Price Comparison Search Engines vs Deals Sites


by Steven Stoeterau - Date: 2006-12-04 - Word Count: 569 Share This!

Having a hard time finding great deals? The internet is full of various websites that claim to be able to find you the lowest price for the product you desire. While they may truly believe that they are offering the best price, which may not be the case. In this article I will be comparing some of the features of price comparison search engines and deal sites by giving you a pros and cons list.

Price comparison search engines.

Price comparison websites are among the most popular shopping destinations on the internet. These sites started to spring up in the late 90's. They started popping up because of the increase in spending on the internet and offered consumers tools that had never been available before. The ability to instantly compare prices from hundreds if not thousands of merchants has forever changed the way we shop on the internet.

Pros:

1. These websites have thousands and thousands of merchants that they search to find the lowest price.

2. The merchants listed on these sites are given a rank. Merchant ranks are determined by input from users that have ordered products from these companies.

3. The amount of user reviews are seemingly endless.

4. The tools offered by these companies are extremely easy to use. No doubt this is one of the reasons for the popularity of these websites.

Cons:

1. Merchants that pay extra money are given prominence over other merchants that may have a lower price.

2. Search results may be inaccurate because of differences in the naming of products.

3. Many of the merchants listed may be unreliable. I recommend not buying from websites that have bad ratings or no ratings at all.

4. Customer reviews rarely have actual comments about the problems that they have experienced with that merchant.

Deal websites.

Deal sites have also been around since the late 90's and are gaining in popularity. These sites post the latest deals from many different online stores and occasionally local stores and restaurants. While price comparison search engines tend to make their money from advertising fees, these deal or bargains websites make money from commission and clicks. Keep in mind that the commission earned does not affect the consumers' price. Browsing these sites is like having a personal shopper with a keen eye for value.

Pros:

1. They often have the best bargains that can be found on the internet at that time.

2. The selection of coupons can be enormous.

3. They will alert you to sales and special offers being given buy various stores.

4. High quality bargains sites are updated daily if not several times a day.

5. Deals sites tend to be run by people with a love for finding great bargains. These experienced bargain hunters know how to combine offers to maximize savings.

6. Large selection of deals to choose from.

Cons:

1. They may not have the deal you were looking for.

2. To get the most out of the services provided by these sites, you must visit them regularly.

3. Some of these sites do not update their bargains frequently, so some of the deals may have expired.

4. Some of these sites do not have a search feature. Without search capabilities finding the deal you want can be tedious.

The internet has many resources and services that can help get the most from your money. Take advantage of these services and do your homework, you will be rewarded with a high quality product and a low price. Remember that the best way to save money is to be patient. You rarely get a great price when you make an impulse purchase. Happy bargain hunting!


Related Tags: shopping, deal, deals, discount, bargain, bargains, coupon, coupons, discounts

Steven Stoeterau is the owner of a bargains website that offers information and advice on how to shop smart as well as daily deals.

Badassbargains.com

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