Why are we online?

There are really only two reasons for people to go online:

1. To get information in order to make a decision, or...
2. To buy something

When you can go to one site to do both, you usually have a site that has many visitors.  How you get those visitors there is another discussion for another time...or another blog.  Learning how to do this is critical to the life of these sites.

The great part of an actual online shopping mall, already set up, is you can do both at the same time.  The online mall allows you to gain information about what you are looking to buy much like going to a "brick and mortar" mall, but you don't need to deal with:

• Traffic
• Lines
• Parking
• Carrying bags
• Carrying children
• Weather
• Store hours
• Product availability (color. size, etc...)
• ...and more.

I found that once I got over the idea of buying everything (well almost everything) online, I can't imagine doing it any other way.  No traffic. lines, parking, "snow", racing to get to the store before it closes only to find out that my size/color is out of stock",...need I go on?

What to Look For

Some malls charge a membership fee, which is totally unnecessary since you should be shopping at an online mall that is free to join.  In fact, the one I belong to is:

1. free to join
2. has NO minimums or maximums
3. I get cash back on everything I buy
4. I get daily deals
5. I shop at all the same stores I used to walk into
6. I can still use any other coupons like I would if I didn't go through the mall but went directly to these stores .
7. Shop at over 600 stores

After doing this for a month I'll never go back.  Now, if for any reason I wanted to still go to the mall, I can...but I'll still buy online.

Worried about fit and color?  My wife just orders two sizes and returns the one that doesn't fit.  Most stores offer free return shipping, and there are so many stores to choose from she just orders from the store that does offer free return shipping.  Some stores even have models that show you what the clothes look like on...from head to toe.  In fact, I have a business partner whose wife visits one store to see what the shoes look like on the runway model, then orders the same shoe she likes from the store that gives her the best prices.

Something for Everyone

I do all my business shopping through the mall too.  Office supplies, computers and electronics, financial, communication (cell phone deals are the best by far) and much more.

A friend of mine is a music teacher and she orders all her music items from sheet music to instruments and supplies this way...with big discounts.  There is a great site where you can listen to recorded sheet music and download it...cheap.

Hobbies, health and beauty, travel, anything you can think of is there...and did I mention it was free to join?