The Ratings Guy Offers Superior Shopping Sites
A Google search currently reveals some 864 million results for the shopping category, making it more difficult than ever before for shoppers to find quality vendors—and for those vendors to find dedicated shoppers— on the Web. It’s a virtual flood—bewildering to many consumers who, by default, are left to choose names they know from the established offline world. Niche and innovative sites get bypassed, and the status quo gets favored. The best sites “are all located somewhere on the Web, but you can’t find them unless you know exactly where to go when you need them,” says John Morrow, co-founder of The Ratings Guy.
Informed, objectively rated and compared shopping sources are what many online shoppers are gravitating toward on the Web these days. These reasons help validate Morrow’s new site at www.theratingsguy.com, which rates “lifestyle” sites, with most of the sites reviewed, linked and apparel-focused.
Essentially a collection of site reviews, this good looking, easy-to-navigate site features brief one-sentence descriptions with thumbnail images of each site that all lead to longer, more insightful analyses. Read a little or a lot, and then go there and shop if you want.
There’s an emphasis on environmentally friendly clothing and accessories, which are experiencing a serious resurgence in popularity since their inception some years ago. The Ratings Guy Web site goes so far as to promote “eco-chic.”
For example, take the Pangaya Web site (www.pangaya.com), where sustainability combined with fashion, proclaims The Ratings Guy, are featured in one of the best-rated sites. Pangaya sells dresses, handbags and casual wear—all made from organic materials—and offers “a modern yet socially conscious and sweatshop-free approach to the fashion and home-decorating industry.”
The Ratings Guy was developed by a team with offices in Belfast, Maine, which is experienced in the consumer research and ratings field. The fashion sites featured are truly global in scope, and some of the majors include the United States’ LL Bean (www.llbean.com), United Kingdom–based Boden USA (www.bodenusa.com), Peruvian Connection (www.peruvianconnection.com), New York’s Yellow Rat Bastard (www.yellowratbastard.com), Ugg Australia (www.uggaustralia.com), and on and on.
Online stores may be charged a $95 fee to be reviewed for possible inclusion. An additional program offers a seal of approval to accepted sites with an emblem/logo that can be placed on the sites. Earth-friendly merchandise, free shipping, quality products and superior customer service are all criteria for making the top grade. —Jacques Marquette
