Thursday - Dec 8, 2011
In the mid- to late-nineties, online shopping was typically viewed as an intriguing concept but one fraught with unknowns. Today, searching for deals and shopping for clothes, toys, and even food on the Internet is becoming more commonplace. Consider the following statistics:
• 58 percent of Americans turn to the Internet to research products and services they are considering purchasing, up from 49 percent in 2004.
• 46 percent of Americans have downloaded a shopping-related mobile application.
• 79 percent of European Internet-connected consumers planned to purchase products or services via the Internet (PDF) in 2010.
• One-third of global online consumers say they do the majority of their Internet shopping with online-only retailers (PDF) like Amazon.com.
While these statistics don’t necessarily mean that everyone should turn to the Internet to do more of their shopping, they do point out the continuing trend of consumers increasingly shopping online. Even U.S. online holiday shopping is seeing a boost in numbers this year. And with holiday shopping in full swing for many people around the world, now’s a great time to share a few online shopping tips, especially for those new to the endeavor.
1. Ensure that the online business you’re considering is reputable. Here are a few things you should look for according to Learn the Net:
• Does the vendor have an established history?
• Does the vendor have thorough contact information which includes a phone number, e-mail address, and a street address, not just a post office box?
• Does the vendor have a clear return and refund policy posted?
• Does the vendor belong to organizations such as the Better Business Bureau Online or TRUSTe?
2. As an extension of number two, consider looking for online reviews of vendors, especially if they’re not well known to you. There are several tools online to view vendor ratings, including Google Shopping’s vendor ratings. However, Google doesn’t make it very straightforward to search for a particular seller. One potential tool in your online shopping arsenal is a new site Consumerazzi.net, which has a handy search tool to help you find online store ratings from three ratings sites, with more apparently on the way.
3. Consider using a credit card for online purchases in lieu of a debit card or online money transfer business like PayPal. You have more considerable protection using a credit card online versus a debit card. And while PayPal certainly touts some protections, it has a contentious history filled with consumer complaints.
4. If you plan on making a one-time purchase with an online vendor, you may be able to avoid creating a full account and/or saving your credit card information with the vendor. For example, I recently found a great Black Friday deal on a camera at Crutchfield.com. I was pleased that I wasn’t forced to create an account on their website to make the purchase; I most likely won’t be a regular shopper there. Some online vendors do force you to create an account, however. Even then you may still have the option to not save your credit card information. Look for a check box or something indicating such an option.
5. Get familiar with useful online shopping tools to help you find the best deals. And wow, there sure are a lot of them. Here are a few that stand out:
• Slickdeals: a social, user-driven website where users “share information in order to make the best shopping decisions.” Typically includes discounts and sales found by other users on retailer websites.
• Bizrate: one of the most popular comparison shopping sites. Compare prices and leave feedback for sellers. Finding store ratings for a particular vendor can be a bit of a chore, however.
• Woot: similarly social like Slickdeals, Woot takes a unique stance on presenting deals, namely by spotlighting and selling only one item per day. It’s definitely not a practical tool for power shoppers looking for good deals on many different items, but Woot does frequently offer good value on what it spotlights.
• RetailMeNot: both a deal-hunting and coupon-providing site for the savvy shopper. Many online retailers offer a place to insert a coupon code for additional savings on an order. This is a good place to potentially find some.
Photo via Gareth Saunders, Flickr Creative Commons
Thursday - Nov 24, 2011
“…it’s important to note that the browser is designed to be somewhat behind the state of the art, and [it] makes up for it by its reach.”
- Peter-Paul Koch, mobile platform strategist
When you think of the word “Internet,” what immediately comes to mind? Perhaps it’s your favorite website. Maybe you think of a social media tool like Facebook. For others the Internet is synonymous with ideals like freedom of expression and freedom to information. Those in the tech industry may talk about concepts like voice over IP or organizations like the W3C. And on occasion, someone may respond with a rare correlation: the Web browser.
Yes, the humble Web browser — utilized by most every person who has anything to do on the Internet — is regularly overlooked, not because it’s useless, but rather because it’s ubiquitous. For all but those without an Internet connection, one of the most used programs aside from an email client is a browser. As cloud-based applications and the Web-based Gmails of the world continue to see growth, the browser is becoming more integral to online activities than ever.**
Take for example the growing number of online services at your fingertips. You can pay your credit card bill online. You can order flowers, make hotel reservations, buy plane tickets, and manage your bank account from the Internet. Want to create and share spreadsheets or text documents online with cloud-based Google Docs? Most if not all of these activities require an important piece of software: the Internet browser. Choosing which browser you use to do these activities can sometimes be nerve-racking, however.
At their core, most Web browsers are the same. The standard browser allows you to go to your home page, go back a page using the “Back” button, and bookmark a site for future use. This sort of functionality is expected no matter the browser. Of course, this inevitably leads to the question “with so many similar options out there, how does one decide which browser to use?”
For those who are relatively new to Internet technology, the answer is usually this: choose one that’s both well-supported and stable. This typically means using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer or Apple’s Safari browser. These two browsers have long been a part of the industry, and despite any criticism they receive, they are supported and stable browsers that an Internet newbie needs while learning to use the ‘net.
Yet change is always occurring in the browser industry. Take for example the recent news that when combining both mobile and desktop markets, the behemoth that was Internet Explorer has now fallen below 50 percent market share, compared to its former glory of over 95 percent in 2004. What’s taking Internet Explorer’s place? According to the same report Google’s Chrome and Apple’s Safari browsers are chomping up market share. Mozilla’s Firefox browser has also had an impact. Why? They tout rapid page loads, standards compliancy, and quality Web rendering; Internet users are being won over in the process. These improvements — coupled with greater support — signify more powerful and stable options for not only those new to the ‘net but also to long-time veterans looking for a change.
Safari in particular has garnered many converts, not just in the desktop market but also in the mobile browser market, which brings up another important point about Web browsers as vital Internet tools: mobile devices are changing how we utilize the Internet, and with these mobile devices come new methods of browsing. The mobile market is booming, so much so that now 25 percent of the U.S. population is using a smartphone as their primary device to browse the Internet.
This sort of adoption means greater demand for mobile Web browsers. Enter Safari, Google’s Android browser, and Opera’s Mini/Mobile browsers. Even upstarts like the Dolphin browser — which recently surpassed 10 million users — are seeking to bring new ways to view Internet content to smaller screens.
What does all this mean for you, the reader? The Web browser on your desktop or mobile device may seem as ubiquitous as the bathroom in your dwelling, but your browser shouldn’t be dismissed as a static mean to an end. Rather, the Web browser should be your friend, which grows and changes with a growing and changing Internet. Why not:
* Try a new browser for a few months and see if you like it. Did you know most browsers allow you to install add-ons and extensions to make your online experience more enjoyable? Examples include the popular Adblock Plus for Firefox, Chrome, and other browsers; CleanPage for Internet Explorer; and Shareholic for most major browsers.
* Did you know that the ancient Internet Explorer 6 is still used by 7.5 percent of the world’s Internet users? If your parents are using it, participate in Update Your Parents’ Browser Day on Friday, November 25.
Most of all, remember that the humble Web browser is your travel companion on your journey across the wide expanse of the Internet; treat it well.
Further reading:
* Chrome Extensions
* Firefox Add-ons
* Internet Explorer Add-ons
* Opera Add-ons
* Safari Extensions
** To be fair, despite the strong growth of the likes of Gmail and Hotmail, the folks at CampaignMonitor are reporting that (according to their internal numbers) market share for Web-based email surprisingly lost about four percent of its market share from May ’09 to May ’11, likely due to both the exodus of users from AOL and Yahoo! Mail and the rapid growth of the mobile email client.
Photo via Johan Larsson, Flickr Creative Commons
Monday - Apr 5, 2010
As the Internet continues to make inroads into everyday life and more video content goes online, you might think that the very 20th century habit of TV watching would be declining. A surprising study from the The Nielsen Company reveals just the opposite: Americans watched TV programming 37 hours a week on average. Of those viewers, 60% watched TV and used the Internet simultaneously for 3.5 hours. This is a 35% increase over the previous year.
What accounts for this dramatic increase? The survey found that people tend to go online during big events, like the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards, perhaps as a way to root out related information. Want to know what movies nominee Sandra Bullock has starred in? Easy, just check IMDB, the Internet Movie Database.
People are also going online to share their thoughts with their friends as they watch events unfold. According to Facebook spokesman Larry Yu, during the inauguration of Barack Obama, 6 million people were logged on to the social networking site.
But there way may also be a more prosaic explanation for the increase: With commercials eating up 12 of every 60 minute show, when you’re not raiding the refrigerator, it’s a perfect opportunity to hit the mute button on the TV and head off into cyberspace. By the way, the Nielsen study found that on average viewers are exposed to 72 minutes of commercials and promos a day.
I admit to having my laptop close by when watching TV. What about you? Do you multitask too? So many screens to watch and so little time…
