Product Search: Submitting the Right Products

To attract more customers and get the most from your comparison shopping site listings, it’s important to select products appropriate to each target audience and classify them so that users can easily find what they are looking for.

Comparison shopping sites often allow merchants to list products for free and then charge a transaction fee when someone clicks through to the merchant's site or makes a purchase. Here’s what you need to think about before submitting your products to a shopping site.

Which sites should you submit to?
There are numerous shopping sites on the Web. Some of the most popular general-interest sites are Yahoo! Shopping, Shopping.com, and BizRate.com — there also are numerous specialized sites to consider. Properly aligning your product selection with the focus of the comparison shopping site you’re registering with will help you reach the right customers. If a comparison site is geared toward computer products and you sell flowers, look around for another site. Look for sites used by your competitors, and think about whether you want to list there as well.

Which products should you list?
Computers, electronics, and books traditionally do well online. Don’t be discouraged if your items aren’t the most popular in terms of online purchase — you might be able to acquire a higher percentage of customers with more targeted products in less competitive categories. Some additional factors to consider when reviewing your inventory include:

• Product Popularity: If you’re ready to begin listing with shopping sites, you probably already have determined that people will purchase the kind of items you sell from an online vendor. If you’re not sure, conduct a search yourself. Are there competitors selling the same or similar items? Are your prices, delivery schedules, and product quality at a level where people would select your company over existing online retailers? Because it will take some time to submit products to a shopping site, you may not want to begin by listing your entire inventory. Review your recent sales to determine which products are steady sellers and which are most popular.



• Product Availability: Quantity is especially important online because typically, online shoppers are looking for convenience. And in the case of comparison site shoppers, they know what they want and are prepared to make a purchase. Unlike more traditional customers, they may not be willing to wait for an out-of-stock product or one that needs to be manufactured or shipped from overseas — especially if there’s another site listed beneath yours that offers immediate delivery.



• Product Quality: Much like a brick-and-mortar environment, retailers venturing into the world of e-commerce need to make sure that their inventory is dependable. Your items should reflect their quality in the photos and descriptions.

In what categories should you list?
When you register with a comparison shopping site, you’ll be asked to submit your products to specific categories. Start with the obvious and then branch out. For example, if you sell laptop computers, list them under the categories laptops, computers, electronics, and office equipment. Over time you’ll see which categories draw the most shoppers, and you’ll be able to target your products even more. Be sure to search the site for the items you sell, and see where other merchants have placed their products.

Submitting your products to an online shopping site will help you grow your business by increasing both your visibility on the Web and your customer base to include those shoppers who might not have found your site on their own. Taking the time to determine which products you should place on these sites and placing them in the right categories can help ensure that you will reach your intended audience.

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