In the late 1990s, expert reviews of all kinds of products became available on specialized Web sites. For example, Point.com began reviewing cellular telephones, as well as the cellular telephone service plans available in various geographic areas. Imaging-Resource.com reviewed digital cameras. Publications like PC World put their product reviews online. Even Consumer Reports began publishing its reviews on the Web for a fee. Wanting to offer shoppers a single, comprehensive source of product information, Derek Drew and Carl Hamann created New York-based ConsumerSearch.com in May of 2000. According to Drew, he had been contemplating creating such a site since the early 1990s when he found himself reading three different computer magazines in an effort to make a decision about which desktop publishing system would best serve his interests at the time.
Doing the work for consumers, ConsumerSearch culls publications like Consumer Digest, Consumer Reports, and PC World for several reviews of a single product. ConsumerSearch's writers, several from leading publications likes The New York Times >, PC Magazine, and Consumer Reports, then compile a Full Story report which analyzes what the various experts said about the product. Summaries are offered in a Fast Answers section. The site also posts links to the original reviews, offers a description of each of the major reviews, and ranks the reviews. After they have finished perusing the site's content, shoppers who identify a product they wish to purchase can link directly to various retailers selling the product, and ConsumerSearch earns a commission off each product sold via one of these links. The firm also makes money through advertising.
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