Determining Value when Shopping Online

There are many benefits to online shopping, access to anything, anytime, anywhere. Many items that were previously available only to the trade can now be purchased through online vendors at the click of a button. It's easier than ever to find what you're looking for with a Google image search. Get it delivered right to your doorstep. And items ship free! Plus, access to an almost an entire global marketplace now at your fingertips.

And perhaps the most proficient thing online shopping has done is allow for radical price comparison. However, in the race to compete on price, quality has often been compromised. It's not always easy to tell the quality of something online.

Think about what happens when you look at a photo versus see something in real life. Our eyes are adept in perceiving details in real life. Try as we might to hide those wrinkles on our faces, even catching a glimpse of someone at a stoplight you can generally guess their age. However, look at a picture of someone and it can be much harder to perceive those details. Even with no crazy filters - between angles, cropping and lighting, a good photograph can do wonders for a product (or person).

There is immense value in being able to see and feel something before you buy it. Not to mention the art of customer service. We've all ordered something online and it was not what we pictured - the color, size, texture, weight, quality, etc. And that's assuming the items haven't been falsely advertised!

If you're buying online, take the time to get a sample (if you can). Also, double check the scale. That means measure twice. Because another way manufacturers can compete on price is by making items smaller, even just an inch or two. The height of a side table, the width of drapes, etc. Also look at the material specifications if they're listed. Is it wood, composite, brass, stainless steel, zinc alloy, plastic, acrylic, glass, etc.

And while sometimes you are paying for the brand (see the Lululemon and Costco controversy over pants) or you deliberately want the luxury touch a brand implies (hello Molton Brown hand soap for guests instead of our usual Trader Joe's), sometimes the value equation doesn't "math". Especially when shopping online, most of the time you end up compromising on quality when you select the lower or lowest priced alternative.

I love a good deal and paying more for an item when I can get it somewhere else for less seems spendthrift. However, I also value quality. And sometimes you pay more for a product depending on the quality of the service or experience that goes with it. Like buying a beer at a stadium. Or to use a scenario more up my alley, a glass of champagne at the Ritz versus a glass at home. I know I'm paying much more for that drink than it retails for at the grocery store, but it's part of the experience!

One of the benefits of hiring a designer is their working knowledge of products, brands and trends. They're looking at fabrics, materials and furniture every day. That knowledge adds value and ultimately can save you money in the long run or help you allocate your precious budget most effectively. As one of my favorite lines goes, "Design is a short-term investment with a long-term ROI".