Only a few weeks left of the big shopping season and I have successfully avoided malls since October. And apparently, I’m not the only one.  Although the numbers aren’t in for this year yet, last year the number of online purchases during the holiday season rose by 83%.

Despite the total rise, the average order size fell making it seem that online shoppers who used to buy all their gifts in one place are now breaking them up between multiple online retailers. It could be that the extra year gave people time to gain trust in a larger number of ecommerce sites. Or it could be that we planned ahead, instead of being forced to order the same sweater in six different sizes at the last minute.

Whatever the reason, I’m a big fan of the trend. Here are some tips for how to take advantage of gift shopping online:

• Plan Ahead- Just like regular shopping, it’s easy to get caught by impulse items or to spend more than you planned. Make a list of who you need to buy gifts for and how much you want to spend. Jot down a few ideas for each person and try to stick to your list.
• Compare prices– this is one of the beauties of shopping online. Instead of spending hours walking from store to store, just open a new window and check similar items in similar stores. There are also sites that will allow you to compare prices on searched products and even set up alerts to notify you when prices drop for your favorite items.
• Avoid clothing but not clothing stores– Even in a brick and mortar store it’s hard to judge someone else’s size. Online, it’s even harder to be sure of color, look and fabric. But don’t forget that most of the major clothing outlets also sell great accessories like bags, jewelry, hats and scarves. They’re stylish and there’s no risk of offending anyone by misjudging their size.
• Know who you’re buying for– Instead of trying to find something your friends and family will use, think of their favorite movie, band, hobby or even a private joke between you. Remember, you can find anything on the internet.  Even if they never use the item, a t-shirt, poster, or mug with a picture from their favorite 80’s cult classic will show that you were listening and thinking of what makes them happy.
• Personalize your gifts– I hate to sound cynical, but any gift looks sweet and thoughtful if you print a picture on it. Pillows, towels, calendars, date-books, candles, t-shirts, cake: if you can name it, you can probably find a place that will print on it and ship it to your friends and family. A lot of sites allow you to quickly and easily design the items yourself, so that with a little bit of creativity, your gift will actually be sweet and thoughtful and not just give the illusion of it.

Let this be the season when we stay within our budgets, don’t drive ourselves crazy and remember that it’s the thought that counts!