DigitalAdvisor.com Launches New Community-based Recommendation Website for Consumer Electronics Shoppers
TripAdvisor’s Sister Site Consolidates User-generated Reviews from Around the Web; Plain English Q&A Search Feature Lets Community Help Newbies
Cambridge, MA. September 26, 2006 – DigitalAdvisor (http://www.digitaladvisor.com) today launched a new version of its consumer electronics recommendation site with innovative features aimed at helping consumers interested in purchasing consumer electronics products. One of the most powerful new features is the ability to ask plain English questions to DigitalAdvisor’s passionate community of product owners and reward the best answer by granting that ‘advisor’ points which improve their ranking in the site community. This new feature adds to DigitalAdvisor’s existing ability to consolidate user reviews from all over the web and give consumers helpful guidance on buying consumer electronics such as cameras, phones, portable and home audio / video products.
“We’ve always believed in the power of bringing together user reviews from all over the web because who better to trust than people who have already bought and lived with these products,” explained David Parker, chief executive officer at DigitalAdvisor. “Adding the ability to ask these people plain English questions about battery life, compatibility or overall product performance really makes the shopping process much easier – it’s like having hundreds of expert friends looking out for you.”
“Shopping for consumer electronics is a daunting task, whether browsing online or in brick-and-mortars," said Carla Thompson, Guidewire Group analyst. "DigitalAdvisor's new Q&A feature harnesses the power of a thriving community of real world advisers who know what they’re talking about when it comes to consumer electronics. It's a great way for the community to share its knowledge and experiences and help others who are trying to make difficult purchase decisions.”
Valuable Perspective from a Trusted Community
Building on the success of travel site and sister company, TripAdvisor, DigitalAdvisor was founded in 2004 with the notion that the power of TripAdvisor’s user-generated hotel and destination reviews could work just as effectively in the consumer electronics space. DigitalAdvisor quickly developed a loyal base of customers who regularly use the site to research consumer electronics before they purchase them. Different from other sites that offer recommendations from a staff person working for the website, DigitalAdvisor consolidates and normalizes user-generated reviews from a wide variety of Websites, including many submitted directly to the DigitalAdvisor website, and then offers links to online retailers where consumers can make the purchase once they’ve made their decision.
“Shopping for consumer electronics doesn’t have to be a scary process,” said Parker. “With these new features, you don’t need to know about mega pixels or gigabytes. We’ve simplified the shopping process so whether you’re technologically-challenged and don’t know where to start or you’re a power user who wants the inside scoop on new electronics products – you’ll get what you need from DigitalAdvisor.”
Specialist Sites United Under DigitalAdvisor Banner
With this launch, DigitalAdvisor will be bringing two of its specialist sites under the main DigitalAdvisor brand. The company’s popular digital camera site, Digital Camera HQ (http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com) and its Camcorder HQ site (http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/camcorders/) will now be accessible from the main DigitalAdvisor.com site.
Consumers will be able to find helpful information on many different categories of consumer electronics including:
- Audio/Video
- Camcorders
- Cellular Phones and Accessories
- Computers and Accessories
- Digital Cameras
- Office Electronics
- Photo and Video
- Portable and Home Electronics
- Software
- Video Games
About DigitalAdvisor:
DigitalAdvisor.com is an online resource that offers unbiased information and recommendations for consumers making consumer electronics purchases. DigitalAdvisor is different from other websites because it consolidates user-generated reviews that are either submitted directly to the site or gathered from around the Internet. This allows the company to pass on practical perspective from other consumers who have bought and lived with the consumer electronics in question. DigitalAdvisor also offers consumers the chance to tap into the knowledge and passion of its ‘Advisor’ community with its ‘Ask’ feature. This feature allows you to submit a plain English question and let the community respond with helpful information. Once the final decision is made, consumers can compare prices and click on any one of the dozens of links to online retailers. DigitalAdvisor is a wholly owned subsidiary of TripAdvisor LLC, an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE).
EDITOR’S NOTE: DigitalAdvisor has detailed visibility into consumer electronics trends based on activity on the site. If you would like to discuss these trends or if you have questions about the company, please contact:
Jason Reindorp
Tel. +1206.226.4085
