Sell more through these insights from ❌comparison✅ sites

In partnership with

We once again find ourselves in the middle of a Hump Day. Well, you, not me, since I got up before the crack of dawn. My day’s almost done. Don’t hate.

Alrighty, today’s Feature Story breaks down new trends on shopping comparison websites to help ya sell more, hopefully. I’ll go deeper with the target audience for those types of comparison sites. Then you can pick through the following sections:

• The Knowledge Base  

• Self Help (the carrot’s worse than the stick) 

• Facts & Stats (proof partnering up’s smart)

• Get Hacking (UGC, even if you have none)

Now, let’s get into the ins and outs of how comparison shopping sites can help your sales.

Comparison Websites

I know I’m not the typical shopper. Still, I was a little surprised how many sales are apparently produced or initialized by shopping comparison websites (those stats coming up).

See, I’m not a good focus group candidate on comparing products / services, since I hardly buy anything. Minimalism pays real good. Investing in contentment makes one as smart as ole Warren Buffet. Plus…

What I do buy, I don’t really care if it’s the “best lawn mower” or “cheapest laptop” or “top rated pencil” — typical keyword phrases for comparison websites, as you probably already know. I just want what I paid for. 

However, some recent Christmas gifts showed me a couple products are better than others and can make a real difference in my day-to-day life. Links to those in my bio, use code “cheapskate.”

Kidding, but I will mention the two items after I show you the ideal customers who do use comparison websites and the ones who are less likely to.

Tech-Savvy Millennials Love Comparison Websites

Particularly Millennials aged 25-34, are frequent users of comparison sites:

• 63% of millennials prefer using comparison platforms before making significant online purchases (Ad Tribes)

• They're more likely to favor promotional day deals (12%) compared to older age groups

High Earners

People with higher incomes tend to use comparison sites more often:

• They say the best deals are online

• They use comparison sites more frequently for expensive stuff 

Mobile Users

• Over 60% of visits to price comparison websites are from mobile devices

• About one-third of in-store consumers compare prices on mobile devices

Frequent Shoppers

People who shop online more naturally use comparison sites more:

• A quarter of shoppers use these sites 2-5 times monthly (Retail Week)

• Another report showed 60% of consumers visit price comparison platforms at least once a week

Electronics and Appliance Buyers

• 33% of respondents named electronics as their top category for using comparison sites

• 87% of consumers frequently compare various electronics models before purchasing

I’d imagine people with more free time use comparison websites more than those working over 40 hours a week.

Knowing the folks most prone to comparison shopping via online comparison tools, businesses can reach potential customers through various platforms. 

Which people would be a waste of time to target, though?

Older Generations

Older adults, particularly those who aren't as tech-savvy, tend to use comparison sites less:

• Might be less comfortable with online shopping in general

• Many prefer traditional methods of researching products and services

Low-Income Individuals

Kind of surprising… those who could benefit most from comparison shopping are less likely to use these sites:

• Lower-income consumers often demand higher savings potential to motivate them to comparison shop

• They may be less aware of price differences that rise and fall quickly

• May be working two jobs to make ends meet, with no time to read countless reviews and comparison charts

Less Educated Consumers

• Those with less education are less likely to use comparison platforms

• They may not fully understand the potential economic benefits of shopping around (big mistake for stuff like car insurance since everyone has to have it and it’s a huge expense these days)

Brand Loyal Customers

• They trust specific brands and are less likely to consider alternatives

• These customers often go directly to their preferred brand's website

Impulse Buyers

• Instant gratification trumps finding the best deal

• Comparison shopping requires time and patience, which impulse buyers often lack

Luxury Shoppers

• Less price-sensitive

• Focused on quality or status

• Some luxury brands aren't listed on comparison platforms

Side-eye Shoppers

• May not trust online platforms or prefer to see products in person

• These shoppers might rely on in-store comparisons or salesperson recommendations or family recommendations

Now, take a look at some new trends affecting how well comparison sites work for brands. 

Comparison Websites Trends: AI

Artificial intelligence is (supposedly) making these sites way smarter. AI is helping via more accurate recommendations and even predicting prices.  

Mobile is King

Everyone’s face is planted in a phone so the better the mobile look and experience, the better the comparison process works. “Mobile-friendly” is cliche, so what does a good mobile comparison of two products look like? 

Simple and easy for anyone to get - think visuals like this guy does, but tweaked for comparisons. Also, a 30-second video laying out the main USP between two products is better than an endless mobile page full of ❌ and ✅ and ⭐.

Price Tracking is the New Black or Orange or Whatever

Consumers can set a price they’re willing to pay, and get alerted when the price drops.

Social Proof Matters

Over 90% of online shoppers read reviews before buying anything. Comparison sites are making it easier to see what other people think, which helps you feel more confident about your purchase. Smart sites edit the reviews so readers can skip the rambling and get to the main point. 

Cross-Border Shopping Booms Large

The world's getting smaller, and comparison sites are keeping up. They're making it easier to compare prices from different countries. Great for finding deals shoppers might not have known about before.

5 Tips To Sell More to Comparison Website Shoppers

• Optimize your product listings so the products stand out on comparison sites by providing detailed, accurate information. Include high-quality images, great descriptions, and highlight unique selling points. 

• Regularly check how your prices compare to competitors on these platforms. Consider dynamic pricing strategies to stay competitive without giving away the farm.

• Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on comparison sites. Respond to positive and negative feedback, showing potential customers that you give a rip, but don’t cater to dum-dums.

• Create comparison pages on your own website. This can help capture high-intent traffic from users searching for "your brand vs competitor brand." Ensure these pages are informative, fair, and highlight your strengths.

• Utilize special offers or promotions exclusively for comparison site users (limited-time discounts, bundle deals, or loyalty programs).

Those two Christmas gifts I mentioned that changed my mind about comparing “best products?” A Blackwing pencil set and Danish Endurance wool socks. Onward toward the Knowledge Base…

Writer RAG tool: build production-ready RAG apps in minutes

RAG in just a few lines of code? We’ve launched a predefined RAG tool on our developer platform, making it easy to bring your data into a Knowledge Graph and interact with it with AI. With a single API call, writer LLMs will intelligently call the RAG tool to chat with your data.

Integrated into Writer’s full-stack platform, it eliminates the need for complex vendor RAG setups, making it quick to build scalable, highly accurate AI workflows just by passing a graph ID of your data as a parameter to your RAG tool.

Learn more about our production ready RAG tooling here.

Self-Help

Retirement’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

Don’t chase that carrot without finding something you love about the chase.

That’s as simple as finding a couple of hobbies. 

For some people, making more money is their hobby, so they come outta retirement to do that. For personal glory, to give their grandkids a leg up, or to plant shade trees no one they know will ever sit under.

Other people half-retire and are content with piddling with stuff like fishing and daydreaming on a lake bank. (Daydreaming’s good for us BTW.)

Facts & Stats

Bonus:  _____ of companies who've taken part in co-selling partnerships have seen a direct or indirect increase in profits.  Answer at end of email.

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*Most of our clients have about 50k US-based subscribers, but with 15k highly-engaged subscribers you may still qualify.

Get Hacking

A specific strategy to implement today

How to use user-generated content if you don’t have any content to choose from?

This idea came from a link in Monday’s edition of Inbox Hacking. 

Find some random person and let them test your product or service. Let them do an honest video review.

For higher-ticket purchases, talk to them at length. 

You don’t need an influencer. The point of this is to get real people to talk about your product / service. Having someone with a big personality will make the content more effective. So ask your circle of friends who they’d recommend. 

You might get lucky with someone who resonates with your audience and moves the needle on sales. But your main focus is taking advantage of authentic people with authentic takes on your brand.

ALT Hack: Test product photos with the product enshrined in fancy glass cases to present a higher-value vibe (like jewelry stores or some Nike stores do).

Thanks for reading Inbox Hacking. Please share it with your peeps - it’s sugar-free but stings a bit.

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin

Bonus answer from Facts & Stats section: 77% of companies who've taken part in co-selling partnerships have seen a direct or indirect increase in profits (Breezy).

Ad of the Day: Something about Wool World & payments, looked cool.