Cyber Monday Shopping Guide

Consider today — Cyber Monday — a kinder, gentler version of Black Friday. There are no long waits in freezing temperatures, no crowds to brave and no long lines to stand in. Instead, deals can easily be had from the comfort of your home — or, if you're among the tens of millions of Americans who plan to do their shopping at work — your cubicle.

According to Shop.org, the online retail division of the National Retail Federation, 84% of retailers are expected to offer special online promotions on Cyber Monday — and a full quarter of those sales and discounts will be offered today only. (Other discounts either began before Cyber Monday or continue for days afterward.)

Struggling retailers are doing everything they can to entice shoppers to spend, and many of the discounts they’re offering are significant. Barnes & Noble's (BKS) is selling hundreds of books for up to 40% off the list price, as well as DVDs for up to 70% off. Macy's (M) is slashing prices on some jewelry by almost 80%. And, Toys "R" Us has cut prices on select toys anywhere from 40% to more than 70%. (To see more deals, see our table below.)

Since many of these discounts will be short-lived, nabbing the best online deals can be both a function of speed and skill. Here are some tips to help you shop like a pro this Cyber Monday.

Start early in the day
Online retailers actually time when the best deals are offered — and some of them offer them at the crack of dawn, says Ellen Davis, spokeswoman for Shop.org. (Also look for great deals during the lunch rush, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., she says.)

Do your research
Coveting a designer coat but don't want to pay the original sticker price? Start at the manufacturer's web site, where most of the available discounts will be listed, says Davis. Also, visit sites that list an entire range of retailers' discounts and incentives, such as CyberMonday.com, which features deals from more than 600 retailers. The site also features a "Deal of the Hour" on its site today every sixty minutes. (CyberMonday.com offers deals throughout the year.) Other web sites to tap into include BizRate.com and GottaDeal.com.

"Clip" virtual coupons
Think 50% off that pricey handbag is a steal? Think again. You may be able to snag it for even less with an online coupon. Cash-conscious consumers are increasingly turning to web sites like Coupons.com, Eversave.com and CoolSavings.com, which offer coupons for online (and offline) shopping throughout the year, says Andrew Lipsman, senior analyst at comScore, a marketing research company.

Turn to comparison shopping web sites
Before you click "Buy Now" make sure you're getting the absolute best deal on the web. Comparison shopping web sites are available throughout the year and also come in handy on Cyber Monday when you need to quickly pit one great deal against another. Yahoo! Shopping, PriceGrabber.com and Shopping.com scan a whole swath of retailers' web sites to compare prices.

One caveat about price comparison sites, however, is that some feature the item's sticker price rather than the total cost, meaning they don’t include shipping costs. So what may seem like a great deal may not be once hefty shipping fees are factored in. (For SmartMoney.com's report on the best comparison shopping sites, click here.)

All of the online shopping transactions occurring today create a veritable smorgasbord for identity thieves, meaning consumers should be especially vigilant.

To help ensure your safety, make sure the retailer's web site address begins with "https://" (the "s" suggests the site is secure) and that there's a locked padlock on the page (its location varies by web site) before inputing any personal information. Those signs confirm that the site is encrypted and that your personal information will securely get transmitted to the store, says Bruce Cundiff, director of payments research and consulting at Javelin Strategy & Research, a research and consulting firm for the financial-services and payment-services industries.

(For more tips on protecting yourself against identity theft while shopping, read our story).

There's no reason you can't land free shipping, or at least discounted shipping, this Cyber Monday. Of all the shipping incentives that online retailers are offering, the most common is "free shipping with a minimum order." JCPenney (JCP) is offering free shipping on orders of $25 or more, for example. Other sites, like lingerie, hosiery and clothing site One Hanes Place.com, offer flat-rate shipping where the consumer pays one set fee no matter how large or small the order. Another shipping perk to keep an eye out for: site-to-store shipping, which Walmart (WMT) offers, where consumers can pick up online products at the retailer's store nearest them.

(For more ways to cut shipping costs, read our story).