In an effort to present you with additional options to generate revenue, we’re expanding the abilities of the Noomle Engine. Noomle Goes Blog. What that means, what it looks like, how it feels and what it can do for you – Read On!We have released the first blog style template, with many other versions to follow as time goes on.
As always, the blog style also supports all the languages that are originally supported within the Noomle engine, providing you with the option to generate more content heavy sites than ever before. As content happy as the Google bot is, we are certain that this will yield in better search engine placement and attract more visitors to your sites. As this is not a mandatory switch, you can turn any number of selected sites within your Noomle account into Blog style sites.

Your future front page will be able to hold 10 paragraphs of content. These paragraphs are comprised of the opening statement of the 10 most recent articles you’ve brought to your domain. Your historic articles will be viewable in the archives of your domain.
To enhance your revenue, the first 2 referenced articles will show 2 ads underneath each paragraph. A non-intrusive small banner 468 X size will be accompanied by a content linked header. If you’re thinking “Wordpress”, you’re right. It was the muse to bring the blog style to the Noomle engine.

We continue to support all Noomle add-ons and apps/API provided. Chat roll, widgets, Flikr gallery, fora, weather maps, maps, Google web elements,etc., are here to stay. To find all details about supported modules and APIs, please check inside the Noomle Forum – Click Here

The mobile version of Noomle remains the same, even when you choose to convert to the blog style. Depending on your choices, the Mobile platform continues to reflect your settings in templates, ad inclusion, etc. Also, in an effort to serve your user base better, our engine continues to identify the source of the user and delivers the correct format to his/her device. Basically, your mobi visitors will be redirected to the mobi version of your Noomle site or blog.

The blog system will see continued updates to offer more functionality and ease of use, as time progresses. For the engine itself, we believe this move to be the correct step in a more content demanding world. Ultimately, the Noomle engine is now able to deliver the trifecta – (regular) Sites – Blog style sites – and Mobile delivery. All in one system

Noomle On!

• Template & Color
• Content & Keywords
• Advertiser inclusion
• General flow and presentation

Each section will have a score from 1-10 and include praise and/or criticism as applicable from the point of view of the reviewer.

Our second site to be reviewed is: CafeMotorcycles.com

Template and Color(s)

Motorcycles are a popular hobby for many people and noone likes anything better than a shiny red motorcycle. The website strikes you from the beginning with a fiery red template that stands out. Cafe Motorcycles also seems to exhibit a custom logo which also adds a touch of professionalism. I can;t think of any other color or template that would fit the motorcycle crowd better than a fiery red. 9/10 for the logo.

Overall impression of the visual presentation: 19/20

Content and Keywords

The content on the site is a mixture of original articles and a few public use articles thrown in. The mixture is about 50/50 so I would say that when searching for cafe motorcycles and landing on this site, I would be rewarded with a ton of information in regards to motorcycles and cafe racing. However, before searching to review this site, I had no idea what cafe racing or cafe motorcycles were. The site never clearly defines what cafe racing or cafe motorcycles are. This is fine for the experienced biker or racer but I would have liked to see a article dedicated to the basic facts and definitions and history of cafe. The site is setup more for personal hobbyist than for search engine optimization. The article titles are not directly correlated to direct search terms and do not include any direct type of motorcycles. Example say I wanted to search for a Yamaha cafe motorcycle. Those words in itself can be a great article that would include top keywords. The article depth also needs to be longer as the site only has 6 articles listed, however, each article when pulled up include subsections within the article that leads you other articles. It appears the publisher is taking advantage of using the hidden article tool on Noomle so as not to list a 1k articles on the homepage. I would suggest listing a few more than six though

7/10 for use of Keywords and overall content

Cafe Motorcycles uses images mix into their content wisely. The articles and images blended together to form a unique and great reading experience for anyone visiting the site. The extra menu gallery section is extremely strong as most motorcycle enthusiast enjoy looking at other peoples bikes. There is a wealth of content throughout the site that most website publishers don’t add, for this the site get’s bonus points as it creates a one stop shop so to speak for that genre. 9/10 for use of images and add on content

Overall Content and Keywords: 26/30

Advertiser Inclusion

The site is running Google adsense but particularly cunning is the inclusion of an amazon store under the article titled “Parts Dept.”This gives motorcycle hobbyist a direct access to various products they may need or want and the setup flows well within the whole site. While I never came across any articles on purchasing a motorcycle, this may be something the publisher should work towards to pull ads geared toward loans,buying motorcycles etc.

8/10 for Advertiser Inclusion

General Flow & Presentation

The overall flow of the site actually floored me. This site is a standard that any new noomler should follow. The inclusion of headers and sub menus within an article linked to other articles is astounding and makes the site look like an actual commercial website. On the right hand side of the site, on the welcome page the publisher has added a weather forecast widget which I am sure anyone planning a motorcycle trip would need to know. The publisher has also included a feedzilla latest news widget so everyone can read the latest breaking news on cafe racing. I have to give this site a full 10/10 in this category as it really nailed all the angles of a website.

General Flow & Presentation: 10/10

Overall Score: 63/70

The Wrap: The website was really nice, I wish the article depth were more than six,on the homepage, but I am sure in time it will be. The domain name itself cafe motorcycles is very nice and is also a .com. The work put into the extra headers and subsection bars within the article is impressive and really makes the site stand out. The only wish I would have had is the inclusion of a history of cafe as it surely was new to me two days ago. Overall a very fine website,domain name and Noomle site to be proud of.

For the second review, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars!

Keyser Soze

(thanks for the review Keyser – solid work! ~M.)

• Template & Color
• Content & Keywords
• Advertiser inclusion
• General flow and presentation

Each section will have a score from 1-10 and include praise and/or criticism as applicable from the point of view of the reviewer.

Our second site to be reviewed is: CafeMotorcycles.com

Template and Color(s)

Motorcycles are a popular hobby for many people and noone likes anything better than a shiny red motorcycle. The website strikes you from the beginning with a fiery red template that stands out. Cafe Motorcycles also seems to exhibit a custom logo which also adds a touch of professionalism. I can;t think of any other color or template that would fit the motorcycle crowd better than a fiery red. 9/10 for the logo.

Overall impression of the visual presentation: 19/20

Content and Keywords

The content on the site is a mixture of original articles and a few public use articles thrown in. The mixture is about 50/50 so I would say that when searching for cafe motorcycles and landing on this site, I would be rewarded with a ton of information in regards to motorcycles and cafe racing. However, before searching to review this site, I had no idea what cafe racing or cafe motorcycles were. The site never clearly defines what cafe racing or cafe motorcycles are. This is fine for the experienced biker or racer but I would have liked to see a article dedicated to the basic facts and definitions and history of cafe. The site is setup more for personal hobbyist than for search engine optimization. The article titles are not directly correlated to direct search terms and do not include any direct type of motorcycles. Example say I wanted to search for a Yamaha cafe motorcycle. Those words in itself can be a great article that would include top keywords. The article depth also needs to be longer as the site only has 6 articles listed, however, each article when pulled up include subsections within the article that leads you other articles. It appears the publisher is taking advantage of using the hidden article tool on Noomle so as not to list a 1k articles on the homepage. I would suggest listing a few more than six though

7/10 for use of Keywords and overall content

Cafe Motorcycles uses images mix into their content wisely. The articles and images blended together to form a unique and great reading experience for anyone visiting the site. The extra menu gallery section is extremely strong as most motorcycle enthusiast enjoy looking at other peoples bikes. There is a wealth of content throughout the site that most website publishers don’t add, for this the site get’s bonus points as it creates a one stop shop so to speak for that genre. 9/10 for use of images and add on content

Overall Content and Keywords: 26/30

Advertiser Inclusion

The site is running Google adsense but particularly cunning is the inclusion of an amazon store under the article titled “Parts Dept.”This gives motorcycle hobbyist a direct access to various products they may need or want and the setup flows well within the whole site. While I never came across any articles on purchasing a motorcycle, this may be something the publisher should work towards to pull ads geared toward loans,buying motorcycles etc.

8/10 for Advertiser Inclusion

General Flow & Presentation

The overall flow of the site actually floored me. This site is a standard that any new noomler should follow. The inclusion of headers and sub menus within an article linked to other articles is astounding and makes the site look like an actual commercial website. On the right hand side of the site, on the welcome page the publisher has added a weather forecast widget which I am sure anyone planning a motorcycle trip would need to know. The publisher has also included a feedzilla latest news widget so everyone can read the latest breaking news on cafe racing. I have to give this site a full 10/10 in this category as it really nailed all the angles of a website.

General Flow & Presentation: 10/10

Overall Score: 63/70

The Wrap: The website was really nice, I wish the article depth were more than six,on the homepage, but I am sure in time it will be. The domain name itself cafe motorcycles is very nice and is also a .com. The work put into the extra headers and subsection bars within the article is impressive and really makes the site stand out. The only wish I would have had is the inclusion of a history of cafe as it surely was new to me two days ago. Overall a very fine website,domain name and Noomle site to be proud of.

For the second review, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars!

Keyser Soze

(thanks for the review Keyser – solid work! ~M.)

As we announced just last week, we’re going to start reviewing Noomle hosted sites, to give you a better opportunity to gauge your options and evaluate where your own site stands withing the developmental options. As you all know, the Noomle.com engine provides a ton of options, from different advertiser inclusion to, templates, content, images, widgets, etc.

In the review below, we’ll look at the following:

• Template & Color
• Content & Keywords
• Advertiser inclusion
• General flow and presentation

Each section will have a score from 1-10 and include praise and/or criticism as applicable from the point of view of the reviewer.

Our first site to be reviewed is: Flight To Miami

Template and Color(s)

I didn’t give any preference whether the submitter(s) are contributors or non contributors. Simply based on the factors that all templates are available in many different colors, the choices are plenty and in the case of the site at hand, the DN owner hit the nail on the head.

A relatively straight forward template, with a clearly to distinguish nav bar on the top, including several “call to action” items such as the “Store” or the “Miami Souvenirs” tab – well thought out, the “Video” tab sits right in the middle, taking the visual entertainment level and diffusing it just a little. The challenge with Videos, particularly “YouTube” videos is that they will route your audience to YouTube.com, through a new window, upon double clicking the video presented on your site. The danger is quite obvious; Once caught on YouTube, it’s unlikely for your audience to return, as the suggested content on YouTube is designed to keep you there, viewing more videos. More about the tabs and content behind them, later on in this review. The rounded corners of the template flow well with the rounded corners of the nav bars, leaving as only item to be desired – more rounded corners on the Amazon inclusion behind the “Store” tab – since this is a limitation within Amazon though, the site builder did the best job possible with the tools at hand. 10/10 for Template

Colors: Well chosen pastel colors are not just present in the navigation bars, but also well adjusted in the adsense ads, flowing nicely with the template. This in itself deserves special mention as it’s something that’s quite frequently forgotten. Miami and its art deco district along Ocean Drive are well known for their pastel colors, it was definitely the right decision to represent the same within the template. 10/10 for Colors

Logo: The inclusion of a custom logo rounds the general feel of the site to have the touch of a fully designed and designated informational hub that truly caters to the audience and fulfills a need. Although, what I’m not sure about is the missing ocean in the logo, replaced by what looks to be … mountains? 8/10 for the logo.

Overall impression of the visual presentation: 18/20

Content and Keywords

Undoubtedly, the content is stellar. A plethora of choices awaits the audience. Tons of different options to either gain additional knowledge about the destination “Miami” (Link), or gather some helpful hints on how to vacation for less money (Link) 10/10 for general content and informational qualities

Reading each article, the wealth of information is almost overbearing, while it becomes quite obvious that all relevant keywords are included in either the title of the article, or within the first paragraph. Definitely the right choices for keyword placement: “Miami is the seventh largest city in the United States with a population of approximately 5,500,000. It is located on the Atlantic coast in South-eastern florida bordered by two national parks, the Biscayne National Park on the east and the Everglades National Park on the west. Miami’s nick name is “The Magic City”. – 2 items that stand out – Florida is a state; capitalize the first letter and go through your spelling: Centre is still Center in the USA – unless your key audience is British, you may loose a few points with the predominant American audience (1 point off). On the other hand; the interlinking to other articles from within your own content is stellar and provides a well placed network of opportunities to “bounce around” and learn more about the destination as you go. The interlinking is certainly used best when there’s a fair amount of content, which in the case of Flight To Miami is a non issue.

Keywords excerpt for Miami Information (main article): florida, flight, holiday, exotic, beach, miami, keys, cheap –  When looking at the Google Keyword Tool there are plenty of choices that render the used keywords as rather basic. There’s some homework to be done and better/more keywords to be used. 6/10 for use of Keywords

Particularly interesting are articles with the necessary support of visuals. The images are well chosen and the content behind Best Hotels and Miami International Airport with its map of terminals are helpful for the audience. The obvious word of caution – cover your bases and make sure that your images are either royalty free or used with permission.

While some of the articles certainly shine with their overall presentation, others, like the Airport Security content is missing some imagery. Snapshots of what can/cannot be taken on board of an aircraft, would probably round the picture of an otherwise very informative site up. 8/10 for use of images (provided that all are used legally)

Overall Content and Keywords: 24/30

Advertiser Inclusion

As mentioned above, outstanding use of the color palette through Google’s Adsense program. The colors flow well with the overall template and practically belong to the site.

The inclusion of Amazon at the Store tab and the use of eBay at the Miami Souvenirs are very well done, as is the hyperlinked banner on the Cocoa Beach section of the site as well as the inclusion of Commission Junction (CJ) on Preparing for your Flight

While the variety of advertiser inclusions doesn’t leave anything to complain, the challenge becomes to keep tabs on who’s active and which advertiser has been terminated from the affiliate program. Not keeping track of what’s going on such as (expired advertiser) on the Cruise Ship section of the site is not just a set back and deterrent for the audience, but could cost the site owner some serious “coin” when not making a sale. 7/10 for Advertiser Inclusion*

*The score for advertiser inclusion may seem a bit harsh, I understand. The reasoning is simple. In the effort of serving the critical audience with tools to complete what they’ve come to the site for; such as booking a vacation, not keeping track of an expired advertiser is more of a set back than not including an advertiser from the get-go. Audiences are easily frustrated and 404 links, particularly after having successfully completed a “Call to Sell” approach are unforgivable. Most often, unless the site is completely unique, you won’t get a second chance to complete that sale, which can present a good amount of money lost by not even having earned it in the first place.

General Flow & Presentation

Generally, I believe we can make the very fair assessment that this is a stellar site and most definitely shows off what Noomle can do for a DN owner, if the owner is willing to invest time and thought into a site. While the items above are subtracting some of the possible scores, I think the presentation, effort and general flow of the site is a slam dunk.

General Flow & Presentation: 10/10

Overall Score: 59/70

Keep in mind that any review of a website is purely subjective and only represents the opinion of the reviewer and therefore may not meet everyone’s standards or agreement. Feel free to add your comments to the review and weigh in with your professional opinion as a fellow Noomler. Together we can improve all sites and get the best case scenarios for all DN Owners who entrust their sites to the Noomle.com engine.

For the first review, I’ checking out with a hearty:

Noomle On!

Mike

]]> http://dublicator.herbertbrownjr.com/uncategorized/noomle-site-review/feed/ http://dublicator.herbertbrownjr.com/uncategorized/noomle-blogs-about-your-site/ http://dublicator.herbertbrownjr.com/uncategorized/noomle-blogs-about-your-site/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 03:47:02 +0000 mike http://blog.noomle.com/?p=277 Noomlers -

We’re going to start evaluating one site per week and publicly blog about it. We accept any submission, if you want to take the opportunity to get feedback for your Noomle.com site.
However, be forwarned – while we very well praise your efforts, we may also turn critical and deliver suggestions as to how your site could become better.

What’s in it for you?
Traffic. Feedback. Success.

Not just will you see traffic coming in from the Noomle.com Blog (PR6), but you’ll also get promoted on Noomle’s Facebook page, Twitter feed and the ultimate validation, community feedback.

When? Start submitting your Noomle sites now!
How often? Once weekly!
Who chooses the sites to blog about? The blog team: Shaper,Synapsis, GetMarcus, Mike, and selected guest writers.

Submissions for week one, to be published March 7th, are open NOW!

Noomle On!

M.

View Forum Post

Lots of good things and events ahead over the next few weeks here at The Digerati Life! To start with, I am noticing that my traffic meter is inching its way towards the 4 million^th mark! It may take a couple more weeks to get there but it’s getting there! I’m also gearing up for a big surprise this weekend for those who visit the site. Woohoo! Anyway, to mark the occasion, I thought to present a nice promotion from one of our new discoveries — the savings site BigCrumbs is giving away FOUR $25 gift certificates to Restaurant.com, which is one of their merchant affiliates.

What Is BigCrumbs?

So what is BigCrumbs anyway? Well not too long ago, we offered an in depth look at this site in our BigCrumbs review. Basically, it’s a cash back rewards shopping site. This site is affiliated with many known online merchants and if you decide to become a member of BigCrumbs, you can simply shop through them (or “pass through” them on your way to your favorite merchant) and you’ll be given cash back for doing so.

Since my review of their site, there have been some changes on how you can earn cash back, with the process to earn rewards now made easier. When you sign up with Big Crumbs, you’re eligible to earn cash back in two ways:

As a shopper — by going through the BigCrumbs portal to reach your merchant or shopping site of choice (e.g. Macy’s, Drugstore.com, Sears), you’ll earn a percentage back of what you spend during your online shopping trips.

As a referrer — if you refer other people to BigCrumbs, you can earn a little bit each time your referred members use the site to shop. Yes, it’s something like a multi-level marketing set up, but it’s perfectly legal and perfectly profitable. The good news is that you’ll earn up to two levels deep through your referral network. So you’ll also earn cash back from shoppers who’ve been referred by your own referrals. Here’s more on how to earn an income stream through BigCrumbs.

Other advantages here include the claim by BigCrumbs that their cash back rates are likely to be higher than those of eBates, another popular cash back shopping site (and one which I’ve been using for a while now). There’s also the added feature of being able to set up your own Amazon, Etsy or eBay store, so that you’re actually able to participate as a merchant or affiliate shopping site! In fact, BigCrumbs hosts over a thousand stores from Etsy alone. So if you’re interested in getting more traffic to your store — a cashback incentive for new customers may be a worthwhile promotional strategy. And finally, if you like deals, you can change your BigCrumbs settings to receive online deal alerts from them.

Free Restaurant Gift Certificates Giveaway from BigCrumbs

So what about the giveaway? Well now that you’ve got some idea of what BigCrumbs is about, then here’s the good part.

They’re offering FOUR $25 gift certificates from one of their merchants — in particular, Restaurants.com. To participate in this giveaway, just do these quick steps:

1. Sign up to my RSS feed if you haven’t already (or choose the Email subscription option). You can also follow me via Twitter. By being a subscriber or follower, you’ll get a daily dose of personal finance and you’ll hear about giveaways like this, which I get the opportunity to hold now and again.

2. If you aren’t already a member of BigCrumbs, here’s where you can sign up. But note that there are no extra requirements to join this giveaway and you don’t need to purchase something to qualify.

3. Leave a comment below about your best shopping tip. But please, don’t hawk or push random coupon sites in your comment. I’m looking for substantial, helpful tips that are useful for those of us who enjoy getting a good deal when we shop.

4. Depending on interest, I’ll keep the giveaway up and running for a few days. If you win, you’ll hear from me and I’ll also make an announcement, so please make sure you leave behind a valid email address when you comment.

That’s our savings tip for today. Now it’s time for some great hot topics in finance!

Personal Finance Articles

• Juice Scam: Market Value Does Not Apply To MonaVie
• Brip Blap: the question that can only be answered one way
• DoughRoller: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Alternate Transportation
• Monevator: Why the U.S. (and the U.K.) is not Greece
• Gen X Finance: What You Need to Know Before Co-Signing a Loan
• Green Panda Treehouse: Finding The Balance Between a Sideline and a Day Job
• One Mint: Tara Health Foods IPO
• Len Penzo: The Great Paper Towel Test: What Brand Is Your Best Value?
• Obsessed Analytic: Yay! Made it to this week’s Best of Money Carnival.
• Studenomics: Carnival of Personal Finance
• Money Obedience: Festival of Frugality

Free Restaurant Gift Certificates Giveaway from BigCrumbs

Many people hate credit cards, but in reality, if they are used correctly, they can be very beneficial to you financially. I’m actually one of those folks who have pledged their love for credit cards with my own strong reasons. But granted, it’s a polarizing subject for many. The reality is that by exercising discipline when using a credit card, you can avoid falling into credit card debt and instead enjoy your card as the financial tool it was intended to be used. Here are some simple guidelines you can follow to ensure that you get the benefits and avoid the pitfalls that many encounter with credit cards.

Image from Jehzlau Concepts

Easy Credit Card Management Tips

1. Find a great credit card.

Not all credit cards are created equal. Many have hidden fees and outrageous interest rates. Unfortunately, many cards are loaded with fees. When selecting a new credit card, you want to look at the interest rate, annual fee, cost of over-the-limit and late fees, and where you can use the card. Of course, a low interest rate credit card (one that sports anything below 9.9%) is going to be a better deal than one that carries a 14.99% rate. In addition, I would also suggest avoiding cards that have annual fees (although there’s a movement afoot among card issuers to consider applying more of this type of fee in the future). You should not have to pay to have a credit card.

When choosing a card, also be sure to think about where you plan to use it. If this is going to be a card that you want to use at restaurants, stores, and vendors, you may want to consider the fact that although they have solid rewards programs, Discover Card and American Express are typically not accepted everywhere.

Finally, be sure to select a card that does not charge excessive over the limit fees or late fees. Where do you find this ideal card? A great place to start is a local credit union. Credit unions typically offer better rates on credit cards and charge zero to very low fees.

2. Read your credit card statement every month.

Be sure to review your credit card statements every month. The great thing about credit cards is that everything is itemized and associated with a phone number if there is any question. If you find a charge on your statement that you do not recognize, simply call your credit card company and inform them. I will say, by far, that American Express is the easiest company to work with when it comes to disputing a charge or fraudulent activity on your account. They even have an online application where you can dispute a charge on your card. I’ve actually had a couple of occasions where I needed to dispute a charge but American Express made this process easy and quick for me.

3. Do not use your card for ATM withdrawals or cash advances.

If possible, you want to avoid using your credit card for ATM withdrawals or quick cash. Most credit cards charge higher interest rates and sometimes an additional fee when you withdraw cash from your credit card. If you feel that you’ll be needing instant access to cash via your credit card, then my recommendation of getting a credit card through a credit union may be worth taking; credit union cards tend to harbor lower fees for cash advances.

Case in point: I have a Visa Card through my local credit union. With this card, I can transfer money from my credit card to my checking account with no fees or extra interest.

4. Pay your balances in full each month.

Be sure to pay your balance in full every month to avoid paying interest on the balance. This is where most people fall into debt and get in over their heads. Before using my credit card, I always make sure that I can pay for what I am charging. If you are allowing your balance to roll over every month and only paying the minimum, then using your credit card as a financial tool may not be for you.

5. Get your just rewards.

A lot of readers here are big fans of credit card rewards programs, as I am. And I find that it bears repeating: one of the best ways you can cash in on the benefits of credit cards is to get a card that offers rewards or travel miles. This is a bonus perk for using your card. On the same date each month, I have an American Express card that I use monthly to pay specific bills. I pay this card off in full. Each month, I receive points for those charges, which can be used for free gift cards and travel. I have received over $400 in gift cards just from doing this! The key here is to pay off your monthly balance in full if you own a rewards card. Otherwise, paying the interest on a card that has rewards will simply neutralize the fringe benefits you get out of using that type of card. You may be better off just owning a low interest rate credit card if you intend to keep a (growing) balance.

Credit cards offer many benefits when used properly. Not only do you receive great rewards, but you’ll also enjoy the ease of itemizing your expenses each month. I particularly like the record keeping benefits afforded by credit card companies as they’ve made it ten times easier for me to keep my business and personal accounting in check.

Easy Credit Card Management Tips

Time to buy a new car? Some fast tips before you get going.

A long while back, some of us at work were snickering about a coworker buying a car on eBay. “Can you imagine,” we laughed among ourselves. “Why would anyone do that?” We couldn’t even comprehend the idea. But times change and when more and more people warm up to an idea that once seemed outlandish, the rest of us tend to follow the herd and become more accepting of the “new”.

I’ve since reconsidered. After all, I bought my last car at CarMax. I didn’t complete the transaction online, but I searched through their inventory on the web at both my local store and those across the state. I narrowed down my choices in my price range, and decided on a Volkswagen beetle. I went to a CarMax store, found my beetle on the lot, and proceeded to make it mine. So my actions really weren’t that different from those of my coworker.

Why Buy A Car Online?

So why buy a car online?

1. You save time.
Well, number one, it is a time saver. As I mentioned, I was able to see what cars were available without even leaving my house. I could see that if my local store didn’t have what I wanted, I could request that one be sent from another location. I already knew that a Volkswagen beetle fell within my budget, but that they didn’t have it in the color I wanted. That was fine, but for me, time was of the essence since my other car had died, and I needed new transportation asap. So by going online, I sped up the car buying process. I knew what I wanted to get before I even walked onto the lot.

2. You minimize the haggling.
Another reason is that it cuts down on price haggling. Many people dread the onerous back and forth with sales associates, and online buying eliminates a lot of that. There are numerous online car buying sites, including Edmunds.com, Automotive, CarsDirect.com, and of course, eBay. Some only offer information or brokerage services, whereas others will sell cars direct.

3. You increase your shopping choices and options.
In many cases, a car you buy online can be delivered to a local dealership for pickup. As with any major purchase, you want to protect yourself. One good piece of advice I have heard is only to buy cars located within a reasonable driving distance from you. That way you can go see it for yourself, kick the tires, and maybe even take a trusted mechanic with you.

How To Buy A Car Online: Other Tips

• Get the car’s history from Carfax.
• If dealing with eBay, check the seller’s feedback, and read the fine print.
• Get an inspection.
• Make sure everything is in writing.
• Ask for titles and maintenance records.
• Don’t pay in cash, but use a credit card or reputable escrow company to protect against fraud.
• Consider getting financing in advance to save time.
• Don’t forget costs such as shipping, title, registration, taxes and maybe dealer’s fees.
• If you plan to use eBay, familiarize yourself with the site’s short term service agreement, purchase protection and mediation policies.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

I’ve always had good luck with buying and selling cars and other big ticket items (e.g. furniture) online, so it’s something that I don’t give a second thought to doing any longer. Have you tried to purchase a car through the Internet before? How was your experience?

Other articles on this topic:

• Bear With Me As I Talk Myself Out Of Getting A New Car
• Replaced Our Old Car, Got The Best Deal On A Volvo Sports Wagon!
• Do You Really Know How Much It Costs To Own Your Car?

 
Contributing Writer: BEM

How To Buy A Car Online