Comparison Shopping

Comparison shop online to cut corners for your business
By Romy LeClaire Loran, Freelance writer Online comparison shopping can save you money. As any business owner knows, the Internet has allowed millions of consumers to comparison shop in ways never thought possible. In order to generate more searches, comparison shopping sites are becoming increasingly user friendly as well as unique. Each one offers slightly different services.

Today online comparison shopping allows you to compare products and their prices within seconds, without ever having to walk into a store or talk to a salesperson. Likewise, if you are in a store and still want to mull over your options, you can text or check a site to find out what else may be available and for what price.

Whether you're shopping for your own business, or considering placing some of the items you sell on the web, there are many ways online shopping you can save you money.

1. Online comparison shopping can assist you in finding the best price.
2. A comparison shopping engine can offer you coupons and rebates.
3. Comparison shopping allows you to register items on a wish list.
4. Comparison shopping sites can offer you a guarantee on goods and services.

Price comparison shopping allows you to find the best price

Shopping comparison sites is big business. As sites become more sophisticated, they offer more items from vendors in an eye-pleasing, easy-to-use format.
Try:  PriceGrabber.com has twenty-five channels, from appliances to video games. They will also work with small, local merchants, who want to post their own merchandise. Yahoo, Inc. has a merchant starter plan for small businesses who want to list products on their shopping site. Shopping.com, an eBay company, also offers a variety of channels. Smarter.com lists the best buys first, and allows you to text message them if you have a question about an item while you are in a store.

Price comparison shopping offers you coupons and rebates

Whether you are using a comparison shopping engine for one item or several, check into coupons and rebates.
Try:  Smarter.com has a daily featured special as well as a coupon section. Edeals.com lists coupons on its homepage by merchant, and includes a section of new coupons and coupons that are about to expire. Ebates Shopping.com, Inc. shares its commission from its various merchants with you.

Shopping comparison sites can set you up with wish lists

Comparison shopping sites have many applications. You can remember birthdays, special events and days that commemorate your employees. You can also keep lists of items you want as you research prices.
Try:  Amazon.com, Inc. allows you to create wish lists of your own through their wish list button, and the site also offers a gift organizer button, to help remember birthdays and special events. Yahoo! Inc. was one of the first companies to provide consumers with the tools to create wish lists or lists of items they are researching on its Shoposphere website.

Comparison shopping websites can offer you guarantees

With so many unknown merchants selling their wares on the web, you want to be sure that your money is in good hands. Likewise, if you decide to sell items on the web, you want to know your customers will be treated well.
Try:  Yahoo! Inc.'s Yahoo! Shopping site offers up to a $1,000 money back guarantee to its customers. Smarter.com has a policy of taking companies that receive bad reviews off-line.

• When in doubt regarding a company's reputation, contact The Better Business Bureau before buying online.
• Create your own listserv of clients, and post hot buys, top sellers, specials and discounts to entice a comparison shopper or two into coming to your store.