These days, everyone is selling their stuff online, from fashion giants like Zara and H&M to small, hand-made businesses with few employees. If you’re the latter, then you know that getting your products out there can be tricky. Sometimes ad campaigns and word of mouth are not enough, and when those bills come in the mail, your heart starts racing as you wonder if you’re going to be the next ones to close up shop and hitch a tent in the park.
Well, we have the solution. It’s called a Comparison Shopping Engine, and while it may sound weird and unfamiliar right now, you’ll probably get the hang of it in minutes.
Let’s get into what Comparison Shopping Engines are and how you can use them to generate more revenue, so you don’t have to eat out of cans for the rest of your life.
What Are Comparison Shopping Engines?
This is a great question to start with. Just what are these futuristic-sounding engines? Are they like car engines with physical parts? Do they require fuel? Well, the good news is that they don’t! You’ve probably heard of the term ‘search engine’ before being used to describe websites like Google, Bing, etc. These are called ‘search engines’ because they’re like giant digital machines people search for information.
Comparison Shopping Engines are a lot like that, except buyers use them to search products and compare everything from shipping costs to prices instead of just searching for any information.
Comparison Shopping Engines are every buyer’s secret weapon since they typically use them to get the best deals on products by looking at what multiple places are selling that product for, how much the shipping costs, etc.
Why Should You Be On Them?
Well, this is a simple question to answer. Just like companies pay Google to show the links to their websites at the very top of the results page, you too can use Comparison Shopping Engines to get your products in front of more people.
In addition, people who use Comparison Shopping Websites are the best customers you can hope to find since they want to buy that product and they’re by far the most likely to complete the purchase during their visit. Comparison Shopping Websites are also the first to show up on Google’s result page so that you can gain a lot from their visibility.
If your products show up on these websites, then you’re pretty much guaranteed more traction to your online store, especially since it helps to build trust between you and the customers. When people see your products on Comparison Shopping Engines, they’ll know that you offer good deals and will be more likely to want to do business with you in the future.
Choosing The Right One
With so many different Comparison Shopping Engines to choose from, how are you supposed to know which one is best for your business? Well, there are some factors to consider. For starters, you need to know which Comparison websites your competitors are on. This comes with advantages and drawbacks.
The advantage is that people who visit that particular engine are more likely to search for the types of products you sell. This is because all the traffic for that kind of product is going there. The disadvantage is that since all of your competitors are on that particular engine, you may have trouble standing out and might have to lower your prices to compete.
Another option is to use a Comparison Shopping Engine that none of your other competitors have even heard of. You may get less traffic, but you’ll also probably make more sales since you appear to be the only one offering the kind of product that your customers desire.
Top 3 Comparison Shopping Websites
Alright, now that you know what Comparison Shopping Engines are, let’s dive into some of the best of them so that you too can compare and contrast which one is best for your business.
- Google Shopping
Google Shopping is probably the most popular Comparison Shopping Engine out there. Since it’s built right into the Google platform, it’s very easy to find, and it probably offers the most visibility out of all of them since it showcases links to products at the very top of their results page when people search for them. If you want to get as much exposure as possible, Google Shopping is a fantastic choice.
- NexTag
NexTag is a veteran in the Comparison Shopping Engine world, established back in 1999 when you used to spend your days watching Saved By The Bell, collecting pogs, and wearing neon hoop earrings. Millions of people use the website every day, and it’s also probably the most versatile when it comes to products since you can list real estate, concert tickets, travel, and much more.
- PriceGrabber
PriceGrabber is a great choice both for buyers and sellers alike. In addition to having features of any other shopping comparison website, it also has features for buyers! With its easy-to-use Market Report, you can track purchases and monitor pricing trends so you can stay on top of your game.
But How Do You Get On Them?
There’s the big question: all these websites may sound fantastic, but how are you supposed to get your products on them? Well, the first step is to get your products listed on them. You can do this easily by filling out the search engine’s CSV (Comma-Separated-Value), which is a bunch of information they need to list your product according to their format.
This information includes product title, price, description, and image location. The website will then use this information to get you listed on their websites and put you in front of potential buyers!
The Bottom Line
Running a small business can be extremely difficult, but Shopping Engines can get the job done fast and easily. Don’t hesitate! List your products today and get them in front of buyers so that you can continue to grow.
