eBags.com

Pros:  Concentrates on a niche and is an expert on that area

Cons:  None to speak of

The Bottom Line:  If you want to see how the web should be used to market to consumers or if you need any kind of bag, check out ebags.

Full review
You may not have heard of ebags.com. You should have. Over the last three years, ebags.com has sold over 1,000,000 bags online, making them a success by any measure. They are profitable. As an online marketer, I can tell you without any reservation -- they are simply the best at what they do.

As I've talked about before, online marketing on the web is all about information. It's excellent for gathering information about fragmented markets into one place, and then letting a consumer interact with it. It's excellent for collecting information about consumers to use to market to them later.

Ebags.com shows how to get both sides of the equation done.

They take a fragmented market -- bags, and own it. They connect the online shopper with every single type of carrying case, suitcase, duffel bag, etc. And they manage to organize it in a way that's meaningful to the consumer. This lets the customer see the product, interact with the product, and most importantly, buy the product online.

When you first visit the site, you'll see a few pop-up windows inviting you to enter sweepstakes for ebags -- these windows are not intrusive, and they give you compelling value in return for your information. This simple screen is the basis for your lifetime value as a customer.

Let's take a look at how the site is organized.

The front page offers the consumer multiple options on how to browse the site. Customers can click the tabs on top of the page, use the directory tree in the upper right of the page, or shop by brand using the pulldown. Interestingly, the page also has multiple "trust elements" -- information and icons designed to tell the consumer that their purchase and credit card information is private and safe. This will help the novice shopper buy at ebags and greatly improve the site's overall conversion rate.

Today I'll be shopping for Urban Gear, so I use the directory tree label "Urban Gear" and start shopping.
After I select where I want to go, the site again shows it's merchandising strength. It helpfully splits the screen into more directory choices, brand shops, and discount items. This lets the consumer self-select the way they want to shop, not how the site wants them to shop. Again, this is the correct way to get shoppers more engaged in the purchase process.

I click on "Chrome Shop" to see the bags that Ebags features. You are then led to the page of Chrome bags. And yes, you the consumer are still in control. You can sort the display by most popular items, price, or name. You can see, at a glance the item's picture and it's colors and price. But there's more.

Clicking on the details item takes you to a more definitive product screen with a larger picture (note that these bigger pictures only appear after you've clicked on one item -- if they did it on the main screen the page loads would be affected). This page contains the rankings of other consumers that have purchased the bag, the colors of the bag that are available, and testimonials from others who've bought from ebags. All information (there's that word again) that brings you closer to purchasing.

Ebags also has two other very helpful features. One, the icon of a plane, shows you the estimated shipping time for your bag. The other is a comparison feature (similar to the technology of dealtime) that let's you see comparable bags side-by-side, to allow you to make a choice. This is important because by letting you come to a decision, ebags assures that you'll buy, rather than have an internal debate on which bag is better. Another great way to have the information display guide the consumer.

Check out is a breeze, with a three page form for new users, or phone and fax options for those who don't wish to give their information over the web.

Simply put -- the site is masterful. Ebags has it all. And they know how to present it well.