Tips of the trade: How to optimize online shopping

Posted by Rubina Parveen on September 2nd, 2019

Offline shopping is really becoming a thing of the past. With the world getting faster paced by the second, more people are turning to buy everything online. You have everything available to you on online platforms, from clothes to gadgets to even food. So why shouldn’t we take advantage of what is made available for us? Here are five hacks to make the most of buying things online. 

1. Sign up for newsletter 

Newsletters are periodical bulletin that carries many information about a shop or a brand. Signing up for one will allow you to get first-hand insider information. You’ll be able to keep up with the sale season and be informed immediately after new designs come in. This will give you first pick. Often, those subscribed for the newsletter will also be given additional coupons. So be sure to sign up.

2. Regularly raid coupon websites 

There are many websites these days whose only job is to make online shopping a breeze. One of these is Barakatalan which is a popular couponing website in the Middle East that gives you a score of deals for big brands, like Gap. You can find the best Gap Coupon Codes on this website, to make the most of your shopping experience. Branding on a budget is now made possible with the aid of such websites. It’s really simple to use such websites as well and only makes shopping easier. 

3. Shop incognito 

Shopping incognito will make it appear as if you’re a new customer, encouraging shops to give you better prices. Many websites also change their pricing based on location, browsing history and general demographics. This hack is meant to protect your previous shopping history, hence not allowing website to pull their tricks on you. You can also regularly clear your browsing history, making it harder to track your previous online shopping stints. 

4. Ask for discounts directly 

Many websites have pop-up chat boxes which most of us disregard. The only time we would have used it is for redressals or complaints. Well, stop ignoring the chatbox! The next time you see one, initiate conversation and ask if they can give you any discounts like gap coupons. They will sometimes be able to give you deals that are inaccessible to others, giving you the best savings! Even if such deals are unavailable, the worst that would happen is you talk to someone. So next time, take advantage of that chatbox. 

5. Abandon your shopping cart

This is a well-tried trick that really works wonders. Add something that you really like to your cart, and just leave it there for a couple of days. The website will notice that you’re not acting on that purchase and will offer you extra deals in an attempt to make you buy it. Then, all you have to do is apply that coupon to your purchase. Also, if you keep clicking on a particular product without adding to the cart, many websites will notice and give you sales for that product. Even if they don’t, there’s really no harm in trying.