Focusing on Price In A Tough Season

Thought there was an interesting article put together by Brian Smith at ComparisonEngines.com. The post highlights the marketing position of the comparison shopping engines and the struggle with price.

Traditionally the comparison engines have struggled with positioning themselves as not strictly a price crawling engine. If comparison shopping were all about price alone, this would instantly exclude 70% of the merchants using engines. To keep these merchants on board, engines need other mechanisms in place to pull in clicks and sales outside of price alone. This creates more competition and when done properly, can increase value for the consumers.

However, in this price conscious time, Smith argues that comparison engines need to play to their strength, which is delivering targeted results so a quick and ultimately price driven query can be delivered.

CSE’s would be wise to find creative ways to drive price conscious sales without necessarily marginalizing merchants. One creative approach is PriceGrabber’s Deal of the Day approach. Focusing on ways to deliver better value to consumers is a win-win formula, especially in today’s marketplace.

August 3rd, 2008