Objectively Reviewing Online Stores

By: Charles Bowen A little less than a decade ago, a high-ranking official with a major online consumer information service spent 10 minutes lecturing me as to why his company would "never" link directly to the Internet.

"It's the wild West out there, Charlie!" my friend exclaimed in frustration. "There's no law on the Net. No one can regulate it. The Internet is a con artist's dream. We're not about to send our members out alone into that jungle!"

And, unfortunately, it was just that kind of paternalism that sank my friend's company. His firm did, of course, eventually provide direct Internet access -- it had to, in order to remain competitive -- but the company waited just a little too long.

Today, while that firm is struggling for survival, everyone and his brother surfs the wild and wooly Web. The latest guesses are that two-thirds of all Americans now have linked to the Internet, many of them checking in daily.

Of course, my old friend's point is still valid. In fact, the Web is more dangerous now than ever. As we become familiar with the ins and outs of our digital environment, we let down our guard. As online shopping becomes second nature to us, for instance, we become easy pickings for all kinds of predators.

But what my old friend did not anticipate is the way that we online consumers have started looking out for each other. Witness the arrival of Ratings Wonders. It is a free Web-based service that provides objective ratings and consumer reviews on more than 18,000 online stores.

To use the service, visit the site at http://RatingWonders.com, where a detailed introductory page provides a data entry box for quick searching of specific stores. Alternatively, you can browse the reviews by categories. A hyperlinked list takes up most of the top page, with categories ranging from apparel and accessories to sports and fitness equipment, from cars and computers to housewares, electronics and food services.

Results are sorted by the ratings, with the top spot being held by either the store with the highest rating or by the specifics of the merchant being searched for. If an exact match for a query cannot be found, the site displays a list of stores with names that are the closest matches.

RatingWonders, a research division of a Web portal called eWonders.com of Whippany, N.J., has built a team of management graduates and business analysts who evaluate online stores, based, says the company, "on a model that meets ideal online shopping requirements." The site's database includes information on the content and services of stores selling all kinds of different products.

Online stores are rated by a set of criteria, including product range, customer service, site quality, ordering and payment methods and shipping and return policies. It then calculates a total score, using a system of points awarded to a variety of attributes. Consumers can review the specific scores that make up a store's total rating.

Also of possible interest to your business reporters will be the site's regular reports and studies on e-commerce in general. The site recently prepared a Consumer Satisfaction Index Report, for example. It also routinely tracks the 10 most popular online stores according to votes by consumers.

Other considerations for using RatingWonders.com in your writing and editing:

1. If you write about this service in your Internet column or in a feature, you might want to mention that the site invites feedback from users. Click the "Consumer Reviews" link at the top of the introductory page and follow the instructions on the resulting screen.

2. Also of interest to consumers will be the "Shop Your Way" link on the introductory display. Here a user can locate stores that have been rated by selected preferred features. The site also can save that profile for the consumer's future visits.

3. A Merchant's Corner area of the site enables online merchants to register and have their sites rated and included in the database. Merchants can post updates and news of special promotions. Online retailers do not pay to have their stores listed, nor do consumers pay to view the material.