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Discount vitamins are suddenly easy to find all over the web. New sites pop up all the time. Web masters figure they can store and ship vitamins as easily as they were already shipping DVDs, office supplies, or auto parts, and they smell high profits. No one would want to buy auto parts from a place that specializes in golf balls, but how many consumers know what to look for in an online vitamin store? They want the convenience and price breaks offered by shopping online, but not the doubt and confusion. Not when it's something they're putting into their bodies and counting on to keep them healthy and long-lived.

Many vitamin web sites are flashy and jam-packed, even more confusing than the crowded shelves and high prices at the local drug store. At least the people in the drug store know something about vitamins ' how many of these online stores do? A lot of them sucker the buyer in with lost-leader pricing, with bargains on a few well-known items to disguise the high prices on most of their products. Others make outrageous claims for their 'house' brands, because they make more money selling those. Some are web-only outfits without even a warehouse ' just a web page ' and they depend on jobbers and third parties to service their customers. A few simply offer inferior products to obtain their discount prices.

Vitamins are a perfect business for unscrupulous operators, because customers often have to purchase a product at least once before they know if it will help them. So the reputations of seller and manufacturer are crucial. How can the bargain-conscious consumer separate the pretenders from the knowledgeable pros? Here are a few important points to consider:

Consumer Reports
The dietary supplement business has been under attack lately from those who want to regulate vitamins, minerals, and herbs. It would be a disaster to treat vitamins like prescription drugs, but open availability has a trade-off. Virtually everyone can manufacture or sell supplements, and the FDA isn't testing them. Do the contents of that multivitamin really match the ingredients on the label? You can't tell from looking at it.

Fortunately, consumer watchdog agencies and publications do a very good job of testing brand-name vitamins for potency, ingredients, and freshness. There are several reputable outfits, such as Consumer Reports, where the vitamin shopper can turn for lab tests and price comparisons. A customer has an easier chance of finding quality discount vitamins if he already knows which brands he prefers.

Multivitamins or Multiple Vitamins?
A person could make a life's work from comparing multivitamins and their glowing claims, but there's a simple way to get what you need. After careful research, the consumer should sit down and make a list of exactly what supplements and dosages he wants to take everyday. Then he can look for the multivitamin that fulfills most of those needs. Those nutrition needs not filled by a multivitamin can be supplemented with specific vitamins and herbs. In other words, most people need both multiple and multivitamins, and the trick is finding the right ones.

Some brands, such as Source Naturals, offer literature on the function and benefits of each of their products right in the box, which makes it easy to stay educated. Some exotic products, such as antler velvet, are actually natural multivitamins packing a lot of potency. Thankfully, the options for consumers are more plentiful than ever, and someone is making just the right product for every need.

A Real Vitamin Store
Once the consumer knows what he wants, and that he wants a bargain, it's time to go shopping. As stated earlier, when shopping online, it's easy to buy vitamins from the auto parts store. How can you avoid that trap? The surest way to find an expert web source for discount vitamins is to find one that's a real brick-and-mortar vitamin store too. The customer doesn't have to worry about their expertise or whether they'll have the products in stock, plus he can usually get his questions answered honestly and correctly. Reputable stores have a large selection, lots of specials, and fair return policies, something the newcomers don't always offer.

Full Selection of Brands
The sure way to spot a fly-by-night online store is to find one that only offers a couple brands, with an emphasis on their cheap 'house' brand. The buyer doesn't want to settle for the house brand unless they're just as good as the name offerings. Only the reputation of the online site can guarantee that, not a low price. The consumer who did his homework already knows the best brands ' the feat is to find them at the best price. An online site that has a wide selection of brands and products is more likely to offer bargains and specials, as manufacturers compete for the consumer's dollar. If a customer wanted to be limited by the variety of brands, he could go back to shopping for vitamins at the local drug or grocery store.

Other Internet Resources
Popular shopping sites, such as CNET, are good places for simple price comparisons, and they may lead to online stores that the customer wouldn't find otherwise. Searching by name for a specific supplement can give the consumer a good idea about its relative benefits and effects. If the customer is also taking prescription drugs, it's always a good idea to check on possible interactions between prescription medicines and dietary supplements. That information is available online at the more comprehensive sites, or ask your doctor to be sure. Many prescription drugs have holistic alternatives, and you can research that online, too.

A vitamin regiment is designed to make a person healthier, so it shouldn't be full of stress. Shopping online is supposed to avoid that stressful drive to the store, where the selection is limited and the prices are high. Online shopping definitely makes price comparisons much easier. So take your time and study all the options, then look for a web site that delivers experience and selection in discount vitamins.