Comments on: Cleaning up Froogle – One Post at a Time http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/ Just another WordPress.com weblog Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:50:31 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: David http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-312 David Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:15:15 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-312 I work for a large online consumer electronics retailer. If our experience this holiday season is typical, then your recommendation to focus on other Shopping Engines over Froogle is SUICIDE! Shopping engines raised their price by 67% over the last year. They are driving significantly more traffic, but the quality of their traffic is SIGNIFICANTLY worse. In fact, our shopping engine conversion rate was down by 35% and the average order is almost $40 lower than last year. So our costs doubled and sales declined! Compare this to Froogle, where traffic was up 40%, conversion was up 10% and sales were up 55%. I work for a large online consumer electronics retailer. If our experience this holiday season is typical, then your recommendation to focus on other Shopping Engines over Froogle is SUICIDE!

Shopping engines raised their price by 67% over the last year. They are driving significantly more traffic, but the quality of their traffic is SIGNIFICANTLY worse.

In fact, our shopping engine conversion rate was down by 35% and the average order is almost $40 lower than last year. So our costs doubled and sales declined!

Compare this to Froogle, where traffic was up 40%, conversion was up 10% and sales were up 55%.

]]> By: JP http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-311 JP Sat, 10 Dec 2005 02:44:32 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-311 I started as a beta client at Froogle - they used our catalog at Overstock.com to help model the service and understand retail and product data feeds. Froogle has definitely been a non-starter for the last two years. I do know of one retailer for who Froogle is finally taking off at a good clip. Also, it is free, the feed is easy and Google gives you a simple, intelligent interface (better info than some of the other big comparison engines) to let you know the status of your feed. Did I mention it is free? Granted, I agree Froogle is not optimal, a bad user experience and poor results today. However, I also know that Google is way ahead of the thought curve on this one (they are way ahead on their thinking on many fronts) and is poised to take Froogle and Base in 2006 and rock the retail world. Net net, good Q4 for them (best yet revenue wise despite all the nit-picky shortcomings) but I predict earth shattering stuff coming out of that shop no later that Q2. I am curious to know - What category you are selling in Vic? JP www.bargainbetty.com I started as a beta client at Froogle – they used our catalog at Overstock.com to help model the service and understand retail and product data feeds. Froogle has definitely been a non-starter for the last two years. I do know of one retailer for who Froogle is finally taking off at a good clip. Also, it is free, the feed is easy and Google gives you a simple, intelligent interface (better info than some of the other big comparison engines) to let you know the status of your feed. Did I mention it is free?

Granted, I agree Froogle is not optimal, a bad user experience and poor results today. However, I also know that Google is way ahead of the thought curve on this one (they are way ahead on their thinking on many fronts) and is poised to take Froogle and Base in 2006 and rock the retail world. Net net, good Q4 for them (best yet revenue wise despite all the nit-picky shortcomings) but I predict earth shattering stuff coming out of that shop no later that Q2.

I am curious to know – What category you are selling in Vic?

JP
http://www.bargainbetty.com

]]> By: Brian Smith http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-310 Brian Smith Fri, 09 Dec 2005 17:25:36 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-310 Paul - thanks for reading. Click on the link 'one listing I’ve used as an example' used above to see the specific ipod nano result page i'm talking about. Or, in the URL you sent me, what I mean by prices is the 'compare 20 prices' button next to each product listing. Vic - You can definitely make money through Froogle. I'm just saying that I'd dedicate your time and effort to optimizing listings on the other comparison engines first and then if you have time left over, deal wit Froogle. If you need help with your Froogle feed, shoot me an email (as long as you're spending the bulk of your time on your other feeds)! Paul – thanks for reading. Click on the link ‘one listing I’ve used as an example’ used above to see the specific ipod nano result page i’m talking about. Or, in the URL you sent me, what I mean by prices is the ‘compare 20 prices’ button next to each product listing.

Vic – You can definitely make money through Froogle. I’m just saying that I’d dedicate your time and effort to optimizing listings on the other comparison engines first and then if you have time left over, deal wit Froogle. If you need help with your Froogle feed, shoot me an email (as long as you’re spending the bulk of your time on your other feeds)!

]]> By: Vic Berggren http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-309 Vic Berggren Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:28:25 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-309 >It is good converting free traffic. JP, I don't know any retailers making money with Froogle do you? I've been posting inventory there for nearly 2 years and Froogle is good for 1 sale per month on average. >It is good converting free traffic.

JP, I don’t know any retailers making money with Froogle do you? I’ve been posting inventory there for nearly 2 years and Froogle is good for 1 sale per month on average.

]]> By: Vic Berggren http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-308 Vic Berggren Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:20:41 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-308 Brian - Good post... I agree, Froogle definately needs more work Try searching for [17" LCD] It doesn't get clean until you do stuff like this: [17" LCD -mount -tv -filter -refurbished] Even then I get back results that are below $10 and don't make any sense: - Bookshelf Speaker Mounting Kit - Memorex 2 GB 2nd Generation USB 2.0 Travel Drive Brian -

Good post… I agree, Froogle definately needs more work

Try searching for [17" LCD]

It doesn’t get clean until you do stuff like this:
[17" LCD -mount -tv -filter -refurbished]

Even then I get back results that are below $10 and don’t make any sense:
- Bookshelf Speaker Mounting Kit
- Memorex 2 GB 2nd Generation USB 2.0 Travel Drive

]]> By: Paul http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-307 Paul Fri, 09 Dec 2005 15:54:52 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-307 Ok, so maybe you are doing something different than i am, but how do you come up with 29 prices for the Ipod Nano? My search criteria consisted of: allintitle:"ipod nano" > Apple , and I received 8,532 results. I understand you stated 29 PRICES, and NOT results, but how do you find the # of different prices among 8,532 results? http://snipurl.com/kn2y Good site- I check it often, not as a merchant but as a casual interest. Ok, so maybe you are doing something different than i am, but how do you come up with 29 prices for the Ipod Nano? My search criteria consisted of: allintitle:”ipod nano” > Apple , and I received 8,532 results. I understand you stated 29 PRICES, and NOT results, but how do you find the # of different prices among 8,532 results?
http://snipurl.com/kn2y

Good site- I check it often, not as a merchant but as a casual interest.

]]> By: Laurie Hamilton http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-306 Laurie Hamilton Fri, 09 Dec 2005 15:05:46 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-306 I'm beginning to think that I'm on the GoogleBase payroll so I know what you mean. In my Clip Art category, these spammers keep appearing again and again. I keep reporting them, but I don't know why can't GoogleBase block their ip addresses. Helenn Tangso Max Donates Max Luoolhy Hendrix Rantreng Max Burgesse Max Suponst Jane Platis Max Reoduper Max Weema Kate Dampro Kelly Poshin Jane Platis Helenn Tangso Max Luoolhy I’m beginning to think that I’m on the GoogleBase payroll so I know what you mean. In my Clip Art category, these spammers keep appearing again and again. I keep reporting them, but I don’t know why can’t GoogleBase block their ip addresses.

Helenn Tangso
Max Donates
Max Luoolhy
Hendrix Rantreng
Max Burgesse
Max Suponst
Jane Platis
Max Reoduper
Max Weema
Kate Dampro
Kelly Poshin
Jane Platis
Helenn Tangso
Max Luoolhy

]]> By: Brian Smith http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-305 Brian Smith Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:47:24 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-305 I think merchants are better served by first optimizing their listings on one of the major shopping comparison engines (Yahoo! Shopping, Shopping.com, Shopzilla, etc.) which have more traffic and higher quality results. While merchants spend a lot of time on search engine optimization (SEO), they don't spend a lot of time on datafeed optimization. First optimize on the other comparison engines. If you have time left over, deal with a Froogle feed. I think merchants are better served by first optimizing their listings on one of the major shopping comparison engines (Yahoo! Shopping, Shopping.com, Shopzilla, etc.) which have more traffic and higher quality results.

While merchants spend a lot of time on search engine optimization (SEO), they don’t spend a lot of time on datafeed optimization. First optimize on the other comparison engines. If you have time left over, deal with a Froogle feed.

]]> By: JP http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-304 JP Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:28:45 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-304 I disagree with telling Merchants to stay away from Froogle. It is good converting free traffic. If you find a better place to spend that kind of money give me a call. JP www.bargainbetty.com I disagree with telling Merchants to stay away from Froogle. It is good converting free traffic. If you find a better place to spend that kind of money give me a call.

JP
http://www.bargainbetty.com

]]> By: Mathias http://comparisonengines.com/2005/12/08/cleaning-up-froogle-one-post-at-a-time/#comment-303 Mathias Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:04:18 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=252#comment-303 I think they will hire you soon...Good work!! I think they will hire you soon…Good work!!

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