5 Tips to Make Online Shopping Easier

If you know me, you know I only shop online because I hate going to the mall/stores. I thought I’d put together some tips on how to make online shopping easier, hopefully they help! At the very end I’m sharing some websites that always have great online offers and perks.

Read Reviews– Sometimes it can be tricky to figure out which size to order when you aren’t able to try it on. Although it’s not guaranteed that every product is going to have a review, the ones that do are a must to read! I use the reviews to help me with sizing and if there are any comments about the quality. So if you are unsure about sizing, reviews can be super helpful!

Look for Promo Codes– Before you check out, do a quick search to see if there are any discount codes. Sometimes you can find them on the site’s homepage and other times you’ll just have to do a search on your own. While google can be helpful, I recommend the following two sites- RetailMeNot and Ebates. RetailMeNot has a super easy user experience, you just enter the website name and it does a search for you. Ebates also allows you to search for coupon codes, BUT it has an added plus of giving you cash back on purchases. All you have to do is search the web page name at the top and it gives you a list of promo codes as well as a percentage for cash back. If you click through the link, it takes you directly to the page and the link tracks your purchase which then gets you cash back. After a few weeks/months they do a direct deposit to your Paypal account or can send a check in the mail. Super easy! Sometimes they have double cash back days and some stores offer up to 10% cash back!

Sign Up for Newsletters– Not only will stores email you about new items or offers, but a majority of them email you a discount code when you first sign up for their newsletters. I’ve seen between 10-20% off offers when signing up for a newsletter, which is great!

Do a Product Search- Before committing to the purchase, I do one last search on google. I type in the brand and product name into google and search the shop section. This allows you to see which other stores are selling the same product and you can compare prices! And if you’re lucky and up to date on your promo codes, you might find it at a store that has a current promo code 🙂

Read the Return/Exchange Policy- This is super important because if you order something and it doesn’t fit or you don’t like it, you want to make sure you’re not being charged for shipping it back. I always prefer shopping at places that have free returns and exchanges because I don’t have anything to lose if I decide to send something back. An added plus for those that offer free returns is that you can order two different sizes and then just send back whatever doesn’t fit!

I also wanted to share some websites that are helpful when online shopping or that offer some perks!

ShopBop– Free Returns and 3 Day Shipping. If you have an Amazon Prime account you can sync it up and have it arrive in 2 days!

DSW– I’m not a big fan of visiting their store, but I LOOOOVEEE their website. The only brands I purchase shoes from here are Steve Madden, Sam Edelman and Adidas. Some people assume that the stuff they carry is old or from a different season, but it’s totally not true! They offer awesome discounts on the prices as well as promo codes from time to time. Sign up to become a member (it’s free!) and you get points per dollar to eventually receive a $10 certificate. I’m a premier member and one of the added perks is free next day shipping!

Revolve– Probably my favorite store! It offers free returns and 2 day priority shipping. Also, if you enter the promo code “TULIP” you get 10% off each time! I’ve been using it for YEARS and I don’t think it ever expires. They also offer 15% off for your first in app purchase.

ShopRunner– This is a member program, but it’s free if you are an American Express cardholder. It offers unlimited free 2 day shipping, free returns, and member only deals. A lot of large retailers (Neimans, Tory Burch, Bloomies, Saks, Last Call, etc.) are ShopRunner partners. I highly recommend it!

ShopStyle– This is basically google for clothes. They are a fashion search engine that searches all online stores for a specific brand/product that you enter in the search bar. You can also filter out sizes, cost, sales, etc.