Evolution Of The Online Deal Aggregator

By Cheri Knowles


The rise of the online deal aggregator is part of the inexorable evolution of the internet. First it was just used to disseminate information. Then came Web 2.0 which made it more interactive and triggered eCommerce.

The evolution to the next stage is still in progress, but it definitely involves daily deals, data mining, local search and social networks. Membership websites with their crowd power and local shopping discounts make up one path for the future of consumer shopping on the net. There are other avenues being explored, but this one seems like the star pupil voted most likely to succeed.

Even after tens of millions of shoppers and merchants have signed on, the sector is still growing just as fast. Every month a new flood of buyers become members. A survey of the top 40 eCommerce sites where 10,000 shoppers were asked about their buying habits found 44% had bought deals in the three months prior to the survey.

But the survey also found something a lot more important. A full 40 percent of those who bought deals were already customers of the merchant in question. This is significant because it shows a shift in the preferred channel that consumers use to buy their product.

If existing and loyal customers prefer to buy products like this, it won't be long before it becomes a must-have for every merchant. Ten years ago, e-stores for selling goods gradually became more important than physical brick and mortar locations. For example, people who used to wait for tables at a restaurant or call to make reservations have started booking tables using the internet.

The next stage is already underway, with people seeking a meal discount and then using it to make reservations on the net. In the near future, all this will be combined into a single task via the online deal aggregator. It will reduce the need for restaurants to have additional methods for accepting reservations.




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