The internet streamlines the way a company does business. It cuts operating costs while creating an international presence that can increase profits exponentially. But what does this mean for the consumer? It means competitive prices, a wider variety of products, a hassle-free shopping experience and a more satisfying purchase. Despite the light-years E-Commerce has come in the last half-decade, one thing seems to remain the same: the way people shop. With the emergence of different internet shopping tools, websites and widgets its still surprising that only a small percentage of online shoppers do extensive research before making a purchase. Making an informed decision is key to online shopping and should be at the top of your priority list, especially when you’re buying big ticket items.
Jewelry Shopping Aids
Jewelry, for instance, generates Billions of dollars each year for internet retailers, however only a fraction of these sales is attributed to a referral from a shopping comparison website. On the other hand, those who rely on shopping comparison websites can miss coming across better quality products at similar if not better prices from newer merchants who do not appear in those advertising channels. This is why it is very important to utilize all media at your disposal to make an informed decision. In short, do not limit yourself to natural search engine results, pricing comparison sites or widgets and apps, but use a combination of all three.
Get Educated
The amount of information you know on any given product or website is another factor that determines the outcome of any internet purchase. A successful online jewelry purchase involves understanding jewelry terminology and specifications while getting a basic understanding of precious metals, gemstones and diamonds. Without this you are unable to judge whether or not a website is being upfront about the products they are selling (i.e. is the price is too good to be true?) or if you really are getting a great quality product at a competitive price. As a jewelry connoisseur a quick browse through of a website is enough for me to determine whether or not I can trust the retailer with my personally identifiable information (credit card information, billing/shipping address and email address). Therefore, a basic understanding of jewelry helps you put up the red flags when weeding out the scamming sites from legitimate businesses trying to provide the best possible shopping experience at an affordable price.
Test Drive Before Committing
Finally, it is also important to conduct a quick audit of the website to ensure they have the E-Commerce staples. A security certificate and contact information (telephone number AND address) is important when considering to purchase from a website. I suggest sending a test email to gauge their response times and level of support offered before committing to a purchase. As for the security certificate, all online jewelry websites need to divert you to a secure page when logging in to your account, or when you are creating an account and making a purchase. If they do not, one, if not both of these is true: 1) they do not take protecting your information seriously or 2) they are not an actual online jewelry retailer. No matter which of these it may be, steer clear.