jmontgom4,

Let me preface this with saying that I haven't personally bought siding online, and I'm sure that there are great companies out there that can get you a good deal. My personal experience is that I like to see actual product because photos don't always reveal the right color. Most websites post right on there that there may be color variations from the photos.

I also like dealing with someone local because if I forgot to pickup a corner piece, or an outlet fixture, I can run down there and pick one up.

The biggest thing with siding is realizing that they are NOT all created equal. I've seen ads for some very inexpensive siding, and in the fine print, you can see why. The thickness of it (or you should say the 'thinness' of it) means it will be easily cracked. On a complete job, you might save $500 by getting the cheapest, thinnest siding. That's hardly worth it considering how bad broken and cracked siding looks.

So my advice is, where ever you buy, get the best siding you can afford. The .048" stuff is harder to cut with snips, but lasts much better.