Top 10 Online Shopping Tips

Dec. 18 -- This is very likely the last year of tax-free online shopping.

Bills are currently making their way through Congress that would not only allow local governments to apply taxes to purchases but even levy taxes against Internet service, similar to some of the fees you'll find on your cell phone and telephone bills. This is not great news.

What it really means is that you need to start taking advantage of what online shopping has to offer right now.

Of course, it's not that easy. With hundreds of commerce sites vying for your attention, thousands of products and a miasma of prices, rebates, deals, coupons key codes, you name it, going online to shop can sometimes feel like walking into traffic.

If you don't know exactly where to begin, the best way to start may be the way you usually shop at the mall. Commerce aggregator sites are similar to malls. They bring together thousands of products across hundreds of categories and put it, virtually, all in one location. Their biggest benefit may be that your feet won't hurt at the end of the day, even if your wallet does.

Sites like Shopping.com (formerly Dealtime), PCMag.com partner PriceGrabbers.com, MySimon, and Bizrate do not actually sell anything. They offer organized product information and typically allow users to find products by category, sub-category, spec data and prices.

But once you settle on a product and price you like, the pricing link will likely take you to the actual retailer site. That site will then take your credit card info and ship the product to you.

Since so many of these sites work so similarly, here are some tips for making the most of your online commerce engine shopping experiences and improving your results at the retailer sites, as well.

How to Shop Like an Online Pro

1. Use the tools these sites are providing. Read the ratings and reviews of sellers, sign up for price reduction notifications, read full descriptions, investigate specs and, if provided, use configuration tools to find products that match your needs.