Shopping.com launches much-awaited, needed changes

At Shop.org Shopping.com announced some big changes:

• SKU-level bidding: get specific on highly-trafficked products within categories and better management tools for SKU bids requiring "special attention:" sale items, for example -- in addition to analytics tools to show ROI on advertising for individual products
• Product performance reports: again, more of an ability to dial down on product performance to tell you who's a dog and who's a rockstar, how your conversion to sales look, get more specific on category performance and get a handle on how you're priced relative to competition
• Value-based pricing: they're making the shift in early Q4...clicks will be priced on publisher's overall traffic performance
• Cart enhancements: integration with eBay express, email marketing opt-ins, etc.
• Distributed shopping: basically a more flexible "DIY" CSE on your own site with Shopping.com

Buried in the release was a mention of UI changes on the horizon.  All I have to say is that it's about time!

Are you happy about these changes?  Discuss.

Scott Hurff wrote this -- scott.hurff at channeladvisor

Comments

[Josh Greene]

Obviously, yes, the bidding by SKU should be extremely helpful in Q4. Here's a big question, how will quality score changes (see my post linked above) affect the big engines ability to drive traffic?