Dos and Don’ts of Online Furniture Shopping

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In the digital age, we live in; online shopping has become the norm for many people. However, while it’s relatively easy to shop for everyday items or subscription packages, buying home décor items can be quiet daunting, especially for the inexperienced.

Furniture shopping, for example, may prove to be a challenging task when you don’t know what to watch out for. So, consider the following dos and don’ts before you renovate your house or apartment.

The Dos

Verify the Authenticity of the Store

First off, what you need to do is make sure the store you shop from is genuine. To differentiate between real, authentic websites and the cheap, knockoffs observe the design and layout. A legitimate retailer will give more thought to the plan of his/her site than an illegitimate one.

You should also read the store reviews before you start browsing. There are two kinds of people in this world; those who make mistakes then learn from them and those who learn from the experiences of others. Be the person to learn from others and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Read Product Reviews

Doing a little research before purchasing a potential piece of furniture goes a long way in helping you avoid disasters; reviews are the best way to know what to expect with the product in question. Know the previous customers’ thoughts and opinions before deciding on a particular piece; it will help you avoid feeling “buyer’s remorse.”

Remember to Measure

It’s not always necessary for the furniture that peaks your interest to fit the space you intend for it. Measure the piece of furniture you wish to buy as well as your apartment/house before finalizing your decision.

Measure once, twice, thrice, because you’re human and bound to make mistakes. When it comes to measurements for furniture shopping, there is no such thing as being too careful.

The Don’ts
Trust the Image

The saying, “Seeing is believing,” may hold true for some situations but not when it comes to furniture shopping. The photos used to advertise a product do not showcase the actual color most times; they are taken by professionals then further edited to make the item look the best version possible.

Plus, the lighting and exposure may change the color entirely. For example, brown may become black.

So don’t judge based on looks, read the descriptions and customer reviews before you make your decision.

Be Quick to Hit Checkout

“Good things come to those who wait.” Memorize the quote and make it your life’s motto, at least when shopping for furniture.

There is no need to rush things when you’re looking to set up your homes or apartments; mistakes happen when you rush. Let your choice sit in your cart for a couple of hours then go back and decide if you still want it or wish to review your options again.

Who knows, something far better may come along if you wait to hit checkout.

Spend Over Your Budget
It is easy to overspend with online shopping, so it is crucial that you maintain your budget. If a piece seems the right fit but is highly expensive, don’t buy it! You can look for something similar at lower costs or use coupons to get discounts on your desired piece. PennySaviour, for example, offers fantastic discounts Codes and Coupon of various brands like Cymax, et cetera.

Conclusion

While online shopping is convenient and saves time and money, you still need to watch out for scams. It is your hard-earned money after all, so no need to be rash and hasty with your decisions. Take your time, read the reviews, compare prices, then make your decision.



Author's Bio:



Iffat Tafseer is a computer system engineer who writes content for site PennySaviour. It is an amazing website which offers Discount Codes and Coupon of almost all the big brands

Fashion Exhibit and Show Highlight Social Advocacies

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In this era where the world constantly demands for the new and the unique, how will this generation’s budding designers bring forth fresh concepts that set the bar for the future of fashion and would hold the fort?

Sinulid, the annual culminating show of the Fashion Design and Merchandising Program graduating students of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, is set to gather both experts and mavericks in the industry to witness the vast design possibilities produced by today’s passionate and aspiring style hopefuls.

Equipped with the knowledge and skills garnered from renowned designer Lulu Tan-Gan and Fashion Merchandiser and Program Chairperson Christine Bennet, a total of 93 student-artists will encapsulate three years of exceptional guidance and nurtured training into ten months of creative process in preparation for Sinulid’s third – and biggest ever.

Themed Stories Unraveled, this year’s presentation will unveil not only new trendsetting ideas, but also garments that will speak of advocacies on femininity, mental health awareness, sustainability, and sexuality. Likewise to be highlighted will be looks that depict the wonders of heritage, structural architecture, mutation, singularity, luxe, playfulness, and a seamless fusion of Philippine textile and contemporary fashion directions from the capital cities of the world.

On Thursday, August 2, 2018, the long runway set up in the midst of SM Aura’s Samsung Hall will stage 171 head-turning creations, ranging from ready-to-wear, avant-garde, bespoke pieces, and evening long gowns. The SM Atrium on the Ground Floor will likewise be decked and dressed with 159 original and distinct garments, most of which are gearing up for future brand openings.

“This year, we are once again blessed with talented, diverse and hardworking artists,” Benet shared. “They successfully encountered a rigorous design process that began by identifying their design aesthetics and career aspirations. Through Sinulid, they will showcase their works on different platforms that best suits them, allowing them to widen their horizon of opportunities in the fashion industry: may it be through Design, Merchandising, or Styling,” she added.

The Rise of Filipino Digital Marketing Consultants

 Homebased freelancer turned FB ads consultant Ann Kristine Penaredondo

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Because the new OFWs are gaining better ground in the industry…

Insider parlance used to kid about the term OFW to now mean “Online Filipino Worker” instead of its original meaning: overseas Filipino worker. Well, some factors are similar: both earn dollars, and both earn way more than similar jobs here in the Philippines. 

To add to that, the low barriers to entry and heightened appreciation and mastery of social media promotions have also supercharged a lot of Filipinos into boosting their expertise in digital marketing.

When before, being an online worker means being a virtual assistant, transcriptionist, or that you have to know a lot about tech, today, there are a lot more career directions that our online warriors can go.

Increased government support

Last year, a breakthrough project by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has successfully run their first batch of trainees from 26 local government units in different provinces all over the Philippines. 

This program netted 534 graduates, with two dozen trainers, and another two-dozen-person support team from the agency, all over the country.

Last year, the budget was only P22M, but with their success, the agency secured another P50M this year, in order to impact more areas and produce more graduates.

DICT Undersecretary Monchito Ibrahim said that he is seeing a possibility of hitting thrice the number of graduates/ scholars for the run this year, and that he is very confident that the results will aide in improving the lives of many Filipino families.

DICT’s Rural Impact Sourcing program is a one-month training that covers the basics of digital marketing, copywriting, social media management, and starting an e-commerce version of already established small and medium enterprises. They are also working to “bridge the digital gap by providing digital access and trainings to underserved communities.”

Better career recognition, better industry leaders

With better government support, the industry leadership in the digital marketing and e-commerce world also evolved throughout the years.

One of the industry’s veterans, e-commerce advocate Janette Toral, noticed the shift in new influencers and industry leaders, and how they’re also getting younger and younger, with ideas that also get sharper and sharper. This is something to be celebrated, she says, because this is a testament on how the industry is growing, and how these experts are also invested in positioning.

“It’s all about positioning. Whether one is an expert or not is subjective – based on claims, sustained strength of portfolio, certifications, and how critical these things are to your target client. The market is huge enough that we can decide where to niche. If you are really good, and you are liked by your clients all you need to do is focus on getting better everyday and add value to others.”

Today, it’s not new for digital marketing consultants to show up and do their own web shows, podcasts, invest in high level PR, and stage their own talks.

When before, these freelancers took pride in being  “homebased”, now, they’re bolder, more equipped, and ready to take on the world.

Homebased freelancers taking their skills to the metro

One of the up-and-rising freelancers-turned-consultants in Metro Manila right now is Ann Kristine Peñaredondo of A Kompelling Purpose. After being a Virtual Assistant for almost a decade, she used her skills to master Facebook and LinkedIn ads.

With her experience in retail and the food industry, she has honed her skills by working with multimillion-peso ad campaigns for manufacturing industries and even with some government organizations.

If you think this is impressive, this is not even a quarter of her goals. After being timid and “hiding from her cave” for so long, she’s excited to bring more to the table. She also urges her fellow freelancers to explore a new path in the digital marketing world.

“Homebased freelancers become digital marketing experts because they took advantage of learning from the job. Having a job does not mean you cannot strive to do more, it means you recognize the possibility that you can be more,” she shares.

Today, Ann does speaking engagements for Facebook marketing, manages her agency, and is continuing to help hundreds of freelancers in building their freelance careers.

There are different reasons why more and more Filipinos choose this path - from being more present for family, a new sense of fulfillment, to earning more, or even to take more vacation days than regular employment, here’s an industry that’s still young, and thriving. Indeed, the ecosystem of Philippine Digital Marketing is abloom. And we still have so much more to look forward to.