Buying Products and Services Online for Your Business

Buying Products and Services
Online for Your Business
The Internet is a virtual marketplace and an important channel for buying products and services.
Shopping Online
Instead of going to a store and walking down the aisle, you are in a virtual store where you shop
and complete your purchase by using your credit card. Unlike a brick-and-mortar store, the
Internet offers 24-hour access to millions of merchants and manufacturers and their products and
services. You will also benefit from the convenience, selection and product information available
from shopping online.
However, shopping online may present a problem. You will need to sort through the large volume
of information and choices. Do not despair; you have help. Some Web sites offer online price
comparison services.
Examples of online price comparison services include Pricegrabber.com, MySimon.com,
Shopping.com, and Shopzilla.com. These Web sites allow you to research and compare products,
enabling you to find the best products at the lowest prices. Using comparison-shopping services
will help you to make better-informed shopping decisions.
• Products – Once you have found the merchant of your choice, you will have to
search through their online catalog for the specific products you are looking for.
As you find the products you wish to purchase, you add them to your online
shopping cart. When you indicate that you have finished shopping, typically by
hitting the “Check Out” button, your purchases are added up. You are then given
some choices for shipping options and those costs are added to your total
purchase.
The next step will be for you to provide the necessary information required by
the merchant including shipping address, credit card number and expiration date,
and any other information specified by the merchant. Once your credit card has
been processed, you will be provided with a confirmation that you can print and
save for your records. You may also receive an e-mail confirmation, as it is a
common practice for many merchants.
• Services – Looking for travel deals, cell phone services, or business plan
consulting? These are only three of a vast number of services that can be
accessed via the Internet. Using the Internet, you can learn about the company,
the services it offers, and in some cases view samples of its work. It is very
important that you conduct due diligence on the company providing the service,
especially if it is located in another city or state. This includes getting and
verifying references and talking to past customers about their services and
satisfaction levels. Be sure to do this prior to retaining the services of a company
or individual online. This will prevent unnecessary harm to you down the road.
You can use the Better Business Bureau Web site (http://www.bbb.org) to
inquire about potential service providers.