How to Shop Online

If you've never shopped online before, you're probably wondering just what to expect. Shopping over the Web is actually quite easy; all you need is your computer and a credit cardand a fast connection to the Internet!

Online shopping is pretty much the same, no matter which retailer you shop at. You proceed through a multiple-step process that goes like this:

1.	Find a product, either by browsing or searching through the retailer's site.
2.	Examine the product by viewing the photos and information on a product listing page.
3.	Order the product by clicking a "buy it now" button on the product listing page that puts the item in your online shopping cart.
4.	Check out by entering your payment and shipping information.
5.	Confirm your order, and wait for the merchant to ship your merchandise.

Let's look at each of these steps separately.

Step 1: Find a Product

The first step in online shopping is the actual shopping. That means finding the site where you want to shop, and then either browsing through different product categories or using the site's search feature to find a specific product.

Browsing product categories online is similar to browsing through the departments of a retail store. You typically click a link to access a major product category, and then click further links to view subcategories within the main category. For example, the main category might be Clothing; the subcategories might be Men's, Women's, and Children's clothing. If you click the Men's link, you might see a list of further subcategories: outerwear, shirts, pants, and the like. Just keep clicking until you reach the type of item that you're looking for.

Searching for products is often a faster way to find what you're looking for if you have something specific in mind. For example, if you're looking for a men's silk jacket, you can enter the words men's silk jacket into the site's Search box, and get a list of specific items that match those criteria. The only problem with searching is that you might not know exactly what it is you're looking for; if this describes your situation, you're probably better off browsing. But if you do know what you wantand you don't want to deal with lots of irrelevant itemsthen searching is the faster option.

tip

When searching for items at an online retailer, you can use the same general search guidelines I discussed in Chapter 21, "Finding Stuff Online."

Step 2: Examine the Product

Whether you browse or search, you'll probably end up looking at a list of different products on a web page. These listings typically feature one-line descriptions of each itemin most cases, not near enough information for you to make an informed purchase.

The thing to do now is to click the link for the item you're particularly interested in. This should display a dedicated product page, complete with picture and full description of the item. This is where you can read more about the item you selected. Some product pages include different views of the item, pictures of the item in different colors, links to additional information, and maybe even a list of optional accessories that go along with the item.

If you like what you see, you can proceed to the ordering stage. If you want to look at other items, just click your browser's Back button to return to the larger product listing.

Step 3: Order the Product

Somewhere on each product description page should be a button labeled Purchase or Buy Now or something similar. This is how you make the actual purchase: by clicking the Buy Now button. You don't order the product just by looking at the product description; you have to manually click that Purchase button to place your order.

When you click the Purchase or Buy Now button, that particular item is added to your shopping cart. That's right, the online retailer provides you with a virtual shopping cart that functions just like a real-world shopping cart. That is, each item you choose to purchase is added to your virtual shopping cart.

After you've ordered a product and placed it in your shopping cart, you can choose to shop for other products on that site or proceed to the site's checkout. It's important to note that when you place an item in your shopping cart, you haven't actually completed the purchase yet. You can keep shopping (and adding more items to your shopping cart) as long as you want.

You can even decide to abandon your shopping cart and not purchase anything at this time. All you have to do is leave the web site, and you won't be charged for anything. It's the equivalent of leaving your shopping cart at a real-world retailer, and walking out the front door; you don't actually buy anything until you walk through the checkout line.

Step 4: Check Out

To finalize your purchase, you have to visit the store's checkout. This is like the checkout line at a traditional retail store; you take your virtual shopping cart through the checkout, get your purchases totaled, and then pay for what you're buying.

The checkout at an online retailer typically consists of one or more web pages with forms you have to fill out. If you've visited the retailer before, the site might remember some of your personal information from your previous visit. Otherwise, you'll have to enter your name, address, and phone number, as well as the address you want to ship the merchandise to (if that's different from your billing address). You'll also have to pay for the merchandise, typically by entering a credit card number.

tip

The better online retailers will tell you either on the product description page or during the checkout process whether or not an item is in stock. Look for this information to help you decide how to group your items for shipment.

The checkout provides one last opportunity for you to change your order. You can delete items you decide not to buy, or change quantities on any item. At some merchants, you can even opt to have your items gift-wrapped and sent to someone as a gift. All these options should be somewhere in the checkout.

You might also have the option of selecting different types of shipping for your order. Many merchants offer both regular and expedited shippingthe latter for an additional charge.

Another option at some retailers is to group all items together for reduced shipping cost, or to ship items individually as they become available. Grouping items together is attractive cost-wise, but you can get burned if one of the items is out-of-stock or not yet available; you could end up waiting weeks or months for those items that could have been shipped immediately.

Step 5: Confirm the Order

After you've entered all the appropriate information, you're asked to place your order. This typically means clicking a button that says Place Your Order or something similar. (I told you it's easy!) You might even see a second screen asking you whether you really want to place your order, just in case you had second thoughts.

After your order has been placed, you'll see a confirmation screen, typically displaying your order number. Write down this number or print out this page; you'll refer to this number in case you ever need to contact customer service. Most online merchants will also send you a confirmation message via email, containing this same information.

And that's all there is to it. You shop, you examine the product, you place an order, your proceed to checkout, and then you confirm your purchase. It's that easy!