Forum Moderators: open
According to a German article on heise online, Google is developing a product search [heise.de].
According to heise online, Google is working on a new search categorie. Google is creating a product database. Three months ago, they asked approx. 200 US dealers, e.g., Amazon, E-Bay or CDNOW to "share" their product databases. All participants were asked to sign a NDA.
heise online has quite a good reputation in Germany. I believe them.
G.
Wonder when it'll launch?
whether its true or not, just amagine being CDNOW and Google giving you a call on the introduction of this new tab.
CDNOW knows Google's incredible market power.
However, should I hand over my complete product database to Google?
If I don't everyone will buy their CD's with Amazon through Google.
If I do, everyone will be able to quickly compare CDNOW's prices/catalog with Amazons'.
I have no choice. Google, here are my products...and yes you may charge me for listing my products next year. ;)
From the point of view of an online buyer, though, its a cool idea.
I heard a lot of media talk about mysimon.com but never liked it...even epinions.com doesn't work well as far as I've been able to use it.
The problem is, one dealer may be 2 cents cheaper but their service is bad and with hidden fees it isn't even cheapest...
Although google has done a tremendous job with a lot of things, comparison shopping is a lot harder nut to crack than it looks like at first.
PLEASE Google - do not forget the smaller Internet retailers!
It's like those darn Internet listing books. They always list Amazon, eBay, CDnow etc... Every 'flippin issue! There are thousands of other great shops by smaller companies on the web offering superb services...
Question: Affiliate marketing - what will happen to the little guys trying to make some money out of the web now?
[edited by: nutsandbolts at 9:32 am (utc) on Oct. 10, 2002]
Has anyone seen an online comparison site they really liked and that worked well?
Question: Affiliate marketing - what will happen to the little guys trying to make some money out of the web now?
Good question. Guess they won't make it on the product tab. But if on the other hand, Amazon doesn't show up in the regular SERPs (they now often do) there'll be an empty slot. :) You will just have to have good content to get the regular searchers or focus on international buyers. Product search will mostly apply to US customers, I assume.
Has anyone seen an online comparison site they really liked and that worked well?- I like pricegrabber. The total price (including shipping) is calculated based on your zip code.
Thanks.
This will be very smart move and it will be sure a money spinner for google...think what if google gets a cut from the every sale it makes ! .
This will make Google as the Biggest affiliate marketer in the world :)
NDA stands for "Non Discloser Agreement" in most cases.
For example: One supplier supplies a product for $3.99, another for $4.99. Both claim free carriage. But the first supplier needs a $50 minimum order. I want three, so the second supplier is actually better for me.
Example 2: One supplier suppliers a producst for $3.99, another for $4.99. The first charges $1.99 for packing. If I want one, the first supplier is cheaper, but if I want five, the second is cheaper.
Let's hope Google can do a better job than previous/current attempts ;)
Similar story. This is a problem they won't solve well in my opinion. Some product categories, the ones that are more like commodities? Maybe. Comparing a few major outfits, like books on Amazon vs. BNoble? Maybe...but as a whole? Never. Just MHO of course.
Price comparisons can be valuable for consumers trying to buy various commodity items or specific branded items. But people often buy on more than price.
The higher the value of the purchase or the more customisable, the less comparisons can be automated and the more non price items matter to decision makers.
There is the other aspect as regards google's strategy, does it want to be a jack of all trades?
This imho is the beginning of the downfall of many of the large high street retailers, they seem to really believe their own publicity that they can sell anything ...
e.g Yahoo now ..
what is its core competence?
at what is it a leader?
remember .. telex machines, ibm, the industrial and national empires that have passed and are yet to pass
Google is a young outfit which has to date done well at .. search .. why? well a special reason is because it had a very powerful friend in Yahoo who did its PR for it.
Online retailers will go with this plan if they think it gives them a commercial advantage, they don't have to do it - there are plently of alternatives and if key players did not join then it would be the plan that would fail - not the key player - if they do this it will be because they feel there is significant benefit in it for them..
What does it mean that you find a company at the top of any search results,
Think like a consumer now not an SEO:
it means only .. they were at the top of the search results .. it does not mean their product is any better, their service is any better, they are likely to be around any longer .. only that "they were at the top of the search results"
It is certainly in the interests of companies to be there (as it could be to be at the top of a products database) but how does that make it in the interested of consumers who will be the users of the service?
[pricewatch.com...]
Its dirty looking but very efficient.
It utilizes OCR and allows you to view scanned pages like Google Catalogs.
Amazon Menus [amazon.com]
Whatever movie you want, there's a good chance of finding someone who'll sell it cheaper, or post free. And while you may get a few dud references (about 1 in 10, I reckon) the second try will like as not deliver nearly as good.
If Google can refine this (and if the Big Boys 'lend' their inventories, that's likely) then they have a winner - all they need do is add an affiliate tag.
It will damage existing affiliates, but is unlikely to harm any business with a compatible database. On past form, Google will want to be the best - and that means biggest, in terms of sources.
For the consumer, there's no down side - it's bound to be at least as good as the existing engines, and, because it's Google, customers will trust it not to favor a particular dealer.
Don't you get sick of comparisons that try to send you to B**ks*m*ll**n - never cheapest, but, I guess, pays more to affiliates :)
Example: Right now, if you do a regular search for "Harry Potter", you will get fan pages, offical web pages, whatever but none or hardly any product pages (from merchants) except some sponsored links and ads. If you search for "Harry Potter" in the product search, you'll get Harry Potter books from Amazon, Harry Potter DVDs from CDNOW, and auctions from eBay selling HP goods. It will probably even show the price! One click will take you to the product, another click and you're sold.
Trust me, if this is true, it'll be BIG.
I keep coming back to this - will this effectively wipe out SEO's, affiliates, and small retailers on the web? Is the end hiding behind a still bright horizon?
If the technology is good and if people like it then sure this will be the BIGGEST MONEY SPINNER for google... bigger than adwords or search appliance . Think how much sales google is now generating for other sites and what if google gets a cut from this sales ...truely unlimited revenue possibilities.
Making people use the product search will not be a problem...just default to product search if a product name is typed in the search box :)
And it will not be a Public relation disaster for them since site rankings is still determined by computer algo's and not by any advertiser money !
They can easily extend this technology to other non tangible services like say , Travel ...
Good for Google ...Good for Surfers
Think of a site with rich, valuable, useful info, but at the same time offering something to buy, or "affiliated marketing".
Would have the owners of this site to go "confined" in a "product area", only because they also sell something?
Folks, I love to put good stuff on web.. what is the harm if I want to make from that some $$?
The answer is that Google owns, in fact, the streets of this info-traffic, so maybe now G. thinks we must start paying a tax.
This is the cruel truth, I fear.
cminblues
I really dont think the biggest search of them all needs to go this route
Google is a business, like any other; it's seen pricewatch, pricescanner, pricegrabber; it's seen that they've been set up 'on the outside', and has realised that it has the muscle to get on the inside, to do it better by working with the big boys.
Google might even have said "You guys pay out 5% affiliate fees, work with us, and we'll send you even more trade for 4%" And why not?
It will squeeze every other affiliate site, it will squeeze every other 'comparison engine' and it will force every small seller to conform to Google standards or be excluded.
The process of busines consolidation on the web is young; this is a sign of it growing up!
Note: Don't forget this was just a rumor ... but even if it was not so, after Google reads this thread, it will be! :)
This product search will sure be helpful to users and at the same time fill Google's coffers ...Users will not care if google is getting commissions as long as the search results are honest. If they just want information about the product and not want to buy ,there is the normal google search...
This is a perfect business model for google to monetize their user base without any complaints from searchers...
This will make google almost like ebay...getting a cut in each transaction it facilitates :) ...
