Online Price Comparison
With businesses, individuals and families beginning to feel the pinch of the economic downturn, we are finding it increasingly important to look for the best possible deals and prices. Whether it is a few dollars saving on the weekly grocery bill or a few hundred dollars on a new washing machine - every dollar counts. We also want to buy from a retailer who is reputable and who will be around long after the purchase.
A website which has the facility to search and compare products and prices, provides consumers with a fast and efficient way to find the best deal.
Take for example, a new fridge - you know the model number and a base price you’ve seen advertised in store. You know you can get a better price; but where?
Clearly displaying categories, providing the option to browse by brand as well as an effective search feature provides customers with multiple ways to reach the desired product. These features cater for two types of user journey, those who know they are in the market for a specific item (and who will search for a particular model number) and those who know they want a fridge/washing machine, but are not yet committed to one model or brand.
Ecommerce site BigBrownBox.com.au is one of the first major online retailers in Australia that provides side by side price and features comparison. On one page you can compare the product images, features, warranty options and most importantly - the price. If you don’t find what you are after here, simply remove a product from the comparison and add another from the listing.
Other suppliers such as Harvey Norman and Bing Lee have easy to browse categories and search functions, while The Good Guys also offer a price comparison feature.
Having been conducting a bit of online price comparison myself the past few days, I came to the Domayne website, and while I could see what they offered clearly enough, the ability to see product details or prices was not a feature of the site. For many potential customers, this is an immediate roadblock to purchase of a product online or even short listing of a retailer. Effectively the poor user experience on the Domayne website has meant I will not be visiting their store.
So, I have my list of top 5 prices and I’m ready to make a decision, all from the comfort of home. The retailers in my top 5 are the retailers whose website provided a sufficient level of detail.
What websites have you seen that offer great features for comparison, or on the other hand, any sites that made it very difficult?
After all, while we have found the lowest price, we eternally chase the better deal.I’m sure there’s one out there - if only I could find it.
