Trying to validate an idea here

No - not if it were a broad 'any top thing you need' - wouldn't trust it so would do my own research.

I do occasionally look for 'best' or 'top rated', etc - but to do that I go to the authority sites for that particular product or niche or topic.

Nope, I wouldn't use that.

But I do see the value in it.

The only opinion that matters here is yours so if you believe in it, and think it's a profitable idea, don't let anything stop you.

Even the Beatles were turned down 14 times before they got a record deal.

According to whom?

"Top" anything is highly subjective.

Brent

Of course you're asking the wrong people - we are marketers here! We are more likely to do our homework and to research before buying. However, regular folk are not as careful as we may be (although many of us are perhaps still infantile).

You need to look at buying habits of most people already - google.


Usually they'll search google for the top ten anything.
If they're a bit more savvy, they'll go to Amazon and search similarly.

I presume if you had the money to promote it, you could try to drive traffic to your online app (or search function). Get ready for a long term process and be very creative!

Look at your first responses. They wouldn't trust it.. want to do their own research.

So just flip the idea into providing data for people to make their decision.. rather than trying to make their decision for them. People aren't into that.

What if it was more along the lines of.... select your category or interest and we will show you what products are most popular? Its human nature to go with the masses. That is why Reviews are a staple in most marketing strategies.

Just my two cents

Santi

I'm intrigued by how you would make this work. Would it be some type of AI that could analyze a host of products on its own and make a decision based on user input, or would you have to manually analyze, breakdown and categorize each product yourself in order to populate it with results?

If it's the first, and it was reliable, then you could have a bunch of websites in different niches operating the same software with minimal effort, and have each site narrowed to a very specific niche to help alleviate the problem Kay mentioned of not trusting a one-size-fits-all-every-topic-you-can-imagine site.

If its the second, it seems like an awful burden to do across many topics like you mentioned in the OP. Potentially very, very labor intensive. That is, of course, if you want to build it around quality analysis to provide the user with actual valuable feedback. You could put together something that would spit out any old results very easily, but I can't imagine anyone would use it if it gave the same crappy generic results regardless of what they input.

Probably wouldn't pay for it since there are other reliable sources where I could get it free. But you could give it away free and monetize other parts of the Page with ads.

itayke

I would say no. Why would people pay for something from an unknown source? You can find this out for free doing your own research.

Here's a suggestion, set up a blog, facebook fan page, YouTube channel or Instagram account and do product reviews. Somewhere in the review have a link to an affiliate or free giveaway in exchange for their email. Now you can market to them.

Chris

Chris

You can do that if you do it like an online magazine. People pay for subscription of your magazine no matter what you have inside. Certainly you have to offer great contents.

I would start with a very closed niche to start with. Ill use toasters as an example... I'm sure there are a gazillion toasters out there... and people go online to do research for them before they buy... using your site would be like using eharmony for toasters.. answer some questions get a list of the top 3 products that fit your needs.

IF one of the 3 toasters you display as the best is the one that the end user had in mind to buy, you probably could easily convert the sale over with an amazon link. Along with the 3 top listed items, I would also add a pretty in depth list of the ones not picked, in a compare format to show why the top 3 are just that, the top 3. still allowing for the purchase of a toaster from the list to amazon.

If you look at the buy cycle online it falls into a few distinct categories. there are those just looking ( Toasters ) there are those then refining a bit and gathering information. ( red toasters - GE toasters ) that is followed up with those that have narrowed down the field and are comparing ( red toaster vs blue - GE toaster vs toastmaster ) and then there is finally the buyer segment that are looking for a specific toaster. ( Red GE model 32165 Bagel toaster )

To step into the buyer cycle at the information segment and progress through the comparison segment and ultimately the buyer segment, is what you are looking to do, and your site could do this - as long as you position yourself and provide the data to show you are an expert.

Hope that Helps!

Maybe I've seen too many Top Ten and Review sites, but the only thing I would trust such a site to do is rank the various options by the affiliate return the site owner gets.

The comment above about trading "top three options" for "most popular" makes sense. Not because it would make the results any more reliable, but because it just seems more subjective.

I remember learning about old-school affiliate review sites. You always put your best paying and/or highest-earning product in the #1 spot. And so on in descending order.

There was a time when those suckers' really worked well.

Brent

This wouldn't be for me. But I don't think I'm the typical consumer. The only way to know for sure is to try it.

Obviously you're asking the wrong individuals - we are advertisers here! We will probably get our work done and to inquire about before purchasing. Be that as it may, standard society are not as watchful as we might be

No, IT's too general and I'd be sure the owners were getting a cut of the products they recommended in the form of affiliate commissions. That way, they'd be biased.

Then again, this is an internet marketing forum, we're not your typical consumer.

We're very very well versed on the inner workings of the web. We know how insane it can be.

rhealy29's questions in post 9 is the key

You CANNOT get this to any place where it would be reliable or even useful for enough people. It requires a level of AI and machine learning which does not exist and might NEVER exist.

Human interests and tastes are too wide and subjective to program something that would give the best choice for anyone or even most people.

Many ideas seem sooo simple until you sit down and have to program them. Sit down to program this one and you will eventually realize its impossible for the app to ever be good enough to get good press. It would more likely be a butt of jokes.

Well i must say that if "users" want to get value for their buck research has to be done on their part too especially when it comes to stocks . This is not to take away from your idea because I think it is a forward thinking idea with potential upside.

secondly by the sounds of things it looks as if you will be doing your research in order to provide your customers with value.