Shopping online definitely has its benefits. From discount codes to easy sale-section access, there are plenty of tips and tricks to help you save money while shopping, without even having to leave your home. What’s not to love? If you love to shop as much as we do – you need to know these tips.
Here are online shopping tips to save money before you check out.
Sign-Up To Mailing Lists On Sites With First Time Coupons
When you’re browsing your fave (or new) brands, be sure to find out whether they offer a discount code for signing up to the mailing list. A ton of sites will email you a code to use on your first purchase after doing so. This is such an easy way to score a quick deal, so be aware!
Follow Influencers For Discount Codes
Influencers are always sharing personal discount codes that you can use for your purchases. Stay on the hunt for internet personalities that have the same style as you to see if they offer special codes for awesome brands. Plus, they’re likely to post reviews and tips about brands that’ll help when shopping!
Join Rewards Programs
Almost every online store has some kind of reward program at this point. Join the reward programs from the stores you shop at most to get shopping perks (i.e. early access to sales, freebies, discounts, etc.)
Pay With Credit (As Often As You Can)
Try and use your credit card often so that you can shop as securely as possible. Since the credit card doesn’t give the seller direct access to your money, you won’t be liable if any fraudulent charges occur.
Leave Products In Your Cart For A While
A helpful online shopping tip to keep in mind is that if you’re unsure about an item, leave it in your cart overnight. If you’re signed up to the mailing list, many brands will have abandon cart emails that they’ll send out with a discount code.
Read Model Descriptions & Size Charts
Some shopping sites often have the height of the model that’s showing off the clothing in the product photos. This is a great indicator to compare your body type and height with the model, to purchase the best size. You can also check out the size charts to see if you’re browsing the correct sizes.
Don’t Skip On The Reviews
On many sites, you’ll be able to find reviews of the products that you’re browsing. These reviews can be a lifesaver when deciding on the items that you currently have in your cart.
Use A Browser Extension For Discount Codes
There are so many browser extensions that you can download to do all of the discount code searching for you. At checkout, a notification will pop up to search for available coupon codes for the site you’re on! It’s as easy as that.
Head Straight To The Sale Section Tab
Once you’ve started your virtual shopping trip, head over to the sale section first on each site. You might find exactly what you’re looking for at a discounted price and save some cash.
Pick-Up Instead Of Ship (When You Can)
Recently, a variety of brands offer a pick-up option that’s totally free of charge. Typically, there’s a minimum spend to get free shipping, so if you’re under that amount and have the option of pick-up then definitely save your coin and head on over to the location and grab your order.
Promotion Trap
Most of the time brands have many enticing promotions on-site, whether that be a BOGO deal or even a 2-for-1. At first, it may seem very intriguing but usually, the brand is getting you to just spend more money than you had planned. For example, if a t-shirt is $20 and the deal is BOGO 50% off, you’ll end up spending an extra $10 if you get the second item. If you don’t need that extra t-shirt, it’s definitely better to save that money because it totally adds up. Be sure to scan your cart to see if you’ve fallen victim to the promotion trap!
Return Policies
Before you go and check out, make sure to head on over to the return policy section. Sometimes stores won’t let you return certain items, or even charge money for an online return. This can definitely be a deciding factor in making a purchase, so don’t skip this tip!
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Online shopping has become much more prominent in our lives over the last year, which definitely comes with a handful of perks. There are many ways to save when shopping on the web, especially with referral programs. By getting your friends to use your link on sites that they’re already shopping on, you’ll get some awesome discounts. It’s as easy as that!
Here are online stores with the best referral programs.
Well.ca
Well.ca has a great referral program for you! Tell a friend about Well.ca by giving them your very own $10 off $40 coupon. Each time a new customer uses your coupon code, the company will send you a $10 off $40 coupon too!
Parade
After your first purchase at Parade, you’ll be given a unique 20% discount code to share among friends on their first $40+ purchase. Every time your referral makes a first-time order of $40+, you’ll get $10 of Parade credit.
Away
Check out Away if you want a discount on beautiful luggage. When the referred customer uses your ‘refer-a-friend’ link to make a purchase, you’ll receive a Referral Reward. You can claim a total of five referral rewards for a maximum possible discount of $100 USD.
EyeBuyDirect
At EyeBuy Direct, you can get $20 in EBD credits, plus an extra $10 for your first referral and an extra $50 for every five friends referred. Sign in to your account and spread the word!
Brooklinen
Once you refer a friend to Brooklinen, you’ll get 1,000 Comfort Crew points and they’ll get $25 off on their first purchase of $100 or more. Check out the site for all of the awesome perks when you redeem your points.
Glossier
Obsessed with that Glossier makeup glow? Then this referral program is just what you need. If your friend or family uses your link, creates an account during the same session, and places an order on Glossier.com, you’ll get a discount to use in the future. You can refer up to a total of 50 individuals!
Casper
Get a $75 Amazon Gift Card when a friend purchases their first Casper mattress using your personal link. They’ll get 20% off any order with a mattress through your link, too!
Outdoor Voices
Looking to give your workout wardrobe an upgrade? Say hello to Outdoor Voices! Refer a friend to join the community and you’ll both get $20 off your next purchase of $100 or more.
Alo yoga
Refer your friends and family to Alo Yoga to give them 10% off their first order, and you’ll get $25 when they make a purchase.
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You’ve probably seen the retailer PrettyLittleThing all over the Internet on your favourite celebs and influencers. Now, you can shop the trendy clothing brand on its Canadian site.
The Canadian site officially launched earlier this month, with the same abundance of inventory as the original U.S. online store.
PrettyLittleThing has a huge selection of chic two-pieces, party dresses, street style activewear, and so much more. If you’re into following the trends of the fashion world, then you need to check out this shop if you haven’t already.
The clothing brand is extremely optimistic for the Canadian site, as it feels as though the apparel offers something different than others on the market.
PrettyLittleThing’s Marketing Director, Nicki Capstick, is quite confident in the growth of the website explaining in a press release that, “Following our success within the US market, our teams have worked closely with local experts to ensure we have the right product offering, payment methods and delivery services in order to service the market effectively via our dedicated Canadian website. We look forward to expanding in Canada and bringing the latest trends to the market as well as our collaboration offerings.”
Not only will you be able to find interesting clothing and accessories, but everything is quite fairly priced too.
Cute clothes for a great cost—what more could you ask for?
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If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably binge watched Girlboss on Netflix by now. And if you haven’t, you totally should. The show is based on the rise of Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso, who went from dumpster diver to eBay extraordinaire to owner of the fastest growing company in 2012. While Nasty Gal hit a rough patch late last year, they’ve since been acquired and will continue to outfit cool girls for time to come.
Amoruso’s story is just one of many that retailers can relate to. The industry has its ups and downs, but one of the biggest challenges, by far, is just getting a business off the ground. While Amoruso favoured eBay, many makers today turn to Etsy, a marketplace where shoppers can support global and local entrepreneurs, finding whatever their heart desires.
To create an e-comm store is simple, but to make it stand out in an oversaturated online world is a totally different story. We spoke to 10 strong Etsy sellers for their advice on how to build a successful online store. Take a look at what they had to say below and get ready to embrace your entrepreneurial side.
On SEO and making your shop stand out…
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Name: Allie Croza
Specialty: Concrete home decor
Etsy store: Your Pal, Al
“It’s really important that you use as many tags (key words when someone is searching for a product) as you can when creating a new Etsy listing. Always include what material your product is, and your business name, plus anything from the colour, the technique or the style. This will allow your product to be seen by more people.
You also want your Etsy page to look clean and visually appealing. When a customer clicks on your shop, you really only have a few seconds to catch their attention. It’s like when someone walks into a brick and mortar store, this is your (online) store.”[/column]
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[column size=one_half position=last]Name: Anna Eidt
Specialty: Turning dusty old china into wall decor with sass
Etsy Store: Lou Brown Vintage
“Spend some time every month reviewing your stats. See which tags/listings are searched out most frequently and use that to guide your future listing descriptions and tags. You also want customers who click on one of your items to visit your entire shop and get lost there for awhile. To achieve this, try to establish a unified look. If someone clicks on your shop because they loved your ‘boho lace shawl,’ only to find a bunch of mid century modern lamps, they’ll be confused. Stick to a theme. Curate a cohesive collection.” [/column]
On pricing…
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Name: Lisa M. Terry
Specialty: Exotic wood home décor and macramé
Etsy store: Lisa Terry
“Setting cost is a tricky one! I did find a great tool on launchgrowjoy.com that calculates your time/labour and materials, and gives you an idea of what your wholesale and retail costs should be.” [/column]
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Name: Jordan de Ruiter
Specialty: Handmade dresses and lingerie
Etsy Store: Jordan de Ruiter
“Underpricing your products can be as detrimental as over pricing them. Your pricing should reflect the work and value of what you’re selling. If you price your items too low it may actual turn off potential buyers because they wonder what’s ‘wrong’ with your item. Don’t just ballpark your pricing! Do the math. I have an excel spreadsheet that I can just plug numbers into (labour costs, material costs, etc) and easily and quickly get my wholesale and retail pricing.”[/column]
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[column size=one_half position=last]Name: Paweena Amarin
Specialty: Modern leather and canvas wallets, passport holders, and pouches
Etsy Store: Amarin Collection
“Market research is a crucial factor in determining good target pricing. Research will allow you to adjust the price accordingly to be more competitive with similar products. I also found it important to keep my pricing consistent throughout various platforms (online, direct market sales and retailers), so customers never felt discouraged about my pricing wherever they found my handmade items on sale.” [/column]
On photography…
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Names: Claire and Mike Clarke
Speciality: Timeless woodwork and home decor
Etsy Store: Hook & Stem Co.
“Photography is the single most important part of any online business, It’s the only visual representation of what you’re selling. Customers have no way of seeing your product in person before buying, so the photos have to be extremely well presented. Bright, clean, clutter-free photos will help your business tremendously. We try to have one or two photos of the product by itself as well as a few lifestyle photos to show how the product is used in daily life. This lifestyle photo allows your audience to see how the product looks in a home or work setting that they can relate to.”[/column]
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Name: Jolynn Vandam
Speciality: Handmade fibre art and macramé (see top featured image)
Etsy Store: Saige and Skye
“Good natural lighting is everything. You don’t need fancy equipment either. I personally use my iPhone for everything. A quick edit always helps but don’t over edit!” [/column]
On promotion…
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Name: Lichia Liu
Specialty: Sweet cards and prints, punny Asian food illustrations
Etsy Store: Gotamago
“Every time that you sell and ship a product is an opportunity to promote your shop! When we package an order, we always include a hand-written thank-you note and a little bonus gift, so that the experience of receiving the package becomes special in itself. It’s easier to get a past customer to make a second purchase than to acquire a new customer, and making a great first impression with your packaging is a smart (not to mention economical) way to convince your customer to return.” [/column]
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Name: Anita Bezanson
Specialty: Quirky cute cards and pins
Etsy Shop: Rhubarb Paper Co.
“It goes without saying that social media is one of the best tools small business owners have. You don’t have to be good at every social media platform, but do pick one that you feel has your target customer base & you’re the most comfortable using. Keep your social media offerings consistent with how you edit your photos & the content you post. Get to know your followers, be genuinely interested in their lives & foster connections & friendships that go beyond your business!”[/column]
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Name: Malika Pannek
Specialty: Playful hand-painted stationery & gifts
Etsy Shop: Made in Brockton Village
“Cross-promote your shop: When you do shows in the real world, let people know about your shop and before the shows, list them on your Etsy shop.
Share your work and your world on social media: People like to get an insight into how things are made and learn about the maker, so sharing work in progress, inspirations and interesting details about your work, workspace and yourself can help build your following.”[/column]
Do you have any tips for building a successful online store? Share them with us in the comment section.
Featured Image: Instagram/@saigeandskye
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Golden crisp-on-the-outside soft-on-the-inside bites of perfection. If that sentence just made your mouth water, then you’ll definitely want to check out this new collection.
Hopping on the e-commerce bandwagon is mall foodcourt staple, New York Fries. The popular eatery, known for mouth-watering fries and poutines, will be launching its very own online store this Saturday, April 1st, and no, it’s not an April Fool’s joke.
Dedicated fry eaters can expect French fry phone cases, sweaters and baby onesies with quirky sayings like, “Fries Before Guys” and “You Can Call Me Small Fry”. Prices will range between $12 and $27, with free shipping available across Canada.
Check out some of the expected offerings below.
Will you shop the New York Fries online store?
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