If you aren’t one of those people who like to get up before the sun has risen on the Friday after Thanksgiving for the “big deal”, then we have some good news. The Monday after Thanksgiving is full of great online deals that rival Friday’s brick-and-mortar discounts. Called Cyber Monday, November 29 is the Internet’s version of Black Friday and you can find great deals at nearly every major retailer as well as many specialty sites.
If you are going to shop online, here are some tips for making the most of your holiday shopping experience.
Stay safe – The Better Business Bureau has 10 Tips for Safe Online Shopping that we urge everyone to check out. Highlights include shopping only at sites you trust and making sure that you have updated protection for your computer. Click here to learn more about SecureIT from Great Plains Communications.
Get the best deals – Many companies will start to promote their Cyber Monday deals a few days in advance, so make sure to check out your favorite sites to see what they will be offering. Also, if you know that you want a particular item, search it and the term Cyber Monday to see what comes up. This is an easy way to see if your dream items will be offered at big discounts anywhere online.
Pay attention to shipping dates and rates– Cyber Monday is 29 days before Christmas this year, so shipping shouldn’t be an issue. However, it’s important to double check that if items are out-of-stock or on back-order, that they will guarantee to ship before Christmas. When purchasing online, it’s also important to keep the shipping rates in mind as some companies charge so much to ship a larger item that most of your discount is wiped away (though many retailers offer free or hugely discounted shipping on Cyber Monday).
With a little preparation, you can leave the break-of-dawn shopping behind this year or, to score the biggest deals this year, do both! We’d love to hear about your bargains so drop us a comment about your Cyber Monday experiences!