What do most people love about shopping online? Convenience (you don’t have to get dressed up and get out of the house, and you can do it at 3 AM if you want to), price (there are some amazing sales, bargains, and discounts that you can take advantage of on the Web from your favorite brick and mortar stores as well as stores that exist solely on the Internet), and variety (whether you want to buy a priceless Aubusson rug or a pair of pants for work, you’ll be able to find a store that caters to your needs).
There are many kinds of shopping portals that offer different experiences, and in this article, we’ll take a look at the top most popular shopping sites on the Web.
Etsy
Etsy is a global marketplace selling goods from incredibly talented artisans around the world. Anything from homemade soap to crystal necklaces to caramel apples can be found here, and it’s a incredible place to find some good deals as well.
Etsy is also a great way for people who can DIY marketable items to make a little money on the side; setting up your own storefront on Etsy is easy and makes it simple to sell something right out of your home for very little effort (but a lot of potential exposure).
Google Shopping Search
One of the most overlooked (and quite powerful) ways to find a good deal is simply to Google it. Google’s shopping search capabilities are a great resource. Just type in anything you are trying to find, and it will bring up a whole variety of search results, complete with price comparisons, in your local area. This is a quick and easy way to find items near to you, but also to nail down price comparisons between multiple shopping sites and stores quickly and easily.
Google’s product search listings are mammoth; in fact, just one simple search for a GPS system literally brought back around 1500 different results. You can filter this overload of information by price, brand, category, and store, as well as related searches that can help you further narrow down what you’re looking for.
Overstock.com
Ever wondered what stores do with the stuff they over-order? Overstock.com is the answer to that question. This site – mostly centered on home goods and women’s apparel – gives you commonly used searches right on the front page (women’s shoes, video games, etc.) right next to the hottest sellers. You can also sort results by price, cost of shopping, and brand.
Zappos
Zappos originally started with just shoes and then just kept going; they now offer all sorts of items, anything from women’s apparel to kids’ clothing to specialty shops. Zappos is known in the online shopping industry for their exemplary customer service, with many customer-submitted stories of examples of Zappos’ employees going above and beyond to make sure their experience is a good one. There’s a lot of comparison shopping opportunities here as well.
Amazon
Amazon is definitely the giant of online shopping; more people shop here than at any other online shopping site. With millions of offerings to choose from, Amazon has evolved from a small bookstore to a mammoth Internet presence.They not only bring you hundreds of thousands of items from their own warehouses, but sellers from all over the world are also able to upload their own wares for sale.
eBay
Originally started to supplement a Pez collection, eBay has grown into the world’s largest online auction site. You can find pretty much anything here, or you can become an eBay seller, which can be a nice source of additional income (plus you can get rid of a lot of extra junk). eBay offers a wide variety of categories ranging from Appliances to Video Games.
They also offer seasonal gift guides, how-to videos, and a Deal of the Day. eBay also gives you many filters for your search results, including by brand, price, size, color, features, and consumer ratings and reviews. If you’re looking for something collectible this is the first spot that most people will go online; eBay sellers also stock new items as well, which makes this shopping site a great bargain destination.
What’s your favorite shopping site?
Leave your suggestion in the comments below, and tell us why you like it!