Shopping online can be intimidating and kind of scary for those new to the internet. The following advice will provide some guidelines to make the experience much more enjoyable.

If unsure of a reputable on-line business see if an acquaintance has purchased from a webstore without any problems. If so, there will probably be no hassles in dealing with them.

Next use a search engine to find what is needed. There are search engines all over the net. Type the desired item into the search bar and click "go". There will be pages of info and e-commerce websites to look into.

Reputable webstores can be found using the following guidelines.

• Think of how well know the business is. Shady sites rarely spend money on marketing

like the big companies.

• Check the BBB website. All that is needed is a city, state, or zip code. A business name,

type, phone or web address. Quite a bit of information can be found this way. A business

is rated even if not a member.

• Read a few reviews. Don't start with the stores on site reviews. A few tend to be

biased. To find unbiased reviews use a search engine. Type the business name into the

search bar and follow that with the word - reviews. Several pages of results will be shown.

Most will be false leads so be sure to actually get to a review. Reading several will show

the positive to negative ratio. If there are more positive then it is time to read the onsite

reviews. If you find few or no off site reviews it could just be a new company. Instinct plays a

part in this situation.

• Be sure to look at the webstores website. Does it look professional and like some thought went

into it? Do all the links or large majority of the links work properly? Do they have a contact us

page and an about us page? Are the product pics and descriptions as good as or better than a

catalog? Is there any secure site, safe transaction or paypal logos?

• After researching, a decision is usually easy to make. Remember! There are plenty more sites

out there. Pick and choose until a good webstore is found.

Click to go to the webstore, choose an item and put it in the onsite cart. When all selected items are in the cart just click on the check-out button. A credit or debit card will be required. On-line payment services such as Paypal are another option. Most browsers have a small padlock or other security indicator. Make sure the padlock is locked or the indicator shows the link to be secure. Fill out the billing and shipping information, click submit and the transaction is completed. A printable receipt is usually available. Most E-commerce sites will send a confirmation email.

Don't forget! The internet is full of scammers. Follow these guidelines and things should turn out great. If your in doubt, find another store.