Shopping Search, Via Mobile Phone

By Gary Price, Search Engine Watch, Dec 13, 2006

Many popular shopping sites offer mobile versions of their search tools, which can be especially useful for those always on the go.

As Brian Smith, who runs the ComparisonEngines.com site that focuses on online shopping services notes, wireless shopping is not a new idea. He tells us that PriceGrabber offered its first mobile version more than six years ago.

However, as you can see below, shopping sites “going wireless” continue to increase. Here’s a roundup of the mobile search interfaces for some of the web's most popular shopping sites. The boldfaced links navigate to each service's primary web interface. The other links offer mobile access via web-enabled phone or other handheld device, typically with slimmed-down interfaces designed for smaller displays.

Amazon.com

Mobile interface at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/h.html or
http://www.amazon.com/access.

More Amazon:

• Search Amazon.com SMS


• Wireless with TicTap


• Search Amazon.co.uk Via SMS with txtbux


• Amazon-OnTheGo

Become.com

The main url http://www.become.com does a nice job of detecting browsers from mobile devices, so there's no special URL for mobile access.

eBay

Mobile interface at: http://wap2.bonfiremedia.com/

Froogle

Mobile interface at: http://wml.froogle.com or via SMS
http://www.google.com/mobile/sms/index.html.

Frucall

Frucall is a new free service that brings you Internet shopping when you are in a store or on the street. Frucall does not need any software downloads to your phone, or SMS data plans. I covered Frucall briefly in a ResourceShelf mention, and ComparisonEngines.com ran an interview with Frucall's CEO.

PriceGrabber

Mobile interface at: http://www.atpgw.com/

Smarter.com

Mobile interface at: Details here.

XP Bargains

PDA Interface: http://www.xpbargains.com/pda.php
WAP Interface: http://www.xpbargains.com/wap.php

Yahoo Shopping (Beta)

Mobile interface at: http://us.wap.yahoo.com/p/shopping; more info about the new service here.

And, a few lesser known mobile shopping search services:

• ShopWiki Mobile


• SCANBUY


• Slifter, a location-based shopping search (here’s an interview with the CEO.


• UpSnap

Gary Price is a professional librarian and the founder of ResourceShelf, and is currently Director of Online Information Resources for Ask.com.

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