GoalUse three research tools and weigh price, reviews and delivery when choosing.
New words
search engine · a tool that finds pages that match your words, with a short description of eachcomparison website · a site that lines products up so you can compare price or qualityreview · a comment by a buyer about a productfake review · a review that is not honest, written to trick buyers
Explanation
Experienced shoppers use three technological research tools. The first is a search engine. It finds articles and shopping pages and gives a short description of each result, so you can choose which to open. The second is a comparison website, which lines up products so you can compare their price or quality. The third is online reviews. Reviews from other buyers can be valuable, but be careful: some may be untrue or too enthusiastic. What family and friends say can also help you judge a purchase. Now practise ranking. Imagine choosing a calculator. What matters most to you: the price, the customer reviews or the manufacturer? Then imagine you found the same item in several shops. What matters most: a shop’s reputation, the total price (including delivery) or how fast it arrives? There is no single right order, but you must give reasons.
Tool
What it gives
Watch out for
search engine
articles and shopping pages
check each result yourself
comparison website
products side by side
look at price and quality
online reviews
what buyers say
some are fake or exaggerated
Worked examples
search words→list of results→read short descriptions→open only three
A search for a school bag for rainy days shows a list of results. Each has a short description. Mariam reads the descriptions, picks three and opens only those. The search engine saved her time.
Calculator
Price
Delivery cost
Total
Days to arrive
A
120
10
130
3
B
150
0
150
2
C
90
25
115
7
A pretend comparison of three calculators. Total price = price + delivery. A: 120 + 10 = 130. B: 150 + 0 = 150. C: 90 + 25 = 115. C has the lowest total, but B arrives fastest, in 2 days. The cheapest is not the fastest, so you must choose what matters to you.
Looks suspicious
Looks more honest
20 reviews, same words, one day
different words and details
only praise, no details
good points and weak points
Seif sees 20 reviews for a pretend toy, all saying exactly ‘Best ever!!!’ and all posted on one day. That looks suspicious. He does not rely on them. He asks his family and friends and reads a few detailed, balanced reviews instead.
Class activity
Ranking cards. Write each factor on a card: price, customer reviews, manufacturer (for a calculator); shop reputation, total price, delivery speed (for choosing a shop). Put each set in order from most to least important for you. Explain your order to a partner. Do your orders differ? Why? Then write an honest review on paper of something you own.
Practice
1
Name the three research tools that shoppers use.
A search engine, a comparison website and online reviews.
2
In the calculator table, which one has the lowest total price?
C, with 115 in total.
3
In the same table, which calculator arrives fastest?
