Web portal Lycos is adding a new online shopping feature it hopes will keep browsers surfing its site longer.
The site's new "decision guides" aim to help browsers make product choices -- provided, that is, the choices pertain to cars, colleges, camcorders, dogs, bikes, cruises, and cities to live in. These seven product categories, the company says, are some of the most common consumer purchases.
Using software from the Barry Diller- and Paul Allen-backed online commerce venture, PersonaLogic, the guides take users through a series of questions to create a list of products that fit shopper preferences. A bike shopper, for example, is asked to indicate such factors as what type of bike she wants, where she rides, whether she experiences back pain when riding, how much she wants to spend, and so on.
Desired features can be specified as mandatory or "nice to have." When a personalized product list has been created, side-by-side feature comparisons can be made.
