Black Friday is overrated. Competition is fierce for top products unless you aim to camp out for hours to secure a spot.
Skip the Friday frenzy and opt for Cyber Monday 2020 instead. Cyber Monday is an online-only phenomenon that gives shoppers some of the best tech deals around.
Here are 12 online shopping tips that’ll help you find the best deals on Cyber Monday 2020.
1. Research Past Sales
It’s almost impossible for retailers to repeat the same exact Cyber Monday deals year after year. Changes in technology mean complete changes in product availability every season.
There might be no comparable match to last year’s deal, but retailers still want some easy way to introduce price value. This calls for a need to follow a pricing model for items that go on sale during major shopping events.
Customers aren’t savvy in understanding how much new tech features should cost but they do get deep discounts within categories. Expect online retailers to stick to their same sale categories as last year.
Explore last year’s sales categories to learn more about potential opportunities for 2020.
2. Create a Shopping Map
There are endless shopping opportunities online. Trying to research them all or participate in every Cyber Monday flash sale is impossible.
Avoid feelings of missing out by creating an online shopping map. Use bookmarks as your guide.
Visit your favorite retailers offering Cyber Monday deals. Bookmark specific pages where deals will appear on Cyber Monday.
These make it possible to navigate quickly from site to site as you shop online. Most web browsers allow you to reorder bookmarks so they’re in the order you like.
Place your bookmarks in order from top priority to least priority. This is the order you’ll navigate on Cyber Monday 2020.
3. Enlist the Help of Family Members
No matter how hard you try, you can’t be in more than one place at once at the start of Cyber Monday. At most, plan to shop on two sites at a time to secure the best deals.
But if you can enlist the help of a spouse or friend to shop alongside you, you’ll score far better deals. Create a shopping map for each of you so that you’re on target to get the items you want.
You can also tackle one website together if you’re worried about too much competition at the start of the sale. There’s strength in numbers when it comes to securing online deals first.
You’ll have a higher chance of getting top-rated items by racing through the checkout process on two devices rather than one.
4. Follow Brands on Social
Keep up with Cyber Monday sale announcements by following your favorite brands on social media. Many brands reveal deals first on social media channels as a way to beef up their list of followers.
Retailers commonly use Twitter to promote flash sales and clearance deals throughout the shopping season. It’s important to create a retailer list to avoid drowning in the clutter of holiday promotions.
You’ll find more targeted ads on Facebook thanks to the help of cookies that track your browsing history. This is helpful because you’ll see deals that relate to your interests or common search categories for gift ideas.
Instagram is a perfect option for finding ads that demonstrate how to use a product in real life. It’s a good way to put a product’s value in perspective.
5. Get on the List
Don’t ignore emails during the holidays. But remain savvy about potential scams.
One way to segment the emails you want from spam is to create an email rule that sends all your favorite retail deals into one folder. Check these emails routinely leading up to Cyber Monday 2020.
Beware of phishing emails that claim to be from a big brand name. If you never gave the retailer your email address, chances are the email is a scam.
You should go to the websites of the retailers you want to follow for Cyber Monday 2020 and sign up for their e-newsletter. When your welcome email arrives, add the sender to your address book.
Use this welcome email to create the rule for your inbox so you know to ignore emails from any other account that claims to represent the brand.
6. Create a Wish List
Avoid buying based on the deal. You’ll need to be proactive in order to actually get value from a Cyber Monday sale.
Make a wish list of items that you want for each person on your list. Add around five options per person so you’re not stuck with only one option on Cyber Monday.
It’s ok to plan to repeat a gift idea for multiple people on your list. In fact, the beauty of tech gifts is that they often transcend gender and age.
For example, many children have TVs in their rooms making it a viable gift option for family members of all ages. Make sure you diversify your list with non-tech gifts for children though.
A healthy blend of the best children’s picture books and technology helps you regulate screen time for the whole family.
7. Get Familiar with Store Policies
What’s the Cyber Monday 2020 return policy for the items you want? In regular times, tech return policies are limited.
But with a flash sale, the guidelines might even be more strict. Make sure you have an idea of which items you want to risk being stuck with and which you won’t consider returning.
Cyber Monday 2020 deals are attractive enough to encourage a splurge without thinking first about whether it’s an actual need. With a lenient store policy in place, you’ll have flexibility over which products you can keep on hand in case you need a last-minute gift.
8. Plan for Popular Products
Popular products will always go first during Cyber Monday 2020. How can you assure you’re at the top of the list online?
One way is to set a timer that counts down to the start of the sale. The sale countdown might be tricky for Cyber Monday ‘weeks’ or ‘weekends’ but you’ll want to at least start shopping on the first day.
Sites like Amazon have different deals each day which can be confusing when you’re following specific items. Use the timer method for multiple items so you’re able to track when to sign on.
Get up early the morning of the Cyber Monday deal or stay up the night before. The beauty of shopping online is that you can shop 24 hours without worry over standing in line to get into a store first.
This makes weather, parking, or camping out irrelevant as you wait for top products to go on sale.
9. Stay On Budget
This is by far the most important tip for shopping on Cyber Monday 2020. Many people fall into the trap of spending to save. You can’t really save money if you’re buying an item you don’t want or need.
Keep referencing your shopping wish list for all the people you know. If you can’t come up with a recipient for a specific item, it’s not really a good deal.
You’ll end up storing the item somewhere in a closet and never looking at it again. This is true whether you’re securing an item at 90 percent off or buying to receive a bonus gift.
Take only what you can use for yourself and your family. Going over budget can lead to post-holiday stress as you enter the New Year broke.
10. Look for Simple Pay Options
There’s nothing like a one-click shopping option when trying to get through the checkout process quickly. Choose Cyber Monday deals where the payment options are simple.
If you’re stuck with a long checkout process, it slows down your ability to shop quickly. Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay are a few of the fastest checkout options online.
With Apple Pay, you can shop from your device using Face ID for a quick one-click checkout. PayPal is a good option, but can sometimes time out when there are a lot of users online at once.
11. Compare Prices Quickly
Use a price comparison tool to make sure you’re getting the best deal on the products you want like Lenovo. But you have to move quickly to do so.
This strategy isn’t recommended for the top two items on your list. Waiting around to compare prices for even a few minutes can cost you the sale.
But as you move down further on your list of priority items, you can use your price comparison tool to visit other stores that offer cheaper options. These tools are convenient because they show you prices in real-time on other websites.
12. Keep Your Information Secure
Small retailers need love, too. But you’ll want to avoid any site that isn’t prioritizing security.
During the holiday shopping season, identity theft runs rampant. Make sure the retailer you choose has a valid security certificate and the latest SSL encryption before you enter any payment information.
Preparing for Cyber Monday 2020
There’s a lot to do before you even start looking for Cyber Monday 2020 deals. Starting your list before your budget puts you at risk of overspending.
Don’t let your eyes get bigger than your stomach. Narrow down what you can afford to spend before creating your first wish list.
For more information and tips, visit our blog for updates.
