SolveYourProblem Article Series: Online Shopping
Teach Me To Shop Smarter Online
Shopping
Online: Search Engine Hints
Shopping online can only be as easy as consumers
make it. It’s not easy to shop online, when you’re using the
search engine. Generally search engines give thousands
of results for one broad subject. Misuse of words, and not being specific
when using the search engine can make your online shopping
experience a bad experience. Consumers should know there are
some search engine tips, which can optimize your online shopping
experience. So, if you can’t find something your shopping for,
it may be best to reexamine how you use the search engine.
Sometimes looking for quick information on the Web can be like
searching for a needle in a haystack. With so many billions
of Web pages in cyberspace, finding specific information can
be a very difficult task, but there are many ways to get more
out of your favorite search engine, whether it’s MSN Search,
Google, or Yahoo!
First, you should use the advanced
search field.
Almost all search engines have an "advanced search" area that
provides Web surfers with more specific options. You can search
by an update date, look for Web sites with a specific domain
like “.net,” or find Web sites in a preferred language. The
advanced search gives an even more narrowed search, so there
may just be a dozen results, compared to thousands. Secondly,
consumers should search with a phrase. This better helps the
search engine find what you're looking for, offer a sequence
of words in a specific order, using quotation marks around
the phrase. For example, if you’re looking for information
on the TV show Saturday Night Live, type "Saturday Night
Live" into the search window, and use quotation marks.
Without quotations on each end, a search engine will likely
look for Web sites containing any of the words separately.
Next, you should be
specific. If broad search
words like car classifieds, yield too many results, try more
specific words
such as used car classifieds, Mercedes classifieds, or London
car classifieds. Also, check spelling; typos or spelling mistakes
are the most common reason for unsatisfactory search results.
If you're not sure how to spell a product or brand name (e.g.,
'satellite receiver' or 'Minolta'), try a more general term
(e.g., 'digital' or 'TV') and use the product or brand links
in your initial results to select the correct match. Fourthly,
use alternative search words. If your keywords do not produce
the results you want, try synonyms. Sometimes it’s better to
use different words, or alternative words when shopping online.
Next, search all of the categories to ensure that you get as
many relevant results as possible from your search. Even if
you think you know which category a product would be found
in, it's often best to search the whole site and narrow down
to the right category with the links in your initial results.
Also when searching for a product, don’t use abbreviations,
nicknames or slang words. If you're looking for quality and
not quantity, a few search engines provide access to handpicked "Best
of the Web" sites; one example is About.com.
Another time saving tip is by having
a search toolbar. If
you do a lot of searching on the Web, consider downloading
the free MSN Search Toolbar or Google Toolbar to assist with
your shopping, and other searches. You won’t need to leave
the Web site you're on to type in a new query; this should
minimize your searching time and add to your shopping time.
The final tip is to specialize your search engine. There are
many specialized search engines; MSN Search, for example, has
MSN Shopping for shopping-related Web sites. Using this specialized
search engine will drastically decrease your search results,
because you will only receive the results of online merchants
that are selling the product you need.
Using these search engine tips will keep shoppers coming back
to the Internet. Hundreds of irrelevant search results can
make shoppers frustrated, and turn many away. The best search
engine practice gives the best results, when you’re shopping
online. The Internet can be great a great source of information,
and is an even greater source for shopping. Consumers will
be even more secure, when they receive better merchant, and
brand results.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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