Are comparison tools dead?

Michael Brown

This is an interesting question that will undoubtedly be answered by both yes and no from the various readers of my personal opinion blog.

My field, as you all probably know is mobile phones, working with http://www.mobilephones.com/, and so I will be discussing this question with that website in mind, although I imagine that the cross-over to any other comparison website or product would still be valid.

Yes, comparison tools are dead!

On the yes side of the argument I would challenge you to find a mobile phone review that I have written that simply contains a list of the so-called specification. 

If you put 3 phones into this tool to compare mobile phones then you will be presented with a list of effectively what tech is inside. By the time you have scrolled down and looked across the ticks and crosses you will most probably be non the wiser as to whether you want to buy one of these phones or not.

There is no inspiration, motivation or excitement generated here, in fact the only way you can find that from this page is to tap on the review button, which takes you through a detailed hands-on look at the phone in question.

A review or product page that will capture the potential buyers eye should contain lots of high quality images and in large part ignore the specification in favour of discussing those special and unique features.

A great example would be to discuss Siri on Apple or the Smart Scroll feature on Samsung phones.

How about seeing a picture of de-focus in motion or a depth enhanced photo from the HTC One (M8) duo camera? This would entice me!

No, comparison tools are not dead!

On the no side of the argument we should consider that this phone comparison page and tool ranks well on Google in the UK, so there is obviously value on this page and a high number of visitors.

The benefits of a page like this comes into its own when the user must have a certain phone feature. If you needed a TV output or Android operating system then is one of the easiest ways to check that information quickly.

Consumers who are not familiar with the latest smartphones can also use a tool like this to compare the resolution of cameras or check if office applications are on board.

End

So where do you fall in this debate? Are comparison tools dead or are they still a great hook for capturing visitors?