"Cheap Retail - Best Bargains on the Net"

Shopping on the Web has become easier to do over the past years. As more online stores open up every week, competition gets fierce. This causes merchants to resort to more competitive pricing. Whatever product you are looking for, there is usually hundreds to thousands of options of where to buy online. The great number of shoppers online has also spurred something called shopping directories, which let you search through different stores to find the product you need without having to visit multiple stores. While shopping online, you can also read multiple unbiased reviews from multiple consumers who have bought and used the products.

Convienence and Availability

Every week, a bunch of new online stores open. This makes shopping online easier than ever. The Internet has become a virtually endless resource for shoppers to find exactly what they need conveniently in the comfort of their own homes. More and more shoppers are deciding to buy online as opposed to going to the store. Many find this more convienent than having to drive to a store. It is also easier to browse different products between online stores for the best prices. Finding the product you're looking for requires almost no effort. Sometimes the product finds you, through advertisements.

Cheaper Prices

Every week, fierce competitors lower prices on products, or resort to other tactics like promoting and marketing, and a wide range of other strategies to keep customers coming to their store. This makes it better for you, the shopper. Shoppers are also more likely to find better deals at online stores because they do not have to worry about having a physical shop and all the costs that come with it. This helps give online stores the ability to offer better prices yet still keep a reasonable profit margin.

Shopping Directories make Online Shopping even more Efficient

Shopping directories have become a popular resource, as they let shoppers browse through multiple store products all from one site. This cuts down on even more time spent shopping through various stores by letting shoppers 1) search through multiple stores for an item and 2) search for multiple types of items from multiple stores. This makes online shopping much more efficient whether you are looking for only 1 type of item or multiple items from different categories. This is an advantage to the shoppers and online stores because it centralizes the process of shopping to make it easier for shoppers to find sellers that meet their needs, as well as helps sellers reach buyers outside of their site.

Find out more about a product before you decide to buy

There is just a massive resource of reviews for all types of products online. You can read multiple reviews from other consumers who have bought a product to help aide you in deciding which product, brand, and/or variation of the product you wish to buy. Some online stores even give shoppers the ability to write reviews about a product after they have bought it to help inform future shoppers. This can help immensely when trying to choose the perfect product to fit your needs, as you see what other people have to say about their experiences with a product, as well as quality and value.

Online Shopping has been a growing trend for years

Over the past years, internet shopping has been growing at an incredible rate. We always hear about how much Internet Retail sales figures are multiplying every year. That is because online shopping has so many advantages and great deals that more and more people realize it and opt to buy certain products online where they see fit. With more online stores opening every week, more shopppers deciding to make purchases online, the competitive pricing between online stores, and vast resources to help people better shop like Shopping Directories and product reviews, its no wonder more and more people are making more purchases online.

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The Trip Falls of Internet Shopping

Shopping on the internet can be very convenient but also very disarming. Shoppers should be aware that although they feel anonymous they may not be. Common sense is a very important characteristic to keep in mind when conducting online shopping. To put your mind back into focus, try to follow some of the basic checklist trip falls.

1. Watch your security. Users should always be sure that the site they are using is secure, but how do you know? A secure site should have a security certificate. Usually there is a link somewhere on the site that allows you to view the certificate.

If you cannot find the certificate or you are still unsure about the privacy of the site, Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator have a built in feature that allows you to quickly check for site security and accuracy. In the lower right hand corner of both browsers is a padlock. When the padlock is opened the site is insecure or the certificate is out of date. When the padlock is closed the certificate is up to date and the site is recognized as secure.

2. Although, not despairing to your security, the issue of shipping is despairing to your wallet. Be aware of shipping costs, which occur 90 percent of the time. For example, on average, a CD cost between 1.80 to 2.00 to send through media mail. If you feel the shipping costs are outweighing the discounted price of the product then your best bet is to shop elsewhere or simply look locally for the product.

3. Comparison shop. You should always look locally first when shopping for expensive items. Some online merchants actually raise their prices hoping that you will not comparison shop and they will get the better price out of you.


So when shopping online, be careful. Not everyone is honest and not all the deals are the best ones. Mostly the online shopping experience is a pleasant one but once and awhile there a few trip falls to beware of.

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How do printers compare

If you plan to go shopping for a new printer, there are several key features you want to consider before making your purchase.

Inkjet or Laserjet?
The two most popular types of printer technology are inkjet and laser. Whether you buy online or walk into a store, immediately you’ll notice a difference in price. Laser printers are usually more than inkjet printers, sometimes several times as much. In an office environment, you can easily pay $1,000 for a laser printer. In a home office, you can easily pay $100 for an inkjet, even less. However, not all laser printers are that expensive, and not all inkjet printers are that cheap. I’m going to tell you the things to look for that will help you decide what you need.

Speed
If speed is your chief concern, the laser printer will win hands down, every time. There are laser printers that can handle in excess of 34ppm (Pages Per Minute) and 22-24 is pretty much the minimum in today’s world. That’s not to say that inkjet’s aren’t plenty fast, some can approach 30ppm in draft mode. I’ve found most people don’t actually use draft mode though, so you’re going to get more like 5-10ppm in normal operation.

Connectivity
Something often over looked is, how will you plug in? I have seen people that don’t even know what a USB port is, go out and buy a printer that only has USB support. They return home and end up making a call to find out that their computer doesn’t have a USB port. There’s nothing wrong with printers that only support USB, but make sure your computer supports what the printer supports. Also, don’t get a super short cable, pay attention to where you’ll be locating your new printer, and get a cable plenty long enough.

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Buying E-books On E-bay: E-bay The One-stop E-book Shop

On September 1995, one of the most prestigious online shopping sites was founded. eBay is unique because it allows online shoppers, either as individuals or as a group, a wide variety of merchandise that they can buy, sell or trade within their community, their nation or even other with other countries.

eBay's merchandise reaches to 44 million things on sale at any given time and is added with more than four million of other things to be sold everyday. Their categories include antiques, collectibles, photography, computers, art, toys, electronics, stamps, jewelry, magazines, comics, pottery, e-books and many more.

Electronic books or more popularly known as e-Books are text materials designed to be portable. They are special books that uses a program that enable readers to read it through their hardware devices - like Personal Computers, laptops, palmtops and/or even mobile phones. They are so accessible and can be transferred from one computer to another using a network.

Since e-Bay is one of the country's leading online shopping site, they also provide a selection on must have e-Books. Shopping for e-Books is fairly easy, but one must need some basic online shopping knowledge before they are able to do so. A great recommended book would be eBay Bargain Shopping for Dummies (can be found at eBay) by Marsha Collier. This book would help all online shoppers who to discover the treasure of eBay shopping. Her book spills the beans on how to outwit and outbid your competition - which is a good way to find discounts on all the items up for grabs.

e-Books can be ordered online and delivered electronically to your computer (or mobile phone). This way, there is no shipping and tax expenses and you get your e-Book at a very low price. There are numerous sites that sell e-books in this manner

On the other hand, Instant e-Books do not require additional software or other readers for customers to be able to immediately start reading their e-Books after installing it. And aside from that, there are many free e-Books and other articles written by "eBay gurus."

With eBay, e-Books are just a click away. What could be greater news to all book lovers out there?

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Using Your Computer To Track Your Money

If you want to keep track of your money using your computer, there are several options out there for you. Computer software such a Microsoft Money, Quicken, and GnuCash can help you track your finances, do your taxes, or plan for a big purchase such as a car or home. Whether you just want to keep a simple household budget, or run the accounting for a small business, modern day financial software is the answer to a lot of the tedious chores involved with finances and accounting.

The two most popular suites of tools for Microsoft Windows based computers are Microsoft Money and Intuit Quicken. Both of these packages have their plusses and minuses, but are both robust solutions that will most of the most common financial tasks with ease. If you are in the market for a new desktop or laptop computer, you should factor in the inclusion of financial software into the purchase price. The majority of vendors will include one of these two products in the purchase price of a new machine, so if you are shopping for a new computer and have a preference between these two applications, be sure to read the fine print when you are shopping.

Macintosh and Linux users are not left out in the cold when it comes to financial software as well. For the Mac there are several to choose from, including Intuit�s Quicken Mac and MoneyDance. Both of these packages have been around for several years. Quicken is more common, and due to the fact that they cater to both PC and Mac machines, they have a larger market share and installed user base. MoneyDance is a bit newer, but has its share of fans in the Mac world.

For those of you out there into the open source thing who are most likely running the free and open source operating system, Linux, there is an open source solution out there for you as well. GnuCash is an excellent, robust personal finance application for *NIX based machines. Not only is it intuitive and easy to use, but it is freely available with source code! That�s a deal that can�t be beat!

No matter what kind of computer you use at home, if you want to organize your finances and simplify your accounting, be sure to look into the different software packages that are out there for the various operating systems that can help make you more productive, organized, and most importantly, profitable.

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Shop Safely - How to Protect Yourself When Shopping Online

Online shopping offers many benefits that you won’t find shopping in a brick and mortar store or by mail. The Internet is always open seven days a week and 24 hours a day. Internet-only deals and bargains can be numerous online. Shopping on the Internet is no less safe than shopping in a store or by mail. Keep the following tips in mind to help ensure that your online shopping experience is a safe one.
1. While Online Order Only On A Secure Server.
Use a secure browser and shop only at websites that offer encryption protection. A protected website will have one or more of these three features:
a) The small lock or key symbol at the bottom of your browser window;
b) An address that starts with https ("s" for "secure") instead of just http; and
c) A security warning box that pops up at the point of purchase.
Your browser should comply with industry security standards, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). These standards scramble the purchase information you send over the Internet, helping to secure your transaction.
2. Pay The Safest Way.
Use a credit card or Debit Card with a safe online shopping guarantee. Look for a card with specific guarantees, like 100% coverage for any losses due to fraud when shopping on the Internet. Many companies offer an online shopping guarantee that ensures you will not be held responsible for any unauthorized charges made online, and some cards may provide additional warranty, return and/or purchase protection benefits.
3. Protect Your Privacy.
Look for and read a website's privacy and security policy. Stay clear of a website that either doesn't have one or does not guarantee your personal information will not be sold. This policy should disclose what information is being collected on the Web site and how that information is being used.
4. Know Who You're Dealing With.
Research your merchant. Look at the ratings consumers give them and stay clear of websites that either aren't listed or receive poor marks. Shop with companies you know. Anyone can set up shop online under almost any name. If you’re not familiar with a merchant, ask for a paper catalogue or brochure to get a better idea of their merchandise and services. Also, determine the company’s refund and return policies before you place your order. These should be posted on the company’s Web site.
5. Keep A Record.
Print out a copy of your order and confirmation number for your records. Reputable merchants will usually send you an email confirming your order. However a hard copy is always good to have in case your order is lost, deleted or not delivered as promised.
6. Guard Your Online Password.
Keep your password(s) private. Be creative when you establish a password, and never share your website passwords with anyone. Write them down and store them in a safe place. Avoid using a telephone number, birth date or a portion of your Social Security number. Instead, use a combination of numbers, letters and symbols. Do not use the same username and password at every website. Should your personal information be compromised, a thief won't get very far if you use different passwords and usernames on different websites.
7. Track Your Purchases.
Use only one credit card to shop with online. This helps keep track of your online purchases during the holidays, and will make it easier to spot purchases that are fraudulent. Look for a card that allows you to review transactions online as well -- you'll be more likely to notice a problem early on.
8. Keep Personal Information Private.
Don't enter more information at a merchant website than is absolutely necessary. There is usually no reason why you should have to supply information such as birth dates or Social Security numbers when making a purchase. Fill in only the bare essentials necessary to make your purchase. If you have children, teach them to check with you before giving out personal – or family – information online.

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10 Tips to Stay Safe and Secure Online

The Internet can be a dangerous place.

While you're enjoying the convenience of online shopping,
Internet banking and subscription websites, nasty people
lurk around every corner.

Hackers, fraudsters, identity thieves and many others would
love to get hold of your personal details.

And what stands between you and a security disaster?

Your password.

Just 8 little characters long, it's your last line of
defense online. Here are 10 tips for choosing and using
bullet-proof passwords that will protect you from harm:

Tip 1 - Avoid the obvious

Passwords based on personal details are too easy to guess.
Avoid using names, places, favorite sports teams, or
"password".

Tip 2 - Make it non-dictionary

One option a thief might try to crack your password is a
brute-force dictionary attack. Choose something that you
won't find in any dictionary.

Tip 3 - Use the full 8 characters

The more characters a password contains the more secure it
becomes, so fill that password field to the max.

Tip 4 - Mix the case

Deter thieves further by using a combination of upper and
lower-case letters. A mIXeD cAsE password adds another
layer of protection and is ever harder to guess.

Tip 5 - Include non-alphabetic characters

Adding numbers and non-alphabetic characters (like a hyphen)
to your password makes it less likely to be cracked than
something purely alphabetic.

Tip 6 - Don't write it down

This should be obvious but it's amazing how many scraps of
paper surround the world's PCs.

Tip 7 - Assign a different password to each login id

If thieves get hold of your password, they'll try it in
every online system available. Use a separate password at
each website and you won't have all your eggs in one basket.

Tip 8 - Employ a password manager

Remembering multiple secure passwords can be challenging.
Specialist software like http://www.robo-form.com manages
your passwords securely and automates the login process.

Tip 9 - Logout when you're done

Always hit the logout button when you've finished using a
secure site like online banking.

Tip 10 - Close that browser

Web pages and passwords can be cached in the browser, so
close down your browser window for added security.

Follow these simple common-sense tips and you'll enjoy
greater online security while benefiting from the many
advantages the Internet has brought.

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Your Own Personal Online Shopper

Imagine you find yourself in the market to buy a new digital
camera and, before you part with your money, you want to
comparison shop for the best price online.

If you do a search for "digital camera" on Google.com, the
Web's top search engine, you'll get back over 7 million page
results.

Refine your search to a specific model, such as the HP
Photosmart 935, and you get back 137,000 page results. Now
do a search on BestBuy.com, CircuitCity.com, and Amazon.com
and you'll only find it listed one time, and on that site it
costs $60 more than I paid for it at Target.

Even though the web makes it easy to search out the products
we want to buy, sometimes that mountain of information makes
it almost impossible to find the best deal.

To solve this problem there are "personal online shoppers"
which help you seek, find, and comparison shop multiple
offers for just about any product you want to buy, online or
offline.

An online personal shopper-type service enables you to log
on to a single site, enter the product details you want to
search, and then have the website give you back a list of
prices and places where you can purchase the item.

The personal shopping assistant sites that rate the best
don't accept commissions for the sale of items through their
services because getting paid based on what the customer
buys would eliminate unbiased product comparisons.

The best services make their money by selling targeted
advertising to merchants and only displaying products in
their search results based on price and features.


~ MySimon.com ~

MySimon.com ranks as one of the oldest personal shopping
assistants on the Internet.

Highlights of the service include an extensive homepage
directory to help you choose the correct product category to
search and a database of millions of products.

On the negative, MySimon.com does manipulate their merchant
listings pages based on how much money the advertiser pays
to show up in the results.


~ PriceScan.com ~

Pricescan.com does not accept money from advertisers to
manipulate their search results, though they will show
targeted advertising on the search results pages.

A very nice feature on this site involves the ability to
enter features you want in a particular item (such as a
computer) and then search all makes, models, and
manufacturers matching those features.

You'll find this especially valuable when comparing things
like computers, which often carry many different variables
and configurations.


~ Froogle.com ~

Operated by Internet giant, Google.com, Froogle.com allows
you to search for specific items you want to buy and then
sort them by price.

You can also specify a price range you're willing to pay for
the item and Froogle will only search for and display those
items that fall within the range.

Froogle also clearly draws a line (literally) between
unbiased search results on the left side of the page and
advertisers on the right.

In the testing for this article, Froogle consistently
returned the highest quantity and most relevant search
results for specific product names entered.

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How to shop for products online and save at the same time!

What’s one of the most annoying things that you find when shopping online?
One of the most annoying things that I find when shopping online is that when I try to find a product, I have to go to a few sites before I find the product that I am looking for. Once I have found my chosen product, I then have problems comparing this merchants product against other merchants that sell the same product so that I can try to find the best deal for this individual product online.

So if you are also having problems like this when you are also trying to find a product online, then I would personally recommend that you try using some sort of product price comparison search engine/directory. The reasons for this are because these product price comparison search engines/directories list a large amount of products from a large amount of top quality merchants.

By using a product price comparison search engine/directory you can easily find and compare a product of your choice. You can do this by comparing the same product from individual merchants within the same product price comparison search engine/directory that sells the same product so that you can find the best price for your chosen product.

For example, http://www.simplysearch4it.com offers a product price comparison directory that also includes search facilities so that you can narrow down your search for a product of your choice. This product price comparison directory can be found at http://products.simplysearch4it.com where it lists over 250,000 products and is still growing daily. You can easily find products from garden equipment to housing goods. Within most product price comparison search engines/directories you can also order your results by price so that you can rank the lower priced products first followed by the highest priced products last.

As you can see, from using a product price comparison search engine/directory first, all you have to do is one search for the product that you want to buy and then you should receive a large number of results. Doing it this way is a lot quicker than going to individual merchants sites doing individual searches for the same product. If the product price comparison search engine/directory doesn’t list the product that you are looking for then you can always search through individual merchants sites after using a product price comparison search engine/directory.

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The development of Printer Ink Cartridges

With the introduction of the inkjet printer and printer ink cartridge in 1984, the task of printing your documents and changing printer ink cartridges became more convenient, reliable and cleaner than the previous methods of changing ribbons or inserting a toner cartridge.

Prior to 1984, the ink delivery systems were not as dependable as they are now. The inkjet system replaced the old dot matrix method, which required changing a ribbon. It wasn’t long before the printer industry began conceptualizing a new ink delivery technique, including the drop on demand method. Several companies were the driving forces behind developing the inkjet technology, and by 1990 the method was widely accepted. Today it is the method of choice for printing requirements, and will print both black and white documents as well as color graphics and photos.

The quality is excellent, thanks to the development of printer ink cartridges. It is possible to print on many different sizes and types of paper, fabric, film, etc. These printers are used in businesses, in schools and the homes of millions of people worldwide.

Each printer uses a specific printer ink cartridge, most often one each of black and color. Each cartridge is given an identifying number and lists the model number of each printer in which it can be used. While each printer manufacturer recommends its own brand of printer ink cartridge, it is possible to refill the cartridge yourself, or purchase a refilled, remanufactured or a compatible cartridge.

There are two types of refilled cartridges: You can do it yourself with a kit that allows you to refill your own cartridge. Refill kits are available at a very low price and are sometimes the choice of those who don’t mind doing the filling in order to save money. The other alternative is to buy a refilled cartridge from a manufacturer. This method involves drilling, filling and sealing an empty cartridge.

A remanufactured cartridge is an original printer ink cartridge that has been taken apart and outfitted with ink and new parts if necessary. It is then inspected and tested before being placed in the marketplace to re-sell. The workmanship in these cartridges is usually guaranteed against defects during the life of the cartridge. The lifetime is generally the same as the original, they are safe to use in all printers, and the warranty on your printer will not be affected. The cost is lower than the original.

Another kind of cartridge that has evolved in recent years is the “compatible” cartridge. Simply put, it is a cartridge that is built to the same specifications as those of the original manufacturer and is generally cheaper than the original. It is also guaranteed against defects during its lifetime.

Inkjet printers using printer ink cartridges have a bright future ahead, thanks to their capability to produce high-quality printed material quickly and inexpensively. The manufacturer’s printer ink cartridge is one option, and the use of alternative printer ink cartridges is another option. When shopping for printer ink cartridges, always buy from a reputable dealer. A huge inventory of hundreds of types of cartridges can also be found by shopping on the Internet, which is a convenient, safe and reliable method of finding the best deals on printer ink cartridges.

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Fast Web Design For The Skint Webmaster

About two years ago, I had a go at commercial web site design. I put a medium-sized ad in a London classified ad paper. Nothing fancy: "Web designer seeks work ..." etc. This was expensive, about £500 for a month's run.

Got a few replies. Lesson number one: advertise where clients of the calibre you want will see it. The clients I got thought £300 was a lot for a web site. They didn't want to pay web hosting. They wanted a lot of bang for their buck. 'Mission creep' was a term I grew to know and loathe.

This set me thinking: how could I give these people all they could ever want, but not spend a lot of time and money? Lately, I realised how.

So how can you get a full featured site up in a day? Easy (ish!).

1. Mambo Content Management System http://www.mambo.com

I wish I'd found this software a couple of years ago. It's freeware. The default set-up allows people without web design skills to update the site. It has a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) option. This adds HTMLArea code to text input form fields. Each HTML code input box becomes a mini HTML editor.

If you can use Microsoft Word, you can add formatted HTML code to the site.

To get it running you need to know how to install MySQL databases, or have PHPMyAdmin as part of your web-hosting package.

You can add articles, edit them, send emails to members, and be contacted by users.

The only criticisms I have of this software are:

1. The admin interface is confusing. It's all there, just finding and using it is the problem!

2. You need to search around template sites to find ones suited to your site purpose. I wanted simple, clean, business ones. Most of those available seem to have a fat graphic which covers half the screen. There are more restrained ones out there.

These are minor gripes, compared to the relief of finding what is essentially a web site in a box. It can be installed in an hour, once you get familiar with it.

To add ecommerce to your site:

Oscommerce Shopping Cart http://www.oscommerce.com

Again, this is a full-featured, freeware software. You can add lots of freeware 'plug-ins' to it, to get a professional shopping cart.

Therein lies the danger. Some of these plug-ins require altering or overwriting the default cart files. When you try to upgrade the cart version later, you may 'break' it, by overwriting a plug-in, thus creating errors.

The trick here is to only install plug-ins that add files (rather than overwrite them) or that require minor alterations to existing files.

What I do is download all the versions of the plug-in type I need e.g. a WYSIWYG editor. I then choose the one which has the least files, or which creates a new directory for its files. If it requires that important files be overwritten, or is complex, I chuck it.

Mambo and Oscommerce. Don't try to integrate them! Hyperlink from one to the other. I've tried integrations of other softwares, like PhpBB and PhpNuke. Fine, when it works, but when you upgrade one or the other, arrgh!

*Keep databases separate*. If one goes skew-whiff, then at least the other will still work. Same goes for adding chat rooms and the like. If they're all running off the one database, and that database becomes corrupted ...

It may offend your sense of tidiness for your visitors to have to sign up twice at your site, but you'll thank me for this sage advice later. Remember KISS is the basic rule of computing (Keep It Simple, Stupid!).

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You may have found the latest and accurate help in relation to computer software.

When you're trying to find top information about computer software, it will be intricate separating value-packed advice from unprofessional computer software suggestions and help so it's best to know how to moderate the information you are presented with.

Software Computers at Shopping.com!
Find, compare and buy Business and Productivity Software and other Computer Software products at Shopping.com. Read product reviews and compare prices with tax & shipping.



Here are a few pieces of advice which we think you should use when you're searching for information about computer software. Understand that the recommendation we give is only applicable to internet advice about computer software. We don't really offer any direction or assistance if you are receiving information offline.

IBM Software Development Platform: Software Development
IBM Software Development Platform. Information and resources.



A good hint to track when you are presented with information or advice on a computer software article is to find out who owns the site. Doing this could reveal the owners computer software identifications The easiest way to work out who is at the back of the computer software website is to look on the 'contact' page or 'about this site' information.

Any worthwhile website providing information on computer software, will almost always provide an 'about' or 'contact' page which will record the site owner's contact details. The details should divulge some advice about the website owner's expertise. You can then arrive at a decision about the webmaster's depth of experience, to advise you on the topic of computer software.

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Shop Safely - How to Protect Yourself When Shopping Online

Online shopping offers many benefits that you won’t find shopping in a brick and mortar store or by mail. The Internet is always open seven days a week and 24 hours a day. Internet-only deals and bargains can be numerous online. Shopping on the Internet is no less safe than shopping in a store or by mail. Keep the following tips in mind to help ensure that your online shopping experience is a safe one.
1. While Online Order Only On A Secure Server.
Use a secure browser and shop only at websites that offer encryption protection. A protected website will have one or more of these three features:
a) The small lock or key symbol at the bottom of your browser window;
b) An address that starts with https ("s" for "secure") instead of just http; and
c) A security warning box that pops up at the point of purchase.
Your browser should comply with industry security standards, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). These standards scramble the purchase information you send over the Internet, helping to secure your transaction.
2. Pay The Safest Way.
Use a credit card or Debit Card with a safe online shopping guarantee. Look for a card with specific guarantees, like 100% coverage for any losses due to fraud when shopping on the Internet. Many companies offer an online shopping guarantee that ensures you will not be held responsible for any unauthorized charges made online, and some cards may provide additional warranty, return and/or purchase protection benefits.
3. Protect Your Privacy.
Look for and read a website's privacy and security policy. Stay clear of a website that either doesn't have one or does not guarantee your personal information will not be sold. This policy should disclose what information is being collected on the Web site and how that information is being used.
4. Know Who You're Dealing With.
Research your merchant. Look at the ratings consumers give them and stay clear of websites that either aren't listed or receive poor marks. Shop with companies you know. Anyone can set up shop online under almost any name. If you’re not familiar with a merchant, ask for a paper catalogue or brochure to get a better idea of their merchandise and services. Also, determine the company’s refund and return policies before you place your order. These should be posted on the company’s Web site.
5. Keep A Record.
Print out a copy of your order and confirmation number for your records. Reputable merchants will usually send you an email confirming your order. However a hard copy is always good to have in case your order is lost, deleted or not delivered as promised.
6. Guard Your Online Password.
Keep your password(s) private. Be creative when you establish a password, and never share your website passwords with anyone. Write them down and store them in a safe place. Avoid using a telephone number, birth date or a portion of your Social Security number. Instead, use a combination of numbers, letters and symbols. Do not use the same username and password at every website. Should your personal information be compromised, a thief won't get very far if you use different passwords and usernames on different websites.
7. Track Your Purchases.
Use only one credit card to shop with online. This helps keep track of your online purchases during the holidays, and will make it easier to spot purchases that are fraudulent. Look for a card that allows you to review transactions online as well -- you'll be more likely to notice a problem early on.
8. Keep Personal Information Private.
Don't enter more information at a merchant website than is absolutely necessary. There is usually no reason why you should have to supply information such as birth dates or Social Security numbers when making a purchase. Fill in only the bare essentials necessary to make your purchase. If you have children, teach them to check with you before giving out personal – or family – information online.

Read more »

Create Worry-Free Sales With Secure Shopping Cart Software

Succeeding in business can be a hassle and a headache without the right tools. This is especially true when dealing with ecommerce. Regardless of the market, service, or goods being offered, the one tool that is essential to the success of every online ecommerce business is a reliable ecommerce shopping cart.

The online shopping cart is your one stop container for placing and receiving orders online. A basic shopping cart will allow the customer to specify the quantity of the goods wanted, take the customer’s credit, billing, and shipping information, and actually allow the customer to place the order. However, a good shopping cart software solution will do all of this and so much more.

Many ecommerce shopping cart solutions offer customizable templates and design tools for your shopping cart and sometimes even your website. There are also several web hosting shopping cart solutions that will not only handle the order placement and transactions, but also handle the hosting needs of your website.

Other tools and features included in shopping cart software packages are affiliate system management programs, search engine optimization tools, and advanced shipping options. There are also several ecommerce providers that offer secure encrypted credit card processing along with other merchant account tools as a part of using their shopping cart solution for your ecommerce needs.

Almost all reputable shopping cart software providers also offer full telephone, email and live internet chat support in case any questions may arise after purchasing their service. All of this is done to allow you to focus on growing your online business. By automating the backend of your website, you don’t have to worry about manually taking each order that comes in. Ecommerce shopping cart software handles all of this for you.

Make your online business profitable, secure, and reliable with an affordable shopping cart software solution. It is one of the best investments you can make in the operational aspect of your ecommerce venture.

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A Review of Refurbished HP Laptops

HP refurbished laptops can be found on their website hpshopping.com. Just enter “refurbished laptop” into their search field and browse through the current selections. (Note that Hewlett-Packard also owns and distributes Compaq computers.) There you can purchase a quality refurbished laptop for up to 30% off the new retail price.

The HP lines are named Pavilion and Omnibook; the Compaq brand offers the Presario laptop at refurbished rates.

The Pavilion line is by far the most popular. They are most suited to replace your home desktop computer, or assist any student in creating the perfect reports and multimedia presentations. They are slim, sleek, and very mobile – usually under 5 pounds. In order of performance, the most common Pavilion notebooks are the ze4000, ze5000, and ze1200. They come as cheap as $1000 from the manufacturer.

The Omnibook line is more suited to the serious home user and businessperson. They feature powerful, long-lasting batteries, interchangeable media bays, and ultra slim design – usually less than 4 pounds. These can cost as little as $1200 refurbished. The 20-30% savings is immense. They come with Intel Pentium 3, 4, or M processors. The most common lines are the 6100, 6200, and 4100 models. Ask the manufacturer or private refurbished laptops dealer for details on which Omnibook would fit you.

The Compaq Presario line is perfect for the money-conscience laptop user. One Presario model utilizes an Intel Celeron M processor to power the amazing graphics capabilities. It features 512MB of RAM and a jaw-dropping 40GB of hard drive space. It includes a DVD/CD-RW, which allows you to both play and record any DVD or CD that you wish. You can get all of these features for only $800, making it not the least expensive of refurbished laptops, but certainly a great deal.

As with most other manufacturers who offer refurbished laptops, HP offers a 90-day warranty.

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Products and Services That Can Be Bought Online

It is easy to find almost everything you could want to buy online. The online shopping market is extremely diverse because it covers globally. The possibilities are endless and the discount internet stores are piling up as fast as the consumers are. Below are just a few categories of interest for the beginning online shopper.

Many consumers are drawn to auctions and online sites that allow them to bid up to the price they are comfortable paying or a lower price for the item they wish to purchase. Some of the most popular online sites are as follows:

1. Ebay is perhaps the most popular online auction of its kind. Consumers can find things ranging from books, music, glassware, and clothing to DVDs, videos, software, game systems and even furniture or cars.

2. Amazon is perhaps the second biggest online store, hosting both auctions and simple online stores to sell its products. While Amazon offers all of the same products as eBay, its reputation lies mainly in book sand video entertainment, offering some of the lowest prices around when internet shopping.

3. While Walmart is an online store that offers most of its local products with the exception of food and chemicals, it also offers some internet service providers to people, both free and paid. They even offer questions about taxes at the beginning of the year, making this online store both consuming and informative.

The possibilities for online services and products are endless. Whatever you are looking for is just a click away with seller’s ready right and left to assist you.

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Ecommerce Hosting Considerations

Website hosting can be a complex undertaking. Determining how much space you need, how much transfer, finding a reliable host, and getting everything online is no simple task. Add ecommerce to the mix and things become even more complex. This article will deal with some of those additional complications to finding a host for an online store. All of the same considerations to finding general hosting can be applied to ecommerce hosting, there are simply a few additional ones that need some attention.

Basics- Disk Space and Transfer
The core states of any kind of hosting, ecommerce or not, remain space and transfer, or traffic. Generally measured in monthly increments, your space and transfer will place a crucial role in determining just what size plan you need. Ecommerce sites will, generally speaking, require more space and transfer than an equivilant sized site without ecommerce. This is due to the presence of the shopping cart upon which the online storefront is based. Shopping cart programs are installed to the account on which they operate, requiring space, and their scripts for running the store will require additional transfer to handle customers as they browse, add items to their cart, and check out. Will there be a tremendous amount of extra transfer required by the cart? That depends on how many use the cart and on the cart itself. This is why its best to start small and having a clear upgrade path to handle future popularity.

Prospective online merchants will generally have a good idea how many products they'll be selling initially. This will vary wildly from merchant to merchant, and many merchants don't put their entire stocks online. It is wise to start with a considered selection of products first, especially if you wish to initially keep your hosting plan small and upgrade as the store prospers. Those with a great deal of products need to be aware they will probably be facing a bigger monthly fee for a larger hosting plan. Once the decision is made regarding the products, attention can be turned to finding a suitable shopping cart program to contain them.

Shopping Cart
The choice of shopping cart can be a personal one. Those entirely new to ecommerce will probably not have any experience with any kind of shopping cart software. There are a number of popular choices, and most hosting companies will provide one, if not a variety, from which you can choose. It is important to find a shopping cart that suits the individual user, as attempting to change your shopping down the road can be a long process that will, most likely, bring your store down during a transitional period. Don't immediately jump at the first cart a host offers. Ask if they have demos and try them out. Be sure it's a program you can learn and use, as it is the primary way you'll be doing your online business. Even if you have a large business and have a design firm setting up the cart, a rudimentary knowledge of the cart's processes is highly recommended.

Learn as much about your prospective shopping cart software as possible. Make sure it supports SSL, a common site security protocol that will help keep your customer's credit card numbers safe when ordering online. It will need to support your merchant account and payment gateway. In many cases a host might bundle these services, so compatibility isn't an issue. If you secured your merchant services separately from hosting, be sure they are compatible. Find out if the cart has a recommended maximum product limit and, of course, try not to exceed it. The store may slow down and perform poorly if there are too many products in it.

Finally, make sure it will do everything you want it to do. Some merchants sell services and downloadable items that don't conform exactly to the order-product-ship-product flow. If your cart doesn't support these features by default, there may be 3rd party add-ons that will provide this functionality. Miva Merchant is one such shopping cart with a very active 3rd party developer community providing a wide range of add-ons, or "modules" to extend the feature set of the original program. The merchant will have to buy these add-ons and have them installed on their own initiative, though, and the hosting company will not be able to support them.

Reliability and Support
Perhaps of greatest importance is reliability in your chosen host. Think in terms of a "brick and mortar" storefront. If someone locks the front door during business hours, then no customers can come in and nothing is sold. Similarly, if an online store is down at any hour, no customers can come in and nothing is sold. You want the most reliable hosting for such a mission-critical site. Never just take the word of a hosting company's site in regards to their uptime. Do research and look for customer reviews of your prospective host. Online merchants should always be willing to pay more for a reliable hosting company with good uptime and support. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from free or "bargain basement" hosts, since support and uptime are usually the first things to suffer with this kind of hosting.

Conclusions
Finding the right ecommerce hosting company requires a few additional considerations. Decide on your products, your shopping cart, and then shop for your hosting company. You will need more space and transfer than an equivalent site, but start small with your product selection and you can still save money on your hosting. Find a shopping cart that's easy for you to use and understand, as switching at a later date can result in downtime and a lot of work transferring your products. Finally, make sure your host has solid uptime, as an online store that's down isn't generating any sales.

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3 Simple Ways To Save A Bunch Of Money When Buying A New Computer!

Looking to buy a new computer?

Overwhelmed by all of the options available to you?

Stressed by the high cost of computers today?

For most people, buying a new computer does not have to be as stressful as buying a new car. Nor does it have to be as expensive. If you’re like most people, and you have a limited budget for buying a computer, then you need to try to get as much computer for your money as possible.

Here are 3 simple ways anyone can save money when buying a new computer:

1) Shop around for best deal.

Sounds pretty obvious. But many people don’t realize they don’t need the fastest, most expensive computer with the most “extras”. In fact, if you are already using an older computer, even the least expensive new computer will be a big upgrade. If you don’t know a lot about computers, you can learn a lot by shopping around. Ask lots of questions, compare prices, compare features, then find the best price. Shop at your local electronics store, and look for the best deals online. You’ll be surprised at how much money you can save by shopping around!

2) Install your own “extras”

Many computers you will find in a store have a lot of extra software already installed. While this is convenient, it is not always the best way for you to save money. Also, while many of these extras sound good, you don’t always need them. You can often find better deals by shopping around separately for your own software extras (such as a word processor, anti-virus, popup blocker, spyware removal, games, etc). And some of these you can get for free. So before you buy the “fully loaded” computer, ask yourself if you really need all the extras, then shop around to see if you can buy a scaled down computer - and get the extras yourself for much less!

3) Don’t buy extended warranty

If you are not a computer “techie”, the extended warranties offered by the computer retailers often sound like a good idea. After all, who wants to be bothered paying for service on a computer after you buy it. But keep in mind that most computers come with a warranty, and most computer problems will either happen at the beginning (when you still have the warranty in effect) or much later (when it might be cheaper to buy a new computer). Technology changes very quickly these days. So consider whether or not it’s worth the inflated price of the extended warranty. And, if you really feel you need the extended warranty, then ask to purchase it at a lower price. Not all retailers will negotiate on the warranty, but some will. And whether you buy the extended warranty or not, make sure you back up all your files periodically, just in case!

If you have an unlimited budget, consider yourself lucky. And if you do business on the computer, make sure you get what you need, while trying to keep the price down. At any price, buying something that does not fit your needs is not a good deal.

Hope you find these tips helpful, and happy computer shopping!

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Ebay Auction Pricing Strategies.

If your items aren’t selling, then you might have a bad pricing strategy. There as many pricing strategies in the world as there are buyers – if you look at two businesses selling the same thing, often the only difference you’ll be able to find between them is pricing.

The ‘Few Dollars More’ Strategy.

Here’s something you might not have thought of. If you set your auction’s starting price to what you would usually charge for Buy it Now, while setting the Buy it Now price a few dollars above, you can make a profit by setting off an interesting psychological reaction in the buyer’s mind.

Here’s what they’ll think. They want the item, but why should they bother bidding for it? After all, they could use Buy it Now for just a few dollars more, and be sure of getting it! Doing things this way makes the value of the Buy it Now option extra clear to the buyer, and makes them more willing to pay extra for the privilege.

The ‘One Dollar Less’ Strategy.

This is simple, but requires you to keep an eagle eye on your competition. As soon as they start a Buy it Now auction for an item you stock, start an auction for one of those items yourself. Match the title closely, but price your item one dollar less than theirs. This will mean that your auctions will sit together in the search results, and who’s going to see both and go for the one that’s a dollar more expensive?

The ‘Free Shipping’ Strategy.

Buyers really hate paying for shipping. With Buy it Now, you might find it easier to incorporate the shipping cost into the main price of the item, and then write “free shipping” in the auction’s title. You’d be surprised how many buyers would prefer to pay one price including shipping for the auction, instead of having shipping added on at the checkout. Again, this is psychological: they pay the same at the end, but it doesn’t feel like they’ve paid an unnecessary ‘extra’ cost for Internet shopping.

The ‘Go for It’ Strategy.

If you’d like a slightly more risky strategy, try this. List your item for the maximum duration (ten days), starting the listing on a Thursday so it goes across two weekends and finishes on a Sunday. Set the starting price to the minimum (one cent).

What you’re trying to do here is give bidders as long as possible to discover your auction, so that they push the price up themselves. Pay for a few upgrades like bold and highlight, to give them a helping hand. If you do this right, you can make a much bigger profit than you would have with any Buy it Now price, especially with a medium or high value item.

Since running your auction for longer means that more people see it, you should always take the longest duration of ten days, right? Not always. In the next email, we’ll talk about how long your eBay auction should run for.

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How to go about Online Shopping - For newbies

How to go about online shopping:

The idea of online shopping has created a major interest in net users. It is simply buying and paying through internet anytime anywhere. You can purchase almost anything online and need not bother anyone. You can purchase clothes, cars, computers, groceries, books, machineries etc. along with real estates. Generally, the transactions are done through credit cards only. However, there are some sites, which offer cash on delivery. Though online shopping is easier and cheaper as they often offer discounts, yet you could be in trouble at times. Have you ever thought of choosing a secured and safe site for your shopping?
Are you sure your transaction is safe?
Let us think about certain facts before going for online shopping:


Are you using a secure browser?
The browser you are using should abide by the industry security standards. There are Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Secure Electronic Transaction (SET). These systems encrypt the purchase information you send over the net. Safe sites show the symbol of an unbroken key, a picture of a closed lock or a web address started with https://. Along with that, most of the browsers also display a warning message before you click to send any information to a site.


Go for Certificate check:
It is also easy to verify a secure site with a “certificate”. Presently Verisign,Inc. is a provider of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). This company has formed long-term partnerships with a large no. of other companies. You can check out www.verisign.com for further information.

Do not reveal your very personal information unless required:
Always try not to send your password anywhere if you do not know the receiver. It’s even secured to use a combination of numbers, letters and symbols in your password instead of using birth dates, phone numbers etc.


Always pay with a credit card or charge card:
Online shopping is done by credit card or charge card in order to make the procedure easy. If you pay with a credit card or charge card, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Building Act. According to the law, consumers have every right to dispute the charges against certain situations.
It is always better to invest small amount while buying online for the first time. Try them a couple of times and then go for more investments. Using one card only for online shopping will make your life much comfortable. Do not forget to keep hard copies of your purchase order and confirmation number.


Think twice before filling up a form online:
In maximum websites, you need to register yourself in order to buy things. This form is sometimes very risky as with just a click of your mouse all your information could be sent to anywhere. If you are sending any private information then it’s better to think twice. Generally the sites want to know whether you are new to online shopping or what kind of products you are interested in etc. but sometime they ask for your e-mail id, password, mailing address and phone number.
Ask yourself before pouring out all such information:
1)Are they at all required?
2)Should I trust the owners of the site?
3)What about the site’s privacy policy?
4)Is it a secure site at all?
5)What my friends/ relatives/ colleagues feel about this site?


After giving yourself proper and satisfactory replies, you can go forward.


Even after having a through knowledge about the site, if unfortunately you come across some problems there are agencies, which could help you.

1)The Publication Analyzing Internet Information (PM 1789b)
2)Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menu-internet.htm.
3)National Fraud Information Center at http://www.fraud.org.
4)Call for Action, Inc. at http://www.callforaction.org/
5)Consumer Information Center at http://www.pueble.gsa.gov/



Shopping online is definitely enjoyable and interesting. Your online shops are open for 24 hours a day under any circumstances. It gives you the pleasure and comfort to buy with just a few clicks on your mouse. You can go for research before buying a product, such as can check out the price range, utility, others’ opinion and many more things. As everything has its good and bad sides, online shopping is not an exceptional case. Sometime you might have to pay more as the price includes shipping charges and other delivery options. Even it takes time to open up pages where you could be able to see the products.

Along with all the pros and cons, online shopping is just “in”. Maximum people prefer getting things delivered at their doorstep even if they have to pay more. However, before ordering anything online, think and try these out. If you feel you are secured, go ahead and happy shopping!

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Buying a Personal Computer

For so many people the computer world is a seeming unsolvable jungle filled with mysterious words. Here is a guide to help you understand the personal computer and to give you the information needed to make a shopping decision you can live with so you can enjoy your PC for years to come.

Not long ago the average 'cheaper' personal computer cost was about $1500. - $2000. And this price did not necessarily include the power to edit videos, pictures, or play games. For that you would have had to spend more on upgrades. Now things such as video editing are standard on the newest personal computers. PC’s have become less expensive than ever before and they come with more capabilities than ever.

The personal computer (PC) you purchase will depend upon what it will be used for. So will you surf the Internet and email, working in spreadsheets, playing video games? Who is using the PC and what are there interests? More than likely you will have to accommodate a combination of these or maybe even all of them.

Many personal computers (PC) today offer very similar capabilities so your main decision will be based upon which specialties your personal needs present. For instance if you are mainly interested in gaming than you will be sure to spend more for a good 3D graphics card. If you want to make music you will need a good sound card. If you work all day on your computer or use it for photo editing you will want to invest in a better monitor. Also, make sure your PC has enough memory to quickly work the tasks you have planed.

For the best value for your dollar spend your money on the personal computer components that will best suit your needs.

http://www.a1-computers.net/buying a personal computer.html

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How To Accept Credit Cards Online

Anyone with an online business, whether for auctions,
services, or virtually any type of product, has asked the
same question at some time during their quest to create
the ultimate online business - "How do I accept credit
cards?"

Since over 90% of all transactions on the Internet
involve customers paying by credit card, accepting
plastic money rates a must for almost any business.

The problem for most small online business owners
involves the high cost of setting up and maintaining a
credit card merchant account.

With startup fees ranging from $200 to $500, minimum
monthly fees of at least $40 to $50, plus per transaction
fees and a percentage of sales, most people who want to
supplement their income online or test an idea can't risk
that kind of money.

Add in credit checks, 48-month service contracts,
expensive equipment purchases or leasing, financial
statements, and last 3 years' tax returns and most people
throw up their hands and give up before they even get
started.

Fortunately several companies responded to this problem
with unique solutions that enable smaller online
merchants to accept credit cards at a fraction of those
high startup costs with no long-term commitment, no
equipment purchases, and zero minimum monthly fees.


~ PayPal.com ~

PayPal has gotten some negative press over the last
couple of years, but that press has been mostly
undeserved.

PayPal makes it easy for you to collect money for your
online sales, send money to merchants, bill people
monthly, collect dues and donations and integrate a free
shopping cart into your site.

Of all the payment and money transfer services online,
PayPal ranks as the absolute lowest in cost and the
easiest to set up.

PayPal allows merchants to sell physical and downloadable
products along with personal services.


~ ClickBank.com ~

For a $50 one-time fee ClickBank enables online ebook,
software and other electronic information sellers to not
only accept credit cards, but provide instant delivery of
their products to online purchasers.

ClickBank allows any merchant to accept virtually every
major credit card on the planet.

The online merchant simply adds a purchase link to their
site, the customer clicks the link, fills in their
payment information and the credit card gets authorized
on the spot.

Once the card gets approved ClickBank redirects the buyer
to a page that enables them to download the ebook,
software, or other product they have just purchased.

ClickBank also operates a fully integrated affiliate
program that automatically pays affiliates who sell your
products for you.

ClickBank heavily restricts what merchants may sell
through the service and does not allow the sale of
physical goods.


~ PaySystems.com ~

Of the three, Paysystems behaves most like a traditional
credit card merchant account.

The service allows the merchant to integrate with a
number of third-party shopping carts as well as use the
PaySystems shopping cart system.

Merchants pay a small transaction fee and a percentage of
the sale, but don't sign up for any long-term service
contracts or equipment leases.

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The Five Steps of E-Commerce

You set up a retail business, you advertise in your local newspaper, you get customers coming into your store, and you receive payment at the cash register. Create an online store, and...how do you get customers? How do you receive payment? The concept is the same, but the steps are different.

Step 1: Create your website

If you don’t have web design skills, you can hire a qualified web designer to create a website for you, or you can use an online site builder. Think of it as hiring an architect and an interior decorator compared to setting up shop in an existing store.

Using a web designer

With the services of a web designer, you can have a unique website template and website customized to your specific needs. A web development team can also add features such as Flash headers or any programming needed for your site. If your company image is critical, a custom-designed site that conveys the right professional image is a must.

Using an online site builder

An online site builder is the budget way to go. With site builder programs such as Site Studio, your website can be online within minutes. A step-by-step menu allows you to choose a layout and colors, and then add a site description, a logo, and content. Your template may not be unique, but your content will.

Step 2: Set up an e-commerce store

Your customers will browse at your website, select some items, and then pay for them. When you set up an e-commerce shopping cart, you’re providing a way for your customers to bring their purchases to the cash register. The program you choose will allow you to enter your products in the database and allow shoppers to choose products when they click on “Add to cart” or something similar.

Two well-known shopping carts, osCommerce and Miva Merchant, both allow you to do these tasks:

Add, edit, and delete product categories and other information

Set tax rates and charge tax

Receive payment via numerous online and offline payment processing methods

Bill customers

And much more



osCommerce

osCommerce is an open source program. Store owners can set up their online stores using osCommerce with no costs involved. For small stores, it has all the features you need for an online store. Drawbacks of osCommerce are that customization is not easy, and online stores using osCommerce tend to look similar.

Miva Merchant

While Miva Merchant carries a price tag of $995, some web hosts offer Miva Merchant licenses with their hosting plans. If you choose Miva as your shopping cart, be sure to host your site with a host that provides Miva support. Its learning curve is steep, and it requires the support of people who know how to work with it.

With the price and the steep learning curve, you get more features, and you can customize the program more. Add-in modules can be bought that perform a number of tasks. In addition, a strong support community is available in the Miva user group forums.


Step 3: Get a merchant account and payment gateway

When customers arrive at the checkout counter, you need a way for their payments to be transferred from their credit card accounts to your bank account. The method you choose may depend on your sales volume.

For high-volume sales, an e-commerce merchant account plus a payment gateway will meet your needs. A merchant account provider authorizes the transfer of payments to your account, and a payment gateway transfers the information from your customers’ financial institutions to yours.

Most merchant accounts have setup fees, transaction fees, monthly fees, and statement fees. The transaction fees are less than what you’d pay using a third party credit card processor such as PayPal. With all the fees, however, the overall cost is typically lower only if your monthly sales volume is over about a thousand dollars.

For medium and low volume sales, PayQuake and PayPal are viable options.



PayQuake

PayQuake offers three merchant account types to choose from. Although they all require payment gateways, the two smaller plans have no monthly minimums. You can upgrade to a higher or lower plan if your needs change.



PayPal

PayPal has become a household name. Customers can send payment through PayPal via credit card or via money that they transfer into their PayPal account. While the fees per transaction are higher than with merchant accounts, there are no setup or monthly fees, and you don’t need a payment gateway. You pay only when you have financial transactions.

Fore more details about these options, see WebSite Source Hosting Solutions: E-Commerce.


Step 4: Create a secure payment environment

A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate enables you to receive credit card information securely from your customers. When a payment page is using SSL data to encrypt data, a small image of a lock appears at the bottom right of the screen.

Some web hosts offer SSL certificates as part of their hosting packages. If your web host package doesn’t include SSL certificates, you can purchase one separately.

With PayPal, no SSL certificate is required.

Step 5: Generate traffic


Your products are on display in your newly designed store, your shopping cart is set up and ready to use, and you have everything in place to be able to receive payments securely. Now all you need are customers.

This is where marketing comes in.

Submit your site to search engines.

Advertise your site.

Keep your company name in front of your customers with a regular email newsletter.

Add more content to your website to keep it fresh.

Monitor your website traffic to see where it’s coming from and how you can increase traffic for key content areas.

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Doing Your Holiday Shopping On Ebay.

Most people do far more shopping in the holiday season than they do for the rest of the year – and now you know how to use eBay, why not do it there? If you know what kind of thing your friends and family like then eBay’s categories are ideal places to get ideas. Plus, you won’t have to fight your way through the holiday rush when you’re getting everything posted to you at home!

Buying Presents for People.

Here’s how I do it: think of the last thing the person you’re buying a present for bought for themselves. Type it into eBay’s search engine. Now take a look at which category it’s in, and click the link to look at everything in the category. Straight away, you have a huge list of things that they’re probably be happy to receive – and if you know them well, you should have no trouble picking through to find something really special.

Look at Their eBay Histories.

If the people you’re buying presents for use eBay, and you know their eBay usernames, then you can take a look at what they’ve been buying to see what they might want. To look at a user’s history, just click ‘Advanced Search’ on the main page, then Find a Member on the left-hand menu. Type in their username and you should reach their user page, complete with all the item numbers of things they have bought. Just paste any item number into the eBay search box to see what the item was. That should give you a few ideas!

Shop in Advance.

It’s a bad idea to use eBay for your holiday shopping at the very last minute – prices will be high, and items might not turn up in time. Every year there’s a present that children want so much that all the shops sell out, and it starts appearing on eBay at a premium. Parents then pay hundreds of dollars and still don’t get one in time for the big day. Don’t fall into this trap.

Remember You’re in Silly Season.

The holiday season is peak time at eBay – loads of people are there, and they’re often inexperienced, bidding things up far higher than they should. Try not to end up paying far too much for an item just because it’s the last one that would turn up in time, or because everyone else is bidding too high. You should always know when to cut your losses, stop bidding and just go get something from the shop instead.

Have Fun!

Don’t take eBay too seriously – treat it like a game, and don’t be too disappointed if you lose. It can sometimes feel like gambling, but when you get that really rare and special thing in the post, it’s all worth it.

That’s it for our series of emails about buying on eBay: I hope you learned something, and good luck in your eBay future. By now, though, you might have started to think it would be interesting to try selling a few things on eBay yourself. Well, you’re not alone. Go ahead and sign up now for our emails about selling things on eBay. See you there!

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Avoiding Fraud Through Safe Shopping

Online fraud is an increasing problem that can be avoided. Every year more and more people shop online, and every year seems to bring more ways to trick unsuspecting buyers. This report was written to help protect you as a consumer.

Following the guidelines set in this report will protect you from most types of online fraud, and help you recover in the event that you are taken advantage of.

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Before You Buy
-------------------
Before you buy anything online, review the store’s refund policy. Make sure they will accept returns on defective or wrong items. Also, see how long the return period is, usually, it is 30 days.

Review the store’s privacy policy. You want to know that your information is being handled responsibly before giving it to anyone.

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During Check Out
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Plastic or plastic? During the checkout process you will be given a few payment options. Of these, you will probably see credit or charge cards. As you know, if someone accepts credit cards, they also accept debit cards. Debit cards are not the same when it comes to limiting your liability for fraudulent use. Debit cards are fine for most things, but not online purchasing.

Credit or charge cards are the ideal way to pay online. If you pay by credit or charge card online, your transaction is protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, you have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating the disputed charges. In the event of unauthorized use of your credit or charge card, you generally would only be held liable for $50 worth of the charges.

Some credit companies even offer an online shopping guarantee that ensures you will not be held responsible for any unauthorized charges made online, and some may provide additional warranty, return and/or purchase protection benefits.

Double check everything. Make sure your billing, contact, and email addresses are correct and yours. You don’t want your purchases delivered to someone else.

Always ensure that the checkout is being completed on a secure server. You can tell if a server is a secure server by the web address, it should begin with an https://. In addition, the bottom of your browser should contain a padlock image.

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After the purchase
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Always keep a record. You should receive a receipt or invoice after your payment. If you do not, politely request one from the vendor.

Be sure to save this receipt, you will need it as a proof of purchase if the item is defective and needs to be returned, or was never received.

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Ongoing Precautions
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You should regularly check your credit card and bank statements for any unauthorized payments. If you notice anything that you did not authorize, be sure to notify your credit card company or bank immediately.

Some malicious applications will rest on your computer, and send your private information to someone else. This is a common cause of identity theft. For this reasons, you should always run the latest version of your antivirus program with the most recently updated databases. You should also run spyware removal programs regularly.

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Conclusion
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Following the guidelines outlined in this report should lead to a satisfying online experience. The only identity theft victims are people that don’t know or follow safe shopping practices.

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Five Excellent Reasons To Take Paid Surveys Today

Most people know what consumer survey is but do they know they can get paid for answering opinion surveys? If by chance they participate in a paid survey and receive a paycheck in their mailbox, they are thrilled by their discovery. They understand that paid surveys are a great way to earn extra money at their spare time and they just regret they didn't start earlier...

Today, at the Internet age, it is easier than ever to make extra cash with paid surveys and mystery shopping jobs. To help you have a clear picture of this opportunity, we have summarized here the main reasons why you should start taking paid surveys today.

1. Money

Paid surveys are not new. Opinion research has been used for decades by marketers as a way to explore customer needs and every year companies and institutions spend billions of dollars on consumer research. The reason is simple: The better they understand us as consumers, the more money they can make.

Because they need to know what consumers like and want, companies are willing to pay for our opinions.

There are companies that will pay you up to:

* $75 to take online surveys
* $250 to participate in focus groups
* $120 per hour to take phone surveys
* $50 per assignment to participate in shopping surveys

To dismiss any misunderstanding, we don't claim here that you will make $250 an hour all day and every day... But from experience we know that you can easily earn extra money every month, working at your spare time, with hundreds of online paid surveys and mystery shopping jobs that are sent directly to your email. From time to time you will also receive an invitation for a 1-2 hours focus group (a personal interview conducted among a small number of individuals) that can pay as high as $250 per session!

To give you a rough estimate of the money you can earn with online surveys, focus groups and mystery shopping jobs, we can say that anyone who is actively registered with at least 300 top market research companies should have no trouble earning an extra $250-$500 per month working at it part-time. Top performers that stick with it for long and work full time can make up to $3000 per month!

2. You Make Your Opinion Counts

* By answering the questions of legitimate survey researchers, you make your opinions known to the people who have the power to make the changes you want.

* Your answers to survey questions influence many decisions that affect you as a consumer and a citizen.

* Health care providers, government agencies, airlines, hotels, telecom companies and car dealerships are responding to your comments by improving their customer service.

For all these reasons, your opinion is in high demand and you can make a difference when you participate in paid surveys.

3. It is Fun

Participating in online paid surveys isn't a boring job requesting every day to complete a routine task. On the contrary, you will be involved in very diversified assignments dealing with new products you will test before they go on the market, new technologies that are still in R&D labs, original perspectives on existing products, new marketing concepts etc. You will be exposed to many topics you wouldn't have any idea about them otherwise and you will better understand what's going around you as a citizen and as a consumer. After taking many paid surveys, you will look at prices, brands, product design, customer service etc in a different way and you will enjoy your special view on all these matters.

With focus groups, you will be invited to spend 1-2 hours with a small group of 6 to 12 people to discuss a product, a service, a brand or any other marketing concept. Participants can be paid up to $250 and the meeting is typically held in pleasant surroundings and refreshments are served. During this group session there is interplay of thoughts and ideas to get insights on attitudes and perceptions held by consumers. These discussions are very animated and very interesting. That's real fun and great money!

Mystery shopping assignments are a special type of marketing research. You are paid to shop at the mall or to eat at restaurants! All you need to do is filling out a questionnaire on your customer experience. We all shop, and many of us enjoy shopping. But very rarely do we get paid for it! Mystery shopper jobs give us this opportunity: Earning extra income just for shopping and filling out a questionnaire!
It's a fun job that pays real cash. You can earn money to shop in your favorite stores, to eat in your favorite restaurants, to drive a car, to see a movie at your local theater or to play golf!

Beside money, online paid surveys, focus groups and mystery shopping jobs will bring a lot of fun in your life.

4. Cool Lifestyle

* You can do it Full-Time or Part-Time. It's Your Choice!

Paid surveys invitations and mystery shopping assignments are sent to you by email and you can take as many or as few as you want. You can do it full-time or part-time.
You decide how much time you want to devote to paid surveys and shopping jobs and you can work whenever you'd like: morning, noon, night... midnight if you'd like.

* You are Your Own Boss

This kind of work is entirely voluntary and you have no boss looking at your performances all the day. It is all up to you if you want to participate in a survey or not. Nobody will try to force you to take a job if you don't want and if you need a day off, just take it! You are your own boss! You will manage your work as you wish and you will benefit of 100% of your efforts.

* If you are a mom at home, you can schedule your work around your family's needs, spending more quality time with your loved ones.

* If you are a student, you can answer surveys between lectures or before you do your homework. This is a great way to relax and have a little fun when you are tired of your college assignments.

* If you are a senior citizen, paid surveys and mystery shopping jobs will fill your free time with interesting activities and they will supplement your retired pay.

* If you decided to work from home, paid surveys and mystery shopping are just for you. You can work from the comfort of your home and you keep the flexibility to share your time as you want.

* If you are a full time employee and need an additional income, you can fill out online surveys and shopping questionnaires during pauses at work, on the evening or on your weekend. All your family can take paid surveys too so all the surveys taken add up in a cumulated income.

5. It is easy to get started

* No experience or special skills are required.

No special background is needed to participate in consumer research. If you are a consumer, your opinion counts and you qualify to take paid surveys and mystery shopping jobs. Every consumer is welcome.

* No special equipment is required

Taking surveys for money requires no special equipment other than access to a computer and email. If you know how to access the Internet and your email, you're set.

* Professional databases have made all the hard work for you

Finding an excellent collection of legitimate and well-paid surveys isn’t an easy job. The most difficult part about making money with paid surveys is finding an extensive list of legitimate companies out of all the market research programs on the Internet. Some of these sites are scams - they don’t deliver their promises about cash and other incentives or they don’t keep your privacy and bombard you with unwanted advertising… The best way to avoid scams and to make the best of paid surveys and mystery shopping jobs is to join a professional database of paid opportunities that give you access to a wealth of legitimate opportunities.

We recommend Maximum Paid Surveys as the most professional resource of paid surveys and mystery shopping jobs available today on the Internet. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom, student, retired or just need some extra money, Maximum Paid Surveys will make it easy to get paid for your opinion.

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Cheap Broadband ISP

Many Options Are Available. There are a number of options for anyone trying to get the cheapest Internet service available. Completely free service is even offered by several companies. However, these options usually have some less desirable features, such as permanent pop-ups or other advertising gimmicks. Unless you are willing to put up with these, a free Internet service can inhibit your enjoyment of your Internet experience.

People living in the UK have a variety of choices for cheap broadband service. Here are a few suggestions to begin you search.

A first option to consider would be Homecall Broadband. They have packages with voice and data bundled beginning at a low ?19.99 pounds.This company appears to run specials with regularity, and their packages include 2 mbps in bandwidth. Homecall is a reliable service for cheap Internet access.

Wanadoo Broadband is another option for cheap broadband in the UK. Their standard package is similar to others and offers a 2 mbps deal that begins at ?14.99 pounds. The amount of time you use your computer may also influence the price of the service. Wanadoo sometimes offers a free modem and connection, which is a 50 pound value, so be on the lookout for it. Wanadoo also has a free six-month membership, however, you must meet the qualifications for this incentive.

Another option in the UK is BT Broadband. They have made a name for themselves with cheap Internet service offers. BT has packages from ?15.99 pounds per month. These packages can be for home or business use.

Most of the time, it is not hard to find cheap Internet access. The hardest part is doing some research to find the option that is right for your needs at a suitable price. There are lots of choices out there. Before settling on any one provider, it pays to talk to some current customers to find out if they are a reliable company.

Make sure you assess your current needs. You don't need to get talked into a package that is more than you need. Take the time to figure out what you are looking for in an Internet service provider, and then go shopping. Make sure you know what you are going to use it for beforehand, such as business or personal use. Small businesses often have different needs from a provider than someone looking for one, for home use.

Since the competition for Internet providers is so strong, you can almost pick your package at the price you want. Nearly every provider will offer you the incentives you like with the price you want to snag your business. Keep this fact in mind when you are shopping for cheap Internet service. Then look at who is offering cheap service with the quality and reliability you want and get the cheap Internet service deal you desire.

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