Search 'complemented' by comparison sites

26th March 2008

Consumer search habits are complemented by the resources offered by product comparison sites, one industry practitioner has claimed.

Michael Yang, founder and chief executive officer of US comparison shopping site Become.com, told MediaPost that the service provided by such web spaces differs "fundamentally" from conventional search, but that both have a place in the e-commerce landscape.

The publication observes that the online resource enables users to browse customer ratings and reviews, create shopping lists, read catalogue content and engage in social networking.

Mr Yang agrees that this community aspect is a crucial component of the comparison shopping experience.

"Users can create lists for things like birthday wish lists, Christmas shopping or upcoming summer vacation products and if other people are looking for, or already have the products in the list then it creates a dialogue," he explained.

In related news, specialist retailers such as AbeBooks and Play.com are distinguishing themselves from their mainstream competition through excellent customer service, according to a recent Which? study.