBay where unsuspecting shoppers are actually buying coupon codes that are supposed to be free! This is not a good idea, and steps as being taken as of this writing to have the offending auctions pulled. Why would you want to pay for something that is meant to be free? The people who are running these auctions are counting on the fact that some shoppers will not realize that these codes are available for free all over the web.

Reputable Stores Only

Stick with stores that you know are legitimate when shopping online with coupon codes. If you run across a web store offering you an incredible coupon code like $75 off when you spend $100, or something equally as absurd, close your browser and run. This web site is more than likely after personal information such as your credit card number, and if you give it out to them, you may find a lot of unauthorized charges on your statement next month. As the old saying goes, if it seems just too good to be true, it probably is.

Use Google for Hard to Find Coupon Codes

When searching for a web site than contains information about online shopping and coupon codes, make sure you are using a site that offers you fresh, up to date codes. It’s very discouraging to click through to an expired coupon code thinking you are about to get a good deal, and instead you get nothing. Don’t settle for a site that just has a bunch of codes up on a page, either. At the very least, you want links to the online stores where the codes are to be used.

Choose a coupon code web site that seems friendly. You want to be able to ask questions when you need to, so a web site with a forum where shoppers can congregate and exchange ideas and thoughts about online shopping is ideal, especially for someone new to online shopping. If there is no forum, look to see if there is an email address where you can at least contact the owner of the web page.

Don’t Share Your Email Address with Coupon Sites!

You should be able to view the coupon codes on a web site without having to give out your email address. Now, don’t be alarmed when you come across a site that does ask for this information. You don’t have to give it out if you don’t want to. But usually, the site asks you to register if you want to take part in the forums, or to receive occasional emails about the web site. If a web site is asking for your information seemingly for no reason, back off. They may be simply harvesting email addresses, and if you give yours out, you may well wind up with an email inbox full of spam.

A Decade of Deterrents Defeated (Part 2)

ed. note: Part 1 of “The Promise of Ecommerce – A Decade of Deterrents” has been published as a guest article on a variey of websites across the internet. If you would like a copy sent to you via email, please leave a comment below and I will send you a copy right away.)

In Part 1 of this article we discussed how 80% of small business retail contacts were now investigating the opportunities of an ecommerce hosting solution. This is due to an exploration of declining store profit, supporting online spending research, and social proof.

This article, Part 2, explores the change in the technology that drives an effective eccomerce hosting solution, dispelling the myth that ownership of a full-featured website has to be either expensive or time intensive.

Factor 2. Available Budget: The Money vs. Time Factor

Until recent advances in technology and server-side software (and making those tools available to the masses) setting up shop online was restricted to big business. The dream of owning an ecommerce capable website for small business was nothing more than that – a dream.

In recent years (and even unscrupulous sales persons today), website consultants and developers have been known to quote $8,000-$30,000 to small retail shops hoping to offer just a sample of their products to online shoppers. These figures contain a massive mark-up to the developer as well as being completely out of reach to most small and medium sized business owners.

The alternative was more costly in the long run – to learn to ‘do it yourself’.

Books promise to make online business simple and load the shelves of your local Chapters.

Countless tutorials on ecommerce exist online.

Do It Yourself ecommerce from the ground up is not a reasonable solution. This is a task too large for retailers and entrepreneurs already tied to daily business activities. Small business owners who work within the business have minimal time for training, development, or innovation. A busy store owner has little time to even absorb this new way of doing business – much less undertake the tasks involved.

Changing the Speed, Cost, and Ease of Ecommerce Enabled Web Sites

In the past, making sense of ecommerce has been an exercise in frustration. There was software to learn, services to subscribe to, new terminology to grasp – all while running a retail business, serving customers, managing advertising campaigns and doing bookwork.

Considering that a full-service, ecommerce website is similar to an online franchise of an existing store, is it any wonder the average retailer can’t manage on their own?

Whether the investment is financial or sweat equity, there simply hasn’t been enough of either to turn the dream of an ecommerce website into a reality for most small businesses.

Thanks to recent technological changes however, the time and money ‘bar’ has been dramatically altered. Faster, cheaper, easier.

In my own small community, a 1500 square foot shop launched a full service website – complete with photos and descriptions of 400 products with an automated checkout process. Due to a systematic and organized action plan this new website was launched, seemingly overnight, during the shop’s busiest time of the year – during the Christmas holiday rush.

Furthermore, the retailer, a self-confessed computer newbie, was collecting money and shipping product within the week from her full featured website.

High costs and huge learning curves – two deterrents to retailers for the past decade – are finally coming to an end.

Conclusion and Further Investigation into an Ecommerce Hosting Solution

If you would like to see the multi-page, 400 product, ecommerce-enabled website created in just a few days as well as receive a copy of the action plan the store owner followed, please show your interest by leaving your name and email address in the form below.

Please note that this is presented by special arrangement for a limited time only. By keeping the link as “invitation only”, visitor statistics to the showcase site are neither skewed nor tainted. This allows us to reliably monitor ‘hits’ from actual target market visitors vs. retailers looking for an effective ecommerce hosting solution.

Also, 123webs.com is 100% anti-spam. You will need to confirm your request for imformation, before the information can be transmitted. Your email address will not be shared or compromised by any means as a result of your request.

We’ll see you soon, on the ‘inside’!

According to a recent research study by The Nielsen Company, more than 85% of the world’s online population has used the Internet to make a purchase. That’s a 40% increase over the past two years. (This falls directly in line with other research companys’ findings – 20% increase annually.) Read the rest…

One of the services my clients use and are thrilled with is the online payment processor available through the small business website solution I promote and work within.

For years I promoted PayPal, even though their fees were high, but when I discovered an online payment system that was easy to work with and had low fees I jumped in to investigate.

The thing about PayPal is that it is one of the most trusted and recognized online payment networks for both shipable and digital products. On the other hand, having your own merchant account (and not filtering your customers through a third party) gives your business credibility beyond belief! Read the rest…

You have some great products available for sale but you’re limited to drive by, word of mouth, or random walk in traffic.

You’ve heard about the online shopping craze - now that everyone seems to be ‘over’ the credit card theft scare and credit card companies are more helpful about this issue – but you don’t have a clue, or time, to set up a website that accepts orders for your products.

That’s where we come in. Saving you time and money – at start up and into the future.

How do we do it? I’ll show you…

Here’s How this Story About Home Decor Stores Started

A few years back a friend of mine and I started making products for craft and home decor sales and found a huge interest in our community for country decorating items.

I was more focused on art and business, she had all the talent and interest in home decor so we stayed friends, but persued our own interests in business.

She decided to turn her love of decor into a local shop (probably a lot like yours) and has done very well over the past few years – even though we live in a tourist town and the winter months are relatively quiet here.

Her regular, seasonal customers return every year, but they are always asking her to put more of her merchandise online so they can shop from home. Read the rest…

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…