Yahoo! Introduces Product Search, Expanding Yahoo! Shopping into the Most Comprehensive Comparison Shopping Site on the Web

Business Wire,  Sept 23, 2003  

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Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 2003

Yahoo! Continues To Execute On Vertical Search Strategy

with The Integration of Yahoo! Product Search and a

Redesigned Yahoo! Shopping

Today, Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO) launched Yahoo! Product Search, an e-commerce search engine that will power the redesigned Yahoo!(R) Shopping (http://www.shopping.yahoo.com), creating a faster, easier and more comprehensive way for consumers to comparison shop online. Delivering on the company's commitment to provide users with the highest quality search experience on the Internet, Yahoo! Shopping is now integrated with Yahoo! Search and has been completely redesigned with a new focus on comparison-shopping.

"The combination of Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Search is a major milestone in our vertical search strategy, as we focus on seamlessly integrating value-added vertical content categories into Yahoo!'s Web search to ultimately deliver the highest quality search experience on the Internet," said Jeff Weiner, senior vice president Yahoo! Search and Marketplace. "With our new shopping site, Yahoo! has harnessed the potential of world-class algorithmic search and powerful Web crawling technology and combined it with rich product and merchant information to create an unparalleled product search and comparison shopping experience for our users."

Yahoo! Product Search is a new search engine that utilizes algorithmic search technology to extract results from multiple sources, including:

-- Yahoo!'s existing database of more than 17,000 merchants and

millions of products currently part of the Yahoo! Shopping

platform;

-- a new database of merchants and products that have established

direct feeds into Yahoo! Product Search through Yahoo!'s new

Product Submit program; and

-- merchants and products identified through advanced crawling

capabilities.

The comprehensive product search experience is also deeply integrated into the redesigned Yahoo! Shopping, providing consumers with the most comprehensive comparison-shopping destination on the Web. The new offering eliminates the inconvenience of having to visit numerous Websites for the best price and product selection.

YAHOO! SHOPPING: COMPREHENSIVE COMPARISON SHOPPING

Yahoo! Shopping has been completely redesigned with a focus on creating the most effective comparison-shopping destination. The site now features insightful and unbiased product and merchant information to assist consumers during the purchasing process. With the integration of Yahoo! Product Search, Yahoo! Shopping has been expanded from a semi-exclusive shopping site into a more comprehensive, open platform where consumers will be able to access results from across the Web and find products from almost any merchant online.

New feature highlights include:

-- Side-by-side price and feature comparison: Consumers can

compare up to ten products at one time, in an easy-to-view,

side-by-side chart

-- Consumer Reviews: Users now have the ability to rate merchants

or products using a new multi-dimensional feedback system,

providing valuable information to other consumers about

critical merchant (i.e., customer service, fulfillment, etc.)

and product-specific issues.

-- Buyer's Guides: Detailed information on pricing, calculated

shipping and tax costs, product specifications, expert and

user reviews and merchant information from well-known

retailers to specialty stores, all on one page.

"The combination of Yahoo! Product Search and Yahoo! Shopping creates a powerful online comparison shopping tool for consumers," said Rob Solomon, vice president and general manager of Yahoo! Shopping. "Some sites are already good at comparison shopping but don't have search functionality. Other sites focus on finding numerous results, but don't provide critical product information necessary to make an informed purchase. The new Yahoo! Shopping powered by Product Search, is the first and only site that effectively blends comprehensiveness and comparison capabilities."

MERCHANTS GAIN BETTER CONTROL AND MORE QUALIFIED LEADS

To support the functionality of the new Yahoo! Product Search, Yahoo! Shopping has developed effective paid inclusion advertising solutions to effectively monetize the platform without affecting the user experience. Based on research and merchant feedback, Yahoo! Shopping now enables businesses to participate in a cost-per-click (CPC) lead generation-based model in addition to being able to purchase targeted media-based advertising. More importantly, the new model provides merchants with more flexibility and control over their online campaigns.

To take advantage of this new pay-for-performance model, online merchants use Yahoo! Product Submit, a new Web-based tool that provides them with the ability to easily purchase inclusion in Yahoo! Product Search (on a CPC basis), upload their product datafeeds and manage their account, including generating valuable performance reports. Account management is available for select retail clients with complex product databases.