Go Ahead - Purchase Online
Oct 5th, 2009 by admin
Are you one of those who has never bought a single item online and is hesitant to even try? If so, then I understand where you’re coming from because I’ve once been there too.
I’m no mind reader but, based on how I felt before making my first online purchase, one of the reasons may be: “It’s not secure enough. I’ve heard so many horror stories about people not receiving their orders or, worse, having their credit card information stolen”. Over a hundred payments for products and services after, my perception of online transactions has changed.
Sure, fears of expectations not being met or not getting the product at all are not unfounded. Things like that do happen. But if you know where to look and know what kind of transactions to avoid, you’ll come out not only unscathed but rather extremely satisfied. While I’ve been disappointed at times in the past, the frequency of feeling that way has largely diminished over time.
In its place is the satisfaction from being able to choose, pay, and receive products from the comfort of my home.
In this day and age, some sites have numerous pictures (and even videos) of their products. That way, you’ll be able to make a wise, well-informed decision. In this regard, you might want to focus on sites that provide detailed information of their items.
Now let’s not forget about security. The most common method of payment is through credit cards. Make sure the merchant site is a reputable one. If possible, find one that’s based in your locality. If you’re in the US, look for a US-based site. If you’re in Australia, then an Australian-based site, and so on. That way, you can easily verify if they do exist. Best of all, they’re of course much cheaper.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email the site’s owner. Their email address and other contact information is usually found on the Contact Us page. There you’ll also most likely find the merchant’s PO Box or street address as well as their telephone number. They’ll be more than happy to answer your queries.
As you can see, it will be easier for you to communicate with a local-based merchant.
Although having a valid PO Box or street address and telephone numbers are indicative of a reputable organization, there are other ways of determining whether a website can be trusted or not. One is the Google Page Rank, another is the Alexa rating.
When a site has a high Page Rank (PR), that means the site can be easily found in a Google search result. There are lots of online tools to determine a site’s page rank. Just enter “google page rank” into the search box. One such site is PRChecker.info. Just enter the site’s URL in the box provided and click the “Check PR” button.
Alexa ratings are opposite to PR’s. That is, the smaller the Alexa rating of a site, the higher its visitor traffic is. Head on to Alexa.com and enter the site’s URL in the box provided then click Get Info.
Knowing the Alexa rating and the PR of websites selling the same product will give you an idea which one is more popular and trusted by other buyers. Remember, HIGHER PR and LOWER Alexa rated sites generally have a higher number of visitors. This can usually mean buyers flock to these sites because their experience there was fulfilling.
When a website offers newsletters and there’s a possibility for you to transact with the site again in the future, get a subscription. Sometimes, these newsletters announce discounted deals and tidbits. It always pays to be informed.
Find time to participate in merchant-initiated surveys. They’ve been made specifically to let the merchant know how he can best serve you. So that the next time you get back for another transaction, you can enjoy a better buying experience.
So go ahead, all it takes is just one purchase to get the ball rolling.
