Save Money Durring the Holidays- ARA Article

If you're like us, this time of the year starts to eat away at your bankroll. If you're looking to save money this holiday season, check out our new article:

Save Money This Holiday Season By Using Online Shopping Comparison Web sites

(ARA) - If you have a lot of people on your Christmas list this year, you're probably already dreading the thought of pushing your way through the crowds, dealing with long lines, and then handing over more of your hard-earned money than you thought you'd spend. The holidays are traditionally a time of year when deals are hard to find.

"But that's changing, thanks to the Internet," says Christian Del Monte the director of operations for TMA E-Marketing, a large Minnesota-based Internet marketing company. "Businesses have discovered that they can significantly boost their bottom line by simply extending their offerings online. Companies can now sell the same merchandise they carry in their stores and in many cases, at lower prices because of the reduction in costly overhead. As a result, the savings are passed right back to the consumer."

According to Jupitermedia Corp., online shoppers spent $23.2 billion during the 2004 holiday season, and that number is expected to grow by 25 percent or more this year. Online merchants are already gearing up for this holiday season, so whether you're shopping for new cookware, the latest hot toys, or the newest digital gadget, you most likely will be able to find them online and without worrying about long lines or finding a parking space.

But where do you go to find the best deals on the Internet? Christian recommends popular online shopping comparison destinations such Froogle, Google's price comparison sister Web site; Yahoo! Shopping, which has a very large online store database; and Shopping.com one of largest retail destination sites on the Web.All three offer multiple listings from stores selling the products people want. For example, if you're in the market for one of this year's hottest selling electronic gadgets, Apple's 2 GB iPod Nano, you can find it for as low as $140 at a business with a listing on Froogle; $169.99 on Yahoo! Shopping! And $188 on Shopping.com. Apple Computer's Web site lists the suggested retail price at $199. Plus in most cases, shipping fees are waived.

Comparison shopping sites are a powerful tool not only for consumers, but companies, big and small, as well. "Advertising in shopping comparison Web sites is highly effective if your products are positioned relative to what people are searching for. People don't have the time to scroll through dozens of listings. They want to find the information they're looking for fast; and we work with businesses to get their listings at the top of shopping search engines.

"Fortunately, when it comes to comparison shopping, consumers are the real winners. As more merchants and businesses find their way to the marketplace, online competition will likely leave consumers paying even lower prices. According to a study conducted by Nielsen/NetRatings in August 2003, 16 percent of the active U.S. Internet users shop using a shopping comparison Web site and traffic growth rates are expected to grow at a rate of between 55 and 81 percent annually.

For more information about the services offered by TMA E-Marketing, or to access their listing of recommended shopping comparison Web sites, log on to www.tmaemarketing.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content
[tags] shopping comparison websites, online shopping [/tags]