Comments on: Twenga Gets €2.6 Million For Product Search http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/ Startup and Technology News Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:12:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Buster Buster http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1833184 Buster Buster Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:41:44 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1833184 Umm, I don;t see anything new or innovative about this company. It is no different than Kelkoo, or any of the other comparison search engines out there. I cannot believe that 3i invested in this company, especially given that sites like these can only succeed ultimately if they can garner traffic, which comes only in 3 ways: 1) Free traffic via direct hits 2) Free traffic via SEO traffic 3) SEM (Purchased traffic) For #1 to work, they need to be able to get people to come directly to their site (bookmark them, sign up to a mailing list, RSS feeds of deals, general top of mind awareness). With so many shopping sites out there, this is not easy to do. Very few sites (and even fewer shopping sites) get this kind of loyal and recurring traffic (Amazon & EBay have this market sewn up in the commerce space). For #2 to work, you need great SEO guys & gals to "spam" search engines, or you need phenomenal content...hmm, with so many shopping search engines out there, Search engines like Yahoo! & Google continually update algorithms to clean out spam from companies like Twenga. And, Twenga will not be able to get great content because to be fair, they are late to the game - who will write the reviews, and more importantly; WHY?? Amazon again has a massive lead in this area #3 is expensive and the keywords Twenga will bid on are the same ones every other shopping site will want, so its a tough tough game to buy these keywords profitably. In summary, this is not only a poor investment, but it is a company that will be irrelevant shortly - the kind that just stays alive, but is better off never having wasted investors' money Umm, I don;t see anything new or innovative about this company. It is no different than Kelkoo, or any of the other comparison search engines out there. I cannot believe that 3i invested in this company, especially given that sites like these can only succeed ultimately if they can garner traffic, which comes only in 3 ways:
1) Free traffic via direct hits
2) Free traffic via SEO traffic
3) SEM (Purchased traffic)

For #1 to work, they need to be able to get people to come directly to their site (bookmark them, sign up to a mailing list, RSS feeds of deals, general top of mind awareness). With so many shopping sites out there, this is not easy to do. Very few sites (and even fewer shopping sites) get this kind of loyal and recurring traffic (Amazon & EBay have this market sewn up in the commerce space).

For #2 to work, you need great SEO guys & gals to “spam” search engines, or you need phenomenal content…hmm, with so many shopping search engines out there, Search engines like Yahoo! & Google continually update algorithms to clean out spam from companies like Twenga. And, Twenga will not be able to get great content because to be fair, they are late to the game - who will write the reviews, and more importantly; WHY?? Amazon again has a massive lead in this area

#3 is expensive and the keywords Twenga will bid on are the same ones every other shopping site will want, so its a tough tough game to buy these keywords profitably.

In summary, this is not only a poor investment, but it is a company that will be irrelevant shortly - the kind that just stays alive, but is better off never having wasted investors’ money

]]> By: Bill Morley http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1826082 Bill Morley Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:34:49 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1826082 I think in the future we'll see more exciting product search engines - something like Giftoscope (www.giftoscope.com), but product search oriented with using users rates. Search for best prices only is boring. I want to type "mp3 player" and moving on several measurements like "more stylish" or "more reliable" or "cheaper" e.t.c. I think in the future we’ll see more exciting product search engines - something like Giftoscope (www.giftoscope.com), but product search oriented with using users rates.

Search for best prices only is boring.

I want to type “mp3 player” and moving on several measurements like “more stylish” or “more reliable” or “cheaper” e.t.c.

]]> By: Chris Lu http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1821594 Chris Lu Sat, 08 Dec 2007 07:51:04 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1821594 Gee... Twenga used DBSight!!! Someone should buy DBSight! http://wiki.dbsight.com/index.php?title=Powered_by_DBSight Chris Lu Gee…

Twenga used DBSight!!!

Someone should buy DBSight!

http://wiki.dbsight.com/index......by_DBSight

Chris Lu

]]> By: Nick Gonzalez http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1820283 Nick Gonzalez Sat, 08 Dec 2007 01:52:09 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1820283 @ Michael. There are simply so many out there. The list could fill up a whole paragraph. I opted for "and many more" @ Michael. There are simply so many out there. The list could fill up a whole paragraph. I opted for “and many more”

]]> By: Emkay http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1819263 Emkay Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:34:39 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1819263 I've been using a somewhat similar yet different app from the US that has been of tremendous help for me while shopping for gifts this Christmas. http://www.buzzoop.com/ I’ve been using a somewhat similar yet different app from the US that has been of tremendous help for me while shopping for gifts this Christmas.

http://www.buzzoop.com/

]]> By: Amitri http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1819016 Amitri Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:36:51 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1819016 I can't get my products listed with them - what the secret? I can’t get my products listed with them - what the secret?

]]> By: Kow http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1818212 Kow Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:34:51 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1818212 How do they do it? I cannot submit my webshop directly to them. A dozen coder creates regexp-s for each shop or shop type? Interesting... How do they do it? I cannot submit my webshop directly to them.

A dozen coder creates regexp-s for each shop or shop type? Interesting…

]]> By: Michael U http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1818207 Michael U Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:33:18 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1818207 "There’s The Find, Mpire, Crowdstorm, Bountii, Retrevo, SmartShopper, Pricefight, Ugenie..." Yeah, there *is* this collection of *adorable* little companies. Your passing mention of Froogle sort of hints that there are no incumbents in the space. Check these out, yo: shopping.com yahoo shopping pricegrabber cnet nextag shopzilla “There’s The Find, Mpire, Crowdstorm, Bountii, Retrevo, SmartShopper, Pricefight, Ugenie…”

Yeah, there *is* this collection of *adorable* little companies. Your passing mention of Froogle sort of hints that there are no incumbents in the space.

Check these out, yo:
shopping.com
yahoo shopping
pricegrabber
cnet
nextag
shopzilla

]]> By: Steve Ballmer http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817686 Steve Ballmer Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:16:47 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817686 Keeping my eye on this one! Keeping my eye on this one!

]]> By: What's Hot Today.com http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817437 What's Hot Today.com Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:02:25 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817437 This site shows a lot of promise. I'd be interested in talking with them. http://www.whatshottoday.com This site shows a lot of promise. I’d be interested in talking with them.

http://www.whatshottoday.com

]]> By: Michael Woo http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817390 Michael Woo Fri, 07 Dec 2007 11:30:38 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817390 Alas, this looks a little promising, I remembered doing a sponsored post for twenga some time ago.. and got a sneak peak at what they are up to.. I wonder how far this site will go? Alas, this looks a little promising, I remembered doing a sponsored post for twenga some time ago.. and got a sneak peak at what they are up to..

I wonder how far this site will go?

]]> By: micfo.com http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817298 micfo.com Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:52:38 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817298 No one successful like amazon the way they promote product and generate authentic reviews. No one successful like amazon the way they promote product and generate authentic reviews.

]]> By: Chris R. http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817282 Chris R. Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:41:56 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817282 wow, that's 2.6M they'll see again! wow, that’s 2.6M they’ll see again!

]]> By: sinha http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817146 sinha Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:34:31 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817146 Impressive one and interesting way to display results. But don't you think that being a product search engine, they should list the results from different sources (like eBay etc?) -sinha www.pluggd.in Impressive one and interesting way to display results. But don’t you think that being a product search engine, they should list the results from different sources (like eBay etc?)

-sinha
http://www.pluggd.in

]]> By: Twenga Gets €2.6 Million For Product Search  »TechAddress http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817134 Twenga Gets €2.6 Million For Product Search  »TechAddress Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:30:10 +0000 http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/07/twenga-gets-e26-million-for-product-search/#comment-1817134 [...] Gets €2.6 Million For Product SearchSource:Techcrunch2007-12-07 [...] [...] Gets €2.6 Million For Product SearchSource:Techcrunch2007-12-07 [...]

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