#Search Engines can seem useful for us consumers researching items before we buy, but typically the results we see are from franchisers and affiliates all over the country, or news feeds published – weeks, months or even years ago.
Are you one of the few people that can actually tell that these ‘highly engineered’ SEARCH Algorithms are returning- 20 SEARCH results and at least 10 of those SEARCH results are obviously PAID ADVERTISEMENTS that are NOT really relevant to your SEARCH at all; that the other 10 results may be, sorta kinda, almost, but not really- fit your SEARCH query, so you need to click on a few of the links and SEARCH for what you were SEARCHING for in the first place?
Don’t you just hate going to your favorite Search Engine and Searching for an item that you know 4 out of 10 stores have locally- in your #neighborhood, but the only results you get back are for vendors from everywhere in the world, but where you are?
The Internet as a Digital platform for commerce, offers the promise that Shopper/ Web User Search Costs are likely to be very low, because of the ease of access to ‘unbiased’, ‘infinite sources’ of ‘optimized’ information, but indeed- to the contrary- impose overwhelming expenses.
Search Cost is readily apparent & expectedly higher in the Non- Digital, Real World- where consumers have to search out information by Calling each and every suspected vendor, Driving to each suspected vendors location, Consulting friends or family or even Creating flyers or Making signs, etc. to learn & process sought after information.
Obfuscation strategies are especially NON- APPARENT in an online commerce environment because we, all of us- are comparing our Search Expenses to that of the Non- Digital, Real World. The fact that the ‘Digital Internet’ eCommerce ecosystem is almost entirely contrived to follow Real World Analogous Marketing tactics and techniques, exemplifies just how ‘non- apparent’ web obfuscation is.
The Internet is supposed to enable web shoppers to easily look up products, services & or neighborhood activities and events to get information about them, with some websites even providing product comparison tools which allow people to select a group of products to examine side by side.
And while they may seem neutral, fair and that shoppers are getting the best value- The only way to verify the information is to perform additional searches & / or make the calls yourself to each side by side product originator. And none of US will do that, because the TIME & EFFORT it would take to Search (and verify) is too consuming or Costly.