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Many people have called the era we are living in today as the “age of information.” Thanks to the internet, the amount of useful (as well as plenty of useless) information is at our fingertips. I think there are a lot of ways to interpret information and the internet. For one, if I wanted to know more about the history of Volkswagen, I would be overwhelmed with useful information. More so, if I wanted to buy a VW, I could find all the customer review information I need. To me, this is one of the most powerful uses of the internet. Competition in business is so important because of how it benefits the customer. If three companies want the highest market share, they need to give the customer what they want more than the other two companies. The internet has essentially put everything in a glass house for the whole world to see and discuss. Clever advertising can only get you so far now. We now have the ability to hear voices from thousands of people who have used what we want to buy. In my search to buy a new car, I spent maybe 5% of the time on vw.com and the other 95% on customer review sites such as edmunds.com.
The internet has made it nearly impossible to hide behind flashy products and clever marketing. Without a doubt, it will (and already hsa) change business forever. In the end, we the consumers, are the winners.
March 24th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Chris,
I absolutely agree with you when you say that the consumer is now the winner. Before I make all of my online purchases, I always read customer reviews, and half the time, I also research products online before I make purchases in stores. It is so helpful to hear genuine feedback from unbiased people rather than having some salesperson tell you how great the product is, even though you know he or she is just saying that to make a sale and earn commission.
Some other helpful sites for automotive reviews are Kelley Blue Book and Vehix.com.
Have a great spring break,
Caitie