Advertisement Feature
Since the evolution of the Internet in 1990s comparison websites have boomed. If you want to compare car insurance or compare tree hugging services, there is a website that has been designed to help you.
Shopping comparison engines or price comparison services, as these sites are known, source prices from retailers across their relevant country. So if you’re based in the UK then the UK engines will source the latest deals and information from UK retailers.
Interestingly, price comparison websites have continued to show year-on-year growth and one of the most promoted is that of car insurance. Certainly the plethora of deals available makes it worthwhile investigating.
Price comparison sites work in a several different ways in order to collate the data they need. Some use a data feed file that is provided to them by the merchants. This data is imported by the comparison sites or by third party providers that combine the information for them.
Another way in which these companies gather the information is by liaising directly with the merchants they use. Retailers who want their deals promoted can work with these engines to get publicity and PR.
Some companies use the simple form of human labour to trawl the internet for the prices, but this takes a lot longer than the other methods. It’s usually used by smaller organisations that don’t necessarily have the budget to use the other options.
So, if they have a speciality in say, comparing car insurance, then they would form relationships with the various insurance providers in order to get the latest deals. Alternatively, they would go to each website individually to gather the data.
Developments in mobile technology and the evolution of the smartphone have also meant that you can now find price comparison information on your mobile phone. This is extremely handy as it won’t matter where you are for you to find the information you’re looking for.
There are several different ways in which comparison engines have been used in the mobile market. Some use texts to alert you to deals when you subscribe to their service, while others have optimised their websites to make mobile browsing quick and easy.
The biggest beneficiary in the price comparison revolution is the consumer. You get to find fantastic deals and compare car insurance, for example, without having to spend a single penny. Designed to be as user friendly as possible, these sites make hunting for important information or cost cutting deals a pleasure.
Although it can seem a bit daunting when you’re faced with fifteen pages of special offers, deals and rates, the fact that you don’t have to trawl for hours across the internet makes it worth it. So, next time you want to compare car insurance, be grateful that you don’t have to do any of the hard work.
