Researching a Consumer Product

Whether you're buying a boom box or a flat-screen monitor, you want to be comfortable with your decision. To get to that point, you'll need to figure out what features you want in a product, read a range of reviews, and find out what you can expect to pay.

When researching on the Web, it's best to remember that finding a person knowledgeable about a given category of products is a more reliable method than searching for information piecemeal. You may want to know, for instance, how many MP3s an Apple iPod will hold, but what you really need to find is someone who not only knows the correct answer, but also can put that answer in the context that makes sense to your needs.

Fortunately, those people are out there -- Andrew Gershoff, associate professor of marketing at Columbia Business School, calls them "highly involved consumers." They're the kind of people who not only love stereo gear, for example, but also like to evangelize about the best components.

How do you find them? Don't overlook the simple answer: Go to one of the Web's search engines and type in the product you're looking for ("boom box" or "flat-panel monitor") and the words "buying guide." Or find a couple of different brand names and models -- don't worry if you're not sure they're exactly right for you -- and enter both into a search engine. Poke around the list of sites returned by your search. With a little luck, high on the list you'll find an overview of products put together by the kind of knowledgeable person you need. For example, someone interested in MP3 players might search for "ipod," "nomad" and "lyra," all of which are models of MP3 players. Although the first page of results returned by that search on Google has shopping sites that are light on basic information, it also includes links to overviews of MP3 players by this paper's Walter S. Mossberg (www.ptech.wsj.com), the Men's Journal magazine, and a CNET Reviews site dedicated to portable audio. All are good starting points, and the CNET site (www.cnet.com) has a wealth of helpful links about MP3 basics.

Step 2: Other People's Homework Not every enthusiast has turned his or her insights into a Web site, but many people have written reviews of products they have purchased. Their experiences can be different from those of expert reviewers: The pros get hand-holding from companies and often don't use a product long enough to see its quirks emerge.

Forrester analyst Christopher Kelley suggests looking for both expert and user reviews, a combination that lets you benefit from the experts' broader perspective about a product category and users' real-life experiences.

Where do you find user reviews? Try price-comparison sites, retailers' sites and sites dedicated to products and/or product news. In practice, retailers' sites are the best bet, with Amazon.com (www.amazon.com) and its many overseas divisions the best example.

But how can you tell if a reviewer is a shill for a company or has an ax to grind?

You probably can't -- but that doesn't mean reviews are useless. Many sites let users comment on other reviews, offering corrections or alternate views. And trust your own judgment: If you were chatting with a reviewer in the real world about Product X, would you find her comments insightful?

Mr. Kelley offers a caveat: Lukewarm opinions can be hard to find. "Consumers that are going to take the time to review a product either really loved it or really hated it," he warns. Say, for instance, you're shopping for digital cameras and looking at the Olympus D-560. Depending on which Amazon.com review you read, it's either "the most incredible photo-taking device I've ever seen" (says an Australian enthusiast) or "pathetic ... picture quality, battery life, features, indoor pics, build quality are all bad" (a Minnesota shutterbug's assessment).

While ratings offer valuable at-a-glance information, Prof. Gershoff warns that it's important to look at the reasons for a rating: If you want a pair of speakers ideal for reproducing classical music, a five-star rave that Model X speakers won't catch fire while blasting heavy metal isn't helpful.

Finally, don't miss the forest for the trees: A single review's conclusion may be suspect, but if multiple reviews reach the same conclusion, that's significant.

Step 3: The Price Is Right Price-comparison sites and tools abound on the Web, and they can be valuable, particularly when they sit alongside customers' ratings of retailers. But price-comparison sites aren't the best place to start an online shopping expedition: Too often their product features and user reviews are skimpy or buried.

If price isn't crucial to you, start researching without worrying about it -- you may learn more by getting familiar with product features than by zeroing in on a few models too early. Besides, your price range may be too low for the features you want, or too high for something that will meet your needs. Either is good to know.

Once you're down to a few models, by all means use the Web to compare prices. Just make sure to perform some due diligence if you decide to order from an online retailer you've never heard of.

Finally, Prof. Gershoff warns that online shoppers who have an unsubstantiated preference for a specific product can trick themselves by looking only for information that supports that product and underweighing evidence that argues against it. So, while a few dissenting voices shouldn't worry you, you should keep an open mind.

Step 4: Kick the Tires No matter how much online research you've done, you may not feel comfortable making a purchase sight unseen. Fair enough -- go kick the tires. Prepare yourself with product specs and price information about the models you're considering, as well as the questions you want answered, and head to a local retailer who has display models. (Print the data out -- you think you'll remember what you really care about, but you won't.)

Once in the store, don't be shy. Interested in boom boxes? Bring along a favorite CD and let 'er rip. Need a monitor? Play with the settings and type a letter. Considering a new printer? Bring a document, photo or whatever, and print it.

"I like to arm myself in advance and then play stupid with the sales guy," says Chaim Zeitz, an information-technology consultant in New York and a veteran online shopper, adding that "ultimately, I have to see the product."

-- Mr. Fry is an editor for The Wall Street Journal Online in New York.
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Posted by David Rabjohns on April 17, 2004