How to make online shopping easier, and more profitable

For many people, online shopping is a far quicker, easier and more convenient way to purchase than trawling up and down the High Street for hours. Sales can be found in seconds, and purchases made just as quickly via credit cards. For others who are less tech savvy, however, online shopping can be a bit of a minefield. There are ways you can not only make online shopping easier, but also get better deals and even make money in the process. Follow these tips:

1. Make use of cashback sites. Once you’ve signed up to a cashback website, you will be able to find the retailer you want and click through the link to the retailer’s own website to make your purchase. It only takes an extra couple of seconds to do this, but it can earn you a percentage back on your purchases.

2. Use comparison sites. Comparison sites are hugely popular, and this is because they allow shoppers to compare a huge range of products sold by lots of retailers all in one place. You don’t have to hop from site to site to find the best deal.

3. Save your passwords securely. Anyone who has ever used the internet before will know how much of a pain it can be to remember all of your passwords. Practically every place you visit online will ask you for a username and password, and trying different combinations and ultimately getting locked out can take up valuable time while online shopping. One thing you can do to alleviate this problem is to use a password manager program. These are databases which store your passwords securely and you only need to enter one master password to gain access to them all. Many of these programs are free, and as long as you choose one that is safe and secure, you’ll only need to remember one password. Alternatively, you can ask your internet browser to save passwords, as well as clicking ‘remember me’ on sites you visit regularly, as long as your computer is secure and used only by yourself. 

4. Get a rewards credit card. When carrying out a credit cards comparison, you’ll see that some offer rewards or loyalty points on your purchases, including purchases made online. By paying with a rewards credit card every time you shop online (and many sites let you securely save your credit card details so you don’t need to enter them each time), you can make your spending profitable.