Here are some easy tips that will help you shop smarter online and stretch that dollar.

Escape the dynamic pricing trap: Delete Cookies, Clear Caches & Go Incognito

Fact and Fiction: The Truth About Browser Cookies

Dynamic pricing is a strategy online retailers use to offer different prices to different customers based on demand, market factors and each user’s browsing and spending patterns. This technique has become more sophisticated now that websites can track your internet surfing and gain an intimate knowledge of your online behavior. Retailers use this data to determine your price point, which means when you go to purchase a product, you may see a higher price than someone with different spending habits using a different computer.

The best way to avoid getting charged a higher price is to erase your browser’s cookies and log out of your account. You can also try using your browser’s version of a “private” or “incognito” window, so cookies aren’t saved during your search.

Use Cashback and Rebate websites

Ebates Cashback Made Simple: You Already do it, get paid for it!

A good shopper always looks for the lowest possible price at checkout. Cashback websites allow shoppers to take advantage of affiliate marketing schemes by paying cash rewards to shoppers when they click through them to shop at specific online retailers.  You’ll have to sign up to the cashback site, log on and search for the online retailer you want to buy from Your visit is then tracked. If you buy something, an amount is put into your cashback site account once the transaction is processed. You can then withdraw this once it arrives in your cashback account.

Quidco,TopCashback, Ebates, BeFrugal, Swagbucks.com are good examples of Cashback sites. And below are some reasons why using them makes sense:

• You can buy a surprising number of different products and services through cashback sites, including groceries, entertainment, dating services, online banking, flights,
• Using a cashback service doesn’t prohibit you from applying other discounts, (discount codes you’ve received via e-mail or found online) or cashback credit cards (which typically give you a 1-2% rebate on all purchases). In fact, Rick Broida, who writes CNET’s popular Cheapskate blog has come up with the smart and interesting Triple Dip Savings Equation i.e. cashback service + cashback credit card + coupon code = triple-dip savings. Just when you thought your lowest price at checkout could not get any lower!
• During certain times in the year, some Cashback sites offer In-store, Double and Triple Cashback for your purchases.
• You can earn more cashback by referring others and some sites will even give you a percentage of their purchases.

Shop at Discount sites

Five Best Deal Sites

When you are shopping online for bargains on electronics, accessories, clothing, and other products, finding the best deal is key and when 50% off from the store just won’t do it, it’s time for you to consider shopping at Discount and Bargain Shopping Websites like Amazon, K-Mart , Walmart and eBay.com (eBay even gives you cash back in the form of “eBay bucks”!). While these offer an extensive selection of products from competitive leading Brands at discounted prices, there are plenty of additional sites like Slickdeals, Fatwallet and Dealnews (or Saleduck in Malaysia and other countries) that can save you a bundle as well.

Look for Free Shipping

33 Online Stores with Free Shipping and No Minimum

Studies by Forrester – a leading U.S Market Research & Advisory firm –  have shown that shipping and handling fees are the number one factor driving shopping cart abandonment. While shipping costs are based on the origin and destination, weight and type of logistics service provider that the retailer & shopping website uses, the cost of shipping continues to be a barrier to shopping online.

You can solve this problem in 3 ways. Shop from online stores like Front Row Shop and Nordstrom that offer free shipping with no minimum,  or better yet, from Madewell and Asos that offer free global & international delivery. Secondly, make purchases on days where free shipping is offered because several online stores do this and they do so frequently, usually over weekends and national holidays. If all else fails, at the time of checkout, use the ‘ship to store’ option instead of the ‘ship to home option’.

Search for Coupon Codes, Store’s Cash Back Credit Card & Reward Programs

What Science Says About Discounts, Promotions and Free Offers

Google is a great place to start if you are looking for coupons online, but you can also use cashback sites and  browser plug-in like Coupons at Checkout or Honey. These will automatically find (and insert) viable codes for whatever store you’re shopping at. It’s really that simple.

Don’t forget to use the Coupons, Cash Back Credit Card & Reward Programs that the stores themselves give you. Sometimes, you’ll notice additional discounts being offered to you like 40% extra off already reduced clearance and sales items. Studies also show that 54% of shoppers will purchase products left in their shopping carts, when those products are offered at a lower price by retailers meaning that you need to stay alert for stores offering additional discounts on your intended purchases. After you snag all of those great deals you will probably feel pretty lucky, go ahead, we don’t blame you!

Word of Mouth: Refer a Friend, Write reviews

Ebates Refer-A-Friend: Earn $75 For Only 3 Referrals!

If after using coupons, store rewards and cashback you thought you’d found the best possible lowest price for your purchase and that was that, think again! Your opportunity to save does not end at checkout. Referring a friend (to a product, service, subscription or website) writing reviews, taking surveys and making recommendations also pay these days.

Cashback sites often give a user cashback by referring others. 55% shoppers find reviews important for making purchase decisions. Shopping Sites like Amazon and others provide affiliate links to users and when those users write reviews for particular products they have purchase through Amazon and other potential buyers click on the link and purchase the same product,  the site gives credit to you  by sharing a  percentage of their purchases.

Shop Sales and Clearance items

Why Shoppers Just Can’t Resist Clearance Sales

This is one of the best way to get what you want – a quality product – at the price you’re willing to pay for it. All it requires is a little patience. Eventually all products go on sale or clearance – slashing prices to almost 80-90% of the original product value! –  to make room for newer models and fresh inventory and what was once a task to fight crowds and sift through rows of inventory to find clearance items is now one click away with the reality of online stores. These websites often have a noticeable ‘Clearance’ or ‘Sales’ section and the software allows you to filter through the entire stock based on brand, price, gender and customer reviews or bestsellers. Shopping just got way easier and cheaper!

So, there you have it 7 easy tips to earn cash while you shop and 1 big reason why being a shopaholic is always fun!

The post Online Shopping Secrets : 7 Easy Tips to Earn Cash While You Shop! appeared first on InstantELLA.

Impeccable Listings

It’s all about the listing. What you list and how you list it. The quality of the listing is critical and this will decide how many views your closet will get. The more views, the bigger the buyer’s market and the higher the possibility of your item selling out fast!

• Pictures & cover shots

By quality I mean, clean bright pictures taken in natural light against a neat setting or backdrop.  One or 2 props or accessories to help style the item is great but you don’t want too much happening in your cover shot (the first picture in the series) to distract from the item itself.

• Description

A good quality listing also means be as descriptive as possible about the item on sale. First off pay special attention to the Title of the listing. From experience, buyers shop basis brands. A good idea then, would be to always include the name of the brand in your title. In the description, state the color, design, unique features, texture, fabric and dimensions of the item. If possible, suggest a styling option – e.g.: ‘(Item) would look cute in heels and a jacket’ OR ‘wear with a pair of sneakers and jeans for the ultimate casual look!’ Do not forget to state the flaws if any. Potential buyers, and mature Poshers who know the platform and been around a while, appreciate honesty and transparency from the seller. So, state defects or flaws if any.

Competitive & Fair Pricing

If you decide to ‘Sell on Poshmark’ the listing will always ask you for an ‘Original Price’ – cost of the item bought new – and your ‘Listing Price’ – the price you wish to list this item at. Keep in mind, if your item sells, Poshmark does deduct a commission fee from your ‘Listing Price’, leaving you with your final earnings. You want room to negotiate pricing with potential buyers, so don’t set your listing price so low. On the other hand, skyrocketing the price is not wise either. With the internet, it’s easy for a buyer to research and compare costs and price within and outside the Poshmark platform. Setting the cost too high may trigger doubt about the product, lead to additional questions, and requests to provide guarantees etc.- all of which delay sales and waste time having to clarify your stance as a seller. When you decide to list an item do the following

• Thoroughly examine and inspect your item for any flaws

• Look for the same or similar items online & see how much they cost

• Judging from the condition of your item, roughly but honestly estimate your listing price

Poshmark is run on good relationships and trust between Buyers and Sellers. And remember, smart buyers always look for listings, running their searches from ‘Low to High’ price. The highest price is often ignored so be competitive & fair in your pricing.

Fresh Closets

This one is simple. Buyers love variety. If you want a closet that sells, you need to list new items and do it frequently. This means relisting items that have been sitting in your closet for a while or better yet sourcing and listing completely fresh items. I know people join Poshmark for different reasons. Someone wants to just get rid of excess items they don’t need, others love the challenge of the sale, yet others are only concerned with profit and Poshing to them is a business. Depending on what your goal is, you can decide how frequently you want to list items. What is a fact though is that new listings trigger activity in your closet, pushing it to the top of the ‘New closet’ category which brings in new followers, more views and potential buyers.

Share Constantly

Publishing new listings isn’t the only way to get your closet noticed. You can also share your existing closet in 2 ways effectively. You can ‘share to your followers’ (people who follow you on Poshmark) and to ‘Posh Parties’ – real-time virtual shopping events where Poshers meet up in the Poshmark app to shop, share, and sell. This is a great way to find new Poshers, listings, and to gain more followers by sharing your own listings.

Now that you know how to share, you might have questions on what to share and when to share. Regarding the ‘what to share’, a good option would be the Brand/ Item specific sharing approach. Share brands & items that appeal to you because you’ll probably already have similar items in your closet and this will get them more views. Also share brands that are trending. The basic rule is to share your closet at least 3 times a day. It’s an investment of time, but the more you do it, the less tedious it will be and the more you share the more your items are likewise being shared!

Follow Frequently

New Closets, New Poshers, Featured Closets – follow them all. Follow them as frequently as possible. Like sharing, following is also reactive. The more you follow other poshers and closets, it increases your chances of being followed and improves the number of views of your closet. All this means faster and more sales!

Take Advantage of Promotions

And there are many! Below are a few that have helped me get my closet out there and make sales. Not only are these a fun way to make sales, sellers also stand a chance to win additional Poshmark Credit.

• Make A Deal Days

Poshmark Make a Deal Days are when Poshmark offers a promotion to use the Offer to likers feature. There will be 5 $100 winners each hour and then one $1000 winner for the day. You will see a notification banner on the top of your news feed when it is active.

• Closet Clear Out / Drop Prices

Closet clear out (CCO) is a Sale that Poshmark does. You will see a notification banner on the top of your news feed when it is active. … Closet Clear Out is when you reduce the price by 10% Poshmark will send the likers an offer for 4.99 shipping for 6 hours. The Minimum final price must be $10 to qualify

• Bundle Offers

“Bundling” is a Poshmark feature that allows buyers to purchase more than one item from a single seller and only pay shipping once. There is of course a weight limit to how much the overall shipping will cover but bundling is a very real option that buyers constantly use and there a very attractive tool the seller could use to close sales.

Timing and opportunity are everything. Serious Poshers know exactly what Poshmark promotions to look for and when these opportunities come up, they treat them as ‘Seller Tools’ for their closet.

So, there you have it, some basic selling tips for Poshmark closets. The bottom line is an active closet, fresh listings, constant shares and follows, building a relationship with the Poshmark community and taking part in promotions. All of these actions really boost the visibility of your closet. Hope some of these tips will help you get your closet noticed!  

The post Poshmark Selling Tips To Get Your Closet Noticed appeared first on InstantELLA.