I had a chance to catch up with Kevin Lengkeek, one of the founders of ComparisonShopping.com. Affiliate-Software-Review has been working behind the scenes to help Kevin with some aspects of their affiliate programme. I asked Kevin to fill me in on the big launch and what it means for online merchants.

Peter: "Hi Kevin - what's up with CS these days?"

 

Kevin: "Hi Peter.  It’s been good having your expertise to fall back on as we open prelaunch doors for the Comparison Shopping Network.

As you know, we have secured all the premium domains (ComparisonShop.com, ComparisonShopping.com etc.) and will be tying them in with our proprietary technology and brand new SEO friendly design in the coming weeks and months."

 

Peter: "What's the main thrust of ComparisonShopping.com?"

 

Kevin: "There are several very exciting aspects of this venture.  The basis of it all is the core of the service itself.  A colleague of mine put it best when he said that “Comparison Shopping is the ESSENCE of the Internet”.

The fact is, the vast majority of what people do online is comparison-shopping in one form or another.  Using a search engine is a perfect example:  Enter a query and compare results before a making a decision on the best website to visit."

 

Peter: "Sure, most of us - even our kids - are searching to get the inside story before we buy something. We've all seen those shopping sites. So what's special about your system?"

 

Kevin: "What we have done with our network of sites (there will be a minimum of eight) is to have each specialize in a specific aspect of comparison-shopping… and link them all together.  One will compare ratings and reviews of products and services, another ratings and reviews of the seller/retailer.  Still others will have articles on products and services to compare side-by-side or various forums on the subject.

Of course, the biggest thing people want to compare is prices.  Probably the best site for that is ComparisonShop.com.  It has a metasearch of several of the major comparison-shopping search engines and users love it.  Saves them time (they only type the query in once) as well as money."

 

Peter: "So where are you with this now?"

 

Kevin: "The flagship sites have been in BETA for the last year or so while we get the Network logic in working order.  Based on our testing, the concept has been very well received and our Network is poised to be absolutely HUGE!  At this point the people who stand to benefit the most are webmasters and website owners for sites that offer products, services and related information.  They can get listed in pages relevant to their site - throughout the entire network - for free."

 

Peter: "Great. Many of my subscribers are merchants and if they have products that can be compared, they should list with you  now during pre-launch, I guess, eh?"

 

Kevin: "Yes - they can signup for a free listing right now for a limited time during our pre-launch" 

There are a number of benefits beyond the obvious increase in traffic, link popularity and exposure.  This is a perfect example of timing and the importance of taking action when an opportunity presents itself.  When you combine the increased awareness of consumers regarding comparison-shopping; the domains, our technology and the exposure we will be receiving in the coming months, this is a huge opportunity, not just for our team, but for every partner site that joins the Network."

 

Peter: "So what do merchants get for signing up now at this point in the pre-launch? What's in it for them?" 

 

Kevin: "I'll list them out:

1. There's no reciprocal link required
2. Your listing goes on a page relevant to your site, so it contributes to link popularity
3. Your link will be displayed in the "Featured Sites" section of the page
4. All websites are listed in the order they are received
5. You can get quality inbound traffic from people interested in your product or service
6. You can use the text link of your choice"

Peter: "Sounds like a no brainer for a merchant to register. I think there's still a lot of room in this space and it will be good to see more activity with you guys jumping in. Thanks for offering this deal to my readers."

 

Kevin: "It’s been a pleasure Peter… Thanks for the chance to share this with visitors to your site."

 

Reference: Signup for free to ComparisonShopping here.(limited to pre-launch only)

 

--- (Edited on 4/27/2007 11:41 pm [GMT-0500] by Peter) ---