Buying Books Online

More and more people are catching on to the idea that they can buy books online and not only save money, but also get a wider selection than that on the shelves of even the biggest bookshop.

Who would have thought that you could hop on to your computer, visit an Australian bookstore like Booktopia, and browse through more than a million book titles that you can buy quickly, easily and at discount prices.

Well, clearly more people are because in the past two years online book sales have increased by between 50% and 75%. And it isn't surprising when you can save up to 15% off the retail price.

Now no-one is going to say that browsing on a computer screen is the same as the tactile enjoyment of thumbing through a wonderful book within a book store, or that it is quicker to get a must-buy-now book online, but there are benefits.

You don't have to queue to see if a book is available, or pay for one, you can search for other titles by the same author, read reviews and a synopsis of the book online and, best of all, your costs will be down.

Aside from the saving you make on the book itself - remember online bookstores don't have to charge more to cover rent, losses through shoplifting, or extra staffing costs - but the postage charge is a one-off. The cost to send your selection out is usually a flat rate, whether for one book or 20.

Here are some current prices that may interest you.

The hardback book of artworks The Lord of the Rings - the Art of The Return of the King normally retails for AUD $75. At Booktopia's bookshop it is AUD $63.75.

And on other major titles such as Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, Hope and History by Gerry Adams, The Ripening Sun by Patricia Atkinson, or Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin you can save up to 15 per cent.

Most of the titles ship within two or three days.

As Tony Nash from Booktopia says "It's cheaper than traveling to a bookshop and the selection is almost unlimited!"

The most popular book genres in Australia are autobiographies, followed closely by - you guessed it - biographies. While TV reality shows may be on the wane, our taste for getting to know other people is strong and healthy among booklovers.

And it is good to know that the works of the Great Bard, Shakespeare, continue to be among Booktopia's bestsellers.

Popular books from the major online booksellers include antiques and collectibles, architecture, art, computers, cooking, drama, education and training, gardening, games, history, medical, photography, self-help books and much more.

If you think you can get better prices elsewhere then search by a book's ISBN online for the best deal around. Most online bookstores will index their books with their ISBN.

As all regular book shop visitors will know it is good to get the opinion of the person behind the counter when checking out a book. Does that make online buying too impersonal? Not any more. As an example, Booktopia offers a secure live help chat service that is a safe way to find out the best books around and it is the perfect way for people with hearing difficulties to get the information they need. The one-to-one live help service is an excellent way to keep up to date with the newest releases as there are regular data feeds on the latest books coming out from publishers.

Booktopia's web logs reveal that the highest activity time on their website is Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm with the major peaks around lunch time. This may not be good news for bosses but buying a book online can save workers time and money. Taking a more relaxing break at lunch rather than running around from bookstore to bookstore for 1 hour and returning to their desk exhausted means they are more likely to be more effective in the afternoon.

Now if you don't live in Australia then buying gifts for Australians at an online store with a .com.au address can save big bucks as you will pay the local postage rate, rather than the full cost of sending it from the country you are living in.

And if you are after books on Australia then clearly Australian bookstores, those with .com.au websites, will have better inventories than places in America or Britain.

So if you haven't checked out an online bookshop yet - do yourself a favour and start by looking at www.booktopia.com.au.