Web In A Shell

 Tired of hunting different sites to look for ‘your’ kind of furniture? Ever wished you could pick furniture styles in an easy, convenient manner? If you want to shop at places which boast the best styles in furniture then this is the right place! Here we list down the top 5 furniture online sites to pick modern design furniture of your choice!

Crate and Barrel
Crateandbarrel.com is undoubtedly one of the best places to shop online. You can get access to regular sales and the best thing is; you can almost always get a substantial discount while shopping here. The site is well constructed and looks very attractive. You can purchase almost everything for your home here from exclusive colonial furniture to house ware as well as gorgeous garden furniture to complement your outdoors perfectly.

Pottery Barn 
Potterybarn.com is a stylistically decorated website that will leave you wanting for more! The website has everything from bedding and furniture for entryways, bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens, outdoor spaces, living rooms, small spaces and plenty more. You name it and they have it! They even have a fine collection of rustic furniture to complement your bedroom or living room beautifully. You will find everything from classic styles to modern design furniture to suit your tastes perfectly.

West Elm
If you prefer contemporary styled furniture as opposed to colonial furniture then westelm.com is perfect for you! The site has everything from furniture to accessories to complement the urban and chic look for your home. They even have a fine collection of rugs and pillows to accentuate your interiors, bedding and bath products, lighting and wall décor items, accessories and new trends to hit the home décor scene. So if you are looking for ideas and products to create a futuristic and originally designed room, then this is the place.

Design Within Reach
For the best in modern design furniture Design Within Reach’s dwr.com provides affordable luxury products to decorate your home in style. The site offers an interesting mix of contemporary styled furniture to accessories to complement your home. Right from bedding, accessories, rugs, throws and pillows to plenty more – there is a lot to shop for on dwr.com.  Also, when buying anything from this site, you would love to notice low shipping rates.

Restoration Hardware
Restorationhardware.com is another popular website that has everything from contemporary and classic furniture to retro chic looking styles. They even have a wide collection of bath accessories and bedroom furniture. For accentuating your outdoor spaces restorationhardware.com even has some amazing garden furniture to boost your exteriors. The site is classically designed and has an easy to search mechanism to find your favourite products. 

So the next time you go shopping for your furniture do not forget to look in these top 5 websites. These sites not only boast great designs but also provide plenty of value in terms of money spent! Most of the sites have regular promotional schemes going on so you can expect to save a lot of money in the process as well. So check out these top websites and start beautifying your home today!

With over 500 retail giants to choose from can interior design ever go wrong? No, not when it comes to mydeco.com. This site is the brainchild of Martha Fox and Brent Hoberman and after their previous site called lastminute.com this one is also set to make waves on the dotcom scene.

Virtual interiors
Confused about how your room is going to look? You can use mydeco’s amazing 3D tools to create stunning virtual imagery to depict your interiors. Put together real world products from over 500 retailers in mydeco’s database to create your own unique look for your interiors. Right from being able to add flooring to painting your walls virtually – it is great fun! Plus you also get 1000 dollars reward if you create an innovative design. All you need to do is to upload a photograph of your room and then use the 3D tools to furnish it. An easy to use drag-drop mechanism enables you to furnish your virtual room with carpeting, wallpapers, accessories, lighting and many more. The best part is that these products are real life products that are present with these retailers.

Showing off – in style!
Mydeco represents social networking and the concept of social shopping at its best. Its 3D interactivity features not only enable you to create new room designs but you also get to show off and discuss your interior designs with other wannabes on the site! Even if you are not born with decorating skills you can always ‘copy’ ideas from the many already created rooms by experts. If you are completely clueless about what ‘your style’ is you can take a quiz to discover the kind of color palettes and themes you really dig!

Things that need improvement
If you wanted to search everything contained in Mydeco.com it could prove to be an uphill task. While their 3D facilities are user-friendly their search facility is not exactly a perfect cinch. Certain aspects on the site tend to get overly complicated. You would think that simple things like changing your room dimensions etc. to be easy but they are more complicated. Even designing and making the changes reflect in the 3D mode can be time consuming. It takes up memory and slows your PC down!

Community focus
The main winning aspect about mydeco.com is its simple yet staggeringly unique concept. Never before has a site taken interior design and used it in social networking. Mydeco.com is all about community building and helping to get people together to discuss new ideas and concepts about their interior design ideas. Plus it is a great way to showcase their retailer database as you can purchase products if and when you decide you like them in your design! 

The future
The future of this site looks bright especially since it heralds a brand new concept. There are bound to be many other sites that will follow suit albeit with enhanced features and add-ons. Mydeco.com  is definitely worth a browse and who knows you may even get addicted to it!

You simply love shopping for clothes and matching accessories. Well if you do then this guide will help you visit some of the best online stores on the web. Here is our definitive guide on the 5 best stores to buy apparel and accessories from!

Anthropologie 
Anthropologie.com’s USP lies in its unique collection of clothing and accessories. They have a fine collection of amazing designs available in different sizes and with unusual patterns. The price can work out to be fairly expensive owing to the large shipping costs involved. However, it is a small price to pay considering the variety of designs you can choose from! The site itself is very attractive and well designed. Detailed product descriptions are provided as are suggestions with suitable accessories to complement the attire. This helps you pick out a nice ensemble for yourself. Exchanging or returning items is never a problem owing to the easy return policy of the site.

Bloomingdales
Bloomingdales.com is easy to navigate and checkout from. The site is very flashy and attractive to look at and easy to use. They also keep coming up with amazing discounts that can really save a lot on the amount you pay for an item. Known as one of the most famous department stores around, their site is upto expectations. The online shopping experience can be very pleasing especially as all product categories and descriptions are nicely stated on the site.

Gap
The online version of the regular Gap store is just as pleasing. Not only do you get access to huge savings and discounts on this site but you also have a huge variety of accessories and apparel to choose from. You will find everything right from cottons, to jeans and jackets to lovely shirts etc. You can find prices as low as 10 dollars for a t-shirt and 20 dollars for a pair of jeans here! Their service is also great as it offers great clearance opportunities as well as flexible return policies.

Macys
Macys has always been known for its spectacular sale prices! Most people have the wrong impression that prices at the site are extremely high but it is only applicable in some cases. Most other times clothes and accessories come at very good deals and prices. There are lots of bargains and deals to be found on Macys and their collection of clothing is truly outstanding. It includes almost everything you would need for people of all ages!

Asos
The large collection of clothing and accessories offered at asos.com is one of its main attractions. Their delivery is also exceptionally fast and navigating the site is as easy as 1,2,3. The prices quoted on the site are also very competitive and offer good bargains for consumers in the process. Their customer care is also very good and you can expect a quick response whenever you register any complaint. Even their return policy is flexible and generous. Definitely worth shopping at!

Online shopping is fun and a great way to purchase things quickly. However, if you receive a product which is damaged or not as per what was specified on the site, the returns policy on the site will play a critical role in how much savings you make!

Issues to consider
There are a couple of things you need to check on regarding the returns policy of a site such as who bears the shipping costs, whether there is a timeframe within which you need to return the goods, are there restocking charges applicable in case of returning or cancellation of the order etc. You also need to check if the online store is providing you with a complete refund or just allotting store credits to you. The reason is that in the case of store credits there is a timeframe within which you need to use up this credit. 

Contact and reputation
There are other vital aspects to look out in regard to the customer service levels on an online shopping site. For example, you need to check if the site has relevant contact details in case of registering complaints, how many of experience the company has, as well as can you approach their local branches for services or repairs etc. You also need to check on the extent of warranty applicable on the product or items purchased. Make sure to also check on who bears responsibility for giving this guarantee on the product. Also it helps to check on the timeframe within which you need to claim your warranty and under what situations a claim is applicable.

Keeping a record
A good idea is to keep a copy of the returns policy of the site for the specific product you purchased. You also need to print out a copy of the web page that has the company contact information on it. Product information page that showcases the specifics of the product code, description, price etc. are also important documents to keep as a reference. This will help later when you need to make a warranty claim or need to return the product. Make sure to keep these documents safe for the entire warranty period if not more.

Shipping details
As per law any ecommerce site will need to ship the products within the timeframe defined in its site. If it fails to do so or if there is no time limit indicated then you as a consumer have the right to what’s called an ‘opinion notice’. In cases where there is no time stated for shipping it is mandatory for the company to ship the product in 30 days. The ‘opinion notice’ enables you as the consumer to return the product, cancel the transaction and receive a 100% refund!

Added benefits
You also need to check with the website if they provide labels to enable free shipping if you need to return the product. The market is so competitive that most ecommerce sites go the extra mile to ensure their return policies are flexible and generous. Many sites will also never charge consumers for restocking and this applies even to situations where the return is not because of merchant error. 

Maybe you hate searching through retail sites trying to find the exact product you want. Or perhaps you want a particular product which you are not able to find anywhere else. Instead of breaking your head over numerous searching options try out social shopping. It’s fun and it’s the next big thing in online shopping!

Combining two favorites!
Both online shopping and social networking represent two of the current hottest activities pursued by most Internet users. Social shopping is all about connecting these two concepts into one powerful ecommerce trend! It offers a nice platform for online shoppers to not only connect but discuss various products and review them. Many small start ups have benefited from social shopping. It is a win-win situation where both the retailer and the shopper seem to benefit.

Move away from the big guys
Most online shoppers already know what the mainstream retail sites offer in terms of the product range. Hence there is really nothing new to explore there. These big retailers have been there, done that. Today is the age of experimentation, specialization and the more niche your product the more chances it will be talked about on social shopping sites! Why because customers are always on the lookout for something different, a new product that exactly meets their requirements – and they want all this delivered to them on a platter! Who said ecommerce could be easy?!

A growing trend
Social shopping aims to map products that are hard to get to customers who are looking for them. This is great as it works for online retailers as well as online shoppers. While retailers usually cannot seem to connect their products to customers, consumers find it difficult searching for products they like.

Laying the foundations
Social shopping is just starting out and it’s already becoming a much-touted thing in the world of ecommerce. It is definitely here to stay. Customers essentially discuss ideas, review products and generally advise each other on which products and retail sites are the best. So if you are an ecommerce site then it is in your best interests to stay in the good books of these customers – else you might be written off forever!

Price vs. Service
Today customers are finicky. Quality plays a more important role than price. Another factor that plays a vital role is the service level offered by the company. Aspects like warranty etc. play an important role for a site’s success. Also in the world of social shopping where the customer decides a retailer’s fate, warranty and high service levels are paramount to ensuring success. 

Direct and goal oriented
With social shopping online purchasing is no longer going to be an ambiguous, vague concept where the customer guesses product availability on a site. Instead the customer will now be armed with plenty of information and advice from other customers thereby making the shopping experience more goal-oriented. If any ecommerce company wishes to stay afloat in the competition it should assess social shopping trends seriously.

Today online shopping has become a way of life for the regular Internet surfer. However there are so many sites that offer ecommerce that you really don’t know where to carry out safe online shopping anymore! Here are some guidelines to help you get sorted!

1. Latest versions
It is essential that you download the latest browser version in your computer system before you start shopping online. Browsers typically update their versions in order to accommodate more stringent encryption mechanisms. So having access to these will ensure a better safe online shopping experience for you!

2. Secure sites
The most critical part of any shopping experience is when you need to enter your credit card information. You always end up being scared if the information is secure enough or not. Well now you can take the guesswork out – just make sure the URL portion of http ends with an s indicating that the server is secure.

3. Email clicking
Many sites keep sending in promotional emails to attract customers. However, as a rule of thumb, to practice safe online shopping you should never click on any hyperlink included inside the email. Always make sure to log in to the site by typing in the URL.

4. Spyware detectors
There are many software available free of cost these days that can greatly enhance your safe online shopping experience. These can easily find out if your computer has a spyware or not.

5. Privacy policies
Privacy policies on sites mostly get ignored by users simply because they are so long! However, the key to ensuring a good safe online shopping experience is to read the entire thing. You will then know what the site is using your personal information for, what sort of control they can exercise over the information collected etc. whether they sell this information to third party providers or not etc. You will be much better informed before submitting any kind of personal information.

6. Padlock icon
This icon should ideally be located over status bar portion of your browser. This indicates a secure site.

7. Disputed transactions
Ensure that you keep a tab on credit card statements each month. This way you know if any transaction is fraudulent or not. You can then take it up with your bank if needed.

8. Promotional offers
Most promotional offers have a catch to them. So don’t get carried away. Read the fine print as it will ensure a more safe online shopping experience.

9. Know everything
You need to know everything about the product before you pay for it. Try and get information on color, size, price as well as warranty etc. You also need to know if the company provides any guarantees.

10. Check on shipping
If you are buying from another country’s site then shipping could be high. Make sure you know the charges before purchasing as otherwise you could end up paying more for shipping than on the actual product!

When it comes to your online customers they are the ones who decide your sales statistics online. Therefore it is in your best interests to ensure that they are happy and satisfied with the online shopping experience at all times. Otherwise your online conversion rates will get sluggish and business will suffer. Here are some pointers to keep your online customers ever happy.

Keep it dynamic
No matter what your website deals in it is essential to keep your site as fresh and dynamic as possible. Online customers hate to see a website that has the same old content rehashed and recycled day in and day out. Make sure you are using RSS feeds or have access to syndicated content which you can feed into your website. Doing this saves you the hassle of aggregating content from different sources and yet keeps your website new and interesting.

The art of persuasion
Online shopping is all about making your online customers purchase from your site. At the end of the day it is the sales statistics which do all the talking. So make sure you have aspects like a call to action in place and also ensure that you have highlighted the important aspects on your website.

Be honest
Nothing puts off online customers more than dishonesty on a website. Let’s say you do not have sufficient stock of a particular item or are due to get it soon, then make sure to say so to the customer. Instead of searching for several minutes and not finding something, online customers will be far more pleased if you told them upfront about the availability of stock and inventory.

Shipping costs
Many websites make the mistake of not disclosing shipping costs on their site. Most online customers want to know this at the very outset while buying something online. The last thing they want is that an item which costs 20 dollars will end up costing 30 dollars for shipping! Make sure you mention the breakdown of price beside every product listed on the site.

Don’t have large images
Too many image heavy web pages can affect download times significantly. This can waste a lot of your online customers time. Instead of that try using small sized images for the products along with an option to view the large picture. This facilitates quicker page views and enables a faster online shopping experience for customers.

Search functionality
This is so critical and yet so many websites fail to have a good quality search mechanism installed. If you are selling products to online customers then this is an absolute necessity. You need to not just have a search box but also have drop down options based on different criteria such as product category, keyword, title, price range etc. The more options the more your sales will go up! Online customers like to know they have choices in what they are shopping for. So make sure to give this aspect to them!

When it comes to online shopping you ultimately want your customers to increase your sales margins, right? That is why having an effective shopping cart system as well as introducing innovative graphic effects is crucial to ensuring success in your business and staying ahead in the competition.

Product views
Nothing puts off a customer more than having plenty of textual information on a product without any pictures! In order for customers to buy more from your site you need to have plenty of pictures of each product listed on your site. Try having thumbnail versions which can then be clicked to see the larger view.

Target audience
You also need to have dedicated sections on your site that cater to specific segments of your customers. In most online shopping sites you will find separate sections for women, men and children etc. if this is an online garment selling company. However apart from these basic segregations it is also important to have niche sections which help identify a particular customer base that much better!

Security aspects
When it comes to online shopping customers want to know that their credit card information is secure on your site. You surely cannot expect customers to purchase from your site when their information can be hacked anytime! Make sure to have SSL certificates installed as well as provide encryption of all the data that is being transmitted across the site.

Highlighting what is important
So many retailers these days highlight non-value added aspects on their site that it actually distracts customers from what is most important. If you are having a sale coming up wouldn’t you want to highlight it so that online shopping statistics increase on your site? Make sure to stick to clean lines and minimalist design on your site and highlight areas of the site which will enhance sales.

Contact information
Many sites fail to provide information such as email, phone, fax numbers etc. on their site. This reduces their accessibility to customers who in turn may get suspicious about the site’s authenticity. Therefore always make sure to include all aspects of contact information on your website. It will improve a customer’s online shopping experience and they will come back again to purchase more!

Call to action
Make sure you include buttons like ‘buy’ or ‘order now’ or ‘purchase now’ etc. on your site. Ideally you’ll want to place these crucial buttons next to the product so customers are tempted to purchase more. This is another tactic sites use to improve on online shopping conversion ratios. However it is unfortunate and sad that many websites still do not have such a critical aspect on their site!

Maybe you have a designer line of products especially aimed at smart, 20-something women. Or perhaps you have a special dog food variety that you sell online. No matter how niche your product range is you can always manage to enhance your online shopping statistics by entering new markets. Here we discuss tips on how you can do this.

Research helps!
You need to start by doing some in-depth research on the target segment. Try identifying their preferences, their demographics etc. You could also do a keyword research based on the specific product line you are offering. This would help you get a fair idea of what kind of products people are interested in. For example if the keyword you typed in is generating plenty of results and if there are many direct competitors it means the products are popular but it also means you have tough competition ahead! Therefore in order to boost your ecommerce site then make sure to stick to a segment which doesn’t have too much competition but is still growing enough to provide good profits in the future.

Test, test and test more!
One way to assess if your online shopping site is going to succeed or not is to test the market. You can do so very effectively with the help of blogs. You could write a couple of interesting articles in your blog and check to see if viewers are checking it regularly or not. By assessing the relative traffic flow to the blog as well as its popularity on search engines you will be able to better identify the feasibility of such a concept in the market. If blogs don’t suit you then you could try out affiliate marketing too. Just hire a group of affiliate marketers who will advertise and refer your products for you. If people come to your site it means you have a winner at hand!

Newsletters
Newsletters aren’t just for imparting advice or information. They are a powerful marketing tool which can be used to assess user preferences and help an ecommerce site to tweak its marketing campaigns to appeal to the customer. For example if you have a site that sells jewelry online and you find customers signing up for your course on how to make jewelry then you know that there is definitely a demand in this segment. Besides this you also get to increase your customer list of contacts in this manner as the more customers you sign up for the newsletter the more email IDs and contact information you add on to your database!

Surveys
You could either have an online survey system set up on your online shopping site or just conduct an offline survey to see how customers perceive your line of products. Surveys can represent a very effective mechanism to ascertain whether a product has a demand or not in the market. This way you are able to exactly pinpoint specific likes and dislikes in the segment and fine tune your campaign accordingly.