Trend 1 - The skewed, blurred
union of commercialism and content on the Internet. Increasingly, content is
slanted or created solely to sell something. Who can consumers trust?
- A
major baby products consumer site claims they “scour the web, daily” to
find the lowest prices on baby products (furniture, clothing, car seats, etc.) All
“lowest prices” found through their price watch service link/lead to
only three online stores (all through affiliate program links.)
- One
of the leading online automotive car buying services has six unbranded web
sites that exist solely to “offer car buying advice” to consumers. The
sites cover which car to buy, auto financing, leasing, warranties, etc. The
content is marginal, skewed by repeated attempts to sell and interlaced with
links directly to the main car buying site. These sites exist to sell, not
to inform or help the consumer.
1 - The
Blurring of Commercialism
and Content
2 -
The
Explosion of Content on
the Internet
3 -
The
Fast-growing Number of
Internet-enabled Consumers
4 -
Search
Engine Limitations
5 -
Web
Directories Covering Too Many Topics
6 -
Buying
Content Sites try to
be All Things to All Consumers
7
- Ten Shoppers
