Making the Most of the Internet

2. Purchasing Online

The internet makes it easy to compare prices for different items and place orders.

2.1 When you know exactly what you need, you can use comparison sites to check prices at multiple retailers quickly.

• Try Kelkoo, PriceRunner or Google Product Search to search for the item you want.
• Be as specific as possible when using these sites. Input an exact product name or model number.
• Check that all prices include shipping, and that the item is in stock.

2.2 The internet is the ideal place to track down unusual or niche items.

• A simple search of what you are looking for often turns up a small retailer who can help.
• When dealing with an unknown supplier for the first time, search online for opinions of their business.
• Online auction sites like eBay are good sources of one-off and specialist items.

2.3 A great way to make informed decisions when purchasing items for your business is to track down online reviews.

• You can search online for reviews. For instance, to find a review of a printer, just type 'review of [printer model]' into a search engine.
• Amazon has thousands of reviews written by customers for products it sells. Ciao! is another useful site for user-written reviews.
• For reviews written by professional reviews, Which? is a good place to start. You have to pay around £10 a year for full access.
• Reviews may also be available on the websites of relevant magazines. For instance, for laptop reviews, try computer magazine websites.

2.4 You can purchase business travel quickly and easily online too.

• To find good value flights, search aggregator sites like Kayak and Skyscanner. These sites do not sell flights, but search websites which do in order to find the most competitive prices.
• You can often save with a flight and hotel package. Try Expedia, Opodo, eBookers and Travelocity. Train travel can also be booked online. All UK train company websites sell tickets for the whole network.