Shopping 2.0 Smackdown: Shopping Engines Compared
There is someone on my shopping list who wants a iPod Nano. I figured this would be a great item to use to compare the proliferation of shopping engines that are out there. I have traditionally been a big Froogle user. It’s simple and straightforward but comprehensive, and I feel like I am finding the lowest prices on things I’m shopping for. But lately, there have been more merchants who are gaming the system (call it Shopping Engine Optimization). I click on the great price that they have on an item, and show up at their site only to learn that the item is now $200 more. I’m not sure if its cloaking or not, but it decreases the value of the shopping engine to me.
So, its time to put to the test all of the shopping engines out there. There’s social shopping, shopping 2.0, reverse auction shopping, and the plain old shopping meta search engines. Let’s battle it out. I’m searching for a Ipod Nano 2nd Generation 4 Gig. ($199 at the Apple Store)
MySimon — This was my first shopping engine experience a long time ago. The service has grown and I like the recommended accessories, like armbands that they mention along with the iPod Nano. Bottom line for the iPod Nano 2nd Generation 4 Gig — $174.
Froogle (by Google) — The websites a little overrun with stuff I’m not looking for. It doesn’t filter out just the iPods, but the bottom line price is $118, can that be right? (After research its not, its a European site, and its not actually the price for a Nano)
Shopping.com — This is a mess. It is all accessories, I can’t even find the iPod Nano amongst all the noise. No price found.
Shopzilla — Nice layout, it filters through the accessories, right to the products. It filters things very nicely, and i can sort now by color. It has its own reviews and helps to cal shipping. Lowest price $189.
TheFind.com — At first it looks good, but I’m not getting any 2nd generation iPods. So I type in 4 gig and all accessories come up. I get a price of $69 and click to the website and it looks homemade. Again, someone spamming the system. Lowest real price $189.
Jellyfish — This is the site that shares with the consumer the affiliate commission that the merchant pays to be listed. It’s a nice idea, because the lowest price I find is $185, which is $189 — the $4 rebate I get for clicking through Jellyfish.
MyTriggers — Nice layout, not quite as clean as some of the others, but I quickly find the one I’m looking for. $189.
Crowdstorm — I thought this was a shopping engine, but its more of a social shopping site. I love the user reviews and recommendations on the iPod. If it actually integrated a price search engine, it would be great because it has the social component down. No price.
So the winner is… Well, I think $189 is the best I’ll do. This was a little bit of an unfair test because Apple so closely manages the experience of its products. But, as far as the engine that provided the most best experience, I think JellyFish is really consumer-centric and it also is comprehensive and well laid out. So, that’s where I’ll be buying.
I’d love to hear everyone else’s experiences. Here are a few other reviews. Let me know if I skipped a great engine. Happy Holidays and good luck shopping. The great news is there’s never been a better time to be doing all your shopping online.