11-03-2005, 10:37 AM
Comparison engines pack the power of aggregators--but watch that ROI
full article: http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=16564
Quote:If Internet retailing were a board game, the goal would be labeled "ROI," and comparison shopping engines would be one way merchants could try to get there. Like any route to a game`s end, it`s a path with potential opportunity: It can attract highly targeted shoppers that produce what some say are higher conversion rates. And it`s got obstacles: the difficulty for some retailers of wrangling product feeds into the engines and the fact that costs per click, as in other web-based ad programs, are going up.
Comparison shopping engines have been a big win for some retailers and less so for others depending on a host of variables such as product type, marketing strategy, and resources, including IT resources at the merchant end to handle product feeds. But as the growth of search marketing revenue flattens, the operators of ad-driven online marketplaces are looking for new places to grow business.
full article: http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=16564