TheFind now second largest shopping engine

"We try to keep things simple: make is easy for people to find the things they want to buy, and earn their trust by presenting all of their options without showing any bias," said Usher Lieberman, Director of Corporate Communications for TheFind. "Our patented technology gives us the ability to understand the language of shopping, in the context of search, across every category, allowing people to quickly get to what is relevant for them."

Giving in-market consumers what they want is the biggest part of the battle for shopping engines - and for brands who both do and do not use the engines. But another aspect of online shopping - the social aspect - may actually hold more potential for conversions for etailers. Why? Because men and women across demographics are using social networks to connect with friends, and they are offering their take on recent purchases as well.

"Shopping sites, retailers, brands and other ecommerce players should approach social media with the same caution you might take in entering the home of a new acquaintance - because when you enter someone's social space that is exactly what you're doing," said Lieberman. "The most important thing companies can do in [social media] is listen to the customers and learn how they experience and want to experience this very personal domain."

To that end, brands needs to make an effort to understand what their target market finds entertaining or useful and then build social content, games, virtual goods or other offers around those entertaining aspects. And, while you're there, don't forget about offers, gift cards and personalized options.

"I love gift cards and am inclined to think that at this stage of ecommerce, gift cards or a virtual substitute are within the reach of every brand and every store," said Lieberman. "That said, there is probably a lot of room for a savvy marketer to create a countercyclical (or even tongue-in-cheek) ad campaign around the 'impersonal' nature of gift cards that highlights the delight of someone opening a gift that had been given a lot of thought and carries real, personal meaning."

We will have more of BizReport's chat with Usher Lieberman and TheFind tomorrow, when we'll talk about trends leading into the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons. Want to know how you can prepare? How you can benefit or how you can increase conversions? Come back for tips and trends tomorrow.

Tags: comparison shopping engines, ecommerce, online shopping, TheFind, Yahoo