Keyword search, blogs, forums help shoppers make buying decisions

[mandy]

Keyword search and store locator functions are the top decision-making tools consumers use when visiting e-retailers’ web sites...

The study also found that even the least-often named web site features—gift suggestions and discussion boards/blogs—offer e-retailers guidance about tools consumers use frequently. “35% say gift suggestions help their product selection,” Daugherty said. “I challenge retailers to do that year-round; make a certain proportion of products gift-able.”

Discussion boards and blogs are here to stay and retailers need to consider different ways to use them so people of like mind can talk...

full article: http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=22708

[amy]

Discussion boards and blogs are here to stay and retailers need to consider different ways to use them so people of like mind can talk

Blogs are good but unless your store receives a huge amount of traffic I'd avoid adding a discussion board unless you like talking to yourself.

[BellisimaJ.]

I'd avoid adding a discussion board unless you like talking to yourself.