Comparetheware.com aims to lure end users with site launch

IT search portal opens its doors to customers after building reseller and vendor base over past 18 months

Comparetheware.com has launched its IT search site to end users today in the hope of pushing more business through the channel.

Over the past 18 months, the firm has listed 1,300 vendors and signed up 125 VARs, which between them offer more than one million products, while it has been in stealth mode.

Today's customer launch marks the start of a marketing push aimed at connecting end users - starting with SMBs and later moving to larger firms - with the channel.

Resellers listed on the site can take advantage of a standard listing page at no cost, but two levels of paid-for packages which improve rankings on the site are also available. The firm insists that all registered suppliers matching end-user requirements will be listed, but the order in which they appear is affected by the level of premium payment.

Since its establishment at the start of 2012, Comparetheware.com claims to have collected a range of positive feedback from users which has helped its extensive site development. Business manager Mike Worby (pictured) said suggestions included the need for more detail and a greater range of products, which is what the firm has done over the past few months.

"The feedback was that it was a brilliant service but that they wanted us to cover more areas [of product information] so that is exactly what we have done," he said. "We have expanded the technology focus of the whole portal and now we cover all areas of IT. We've taken that on board and improved the service as a result.

"You can compare anything IT-related on the site, not just IT products - now the site has a sizeable focus on cloud and professional services too," he said.

Worby added that in the future, he hopes to recruit even more tech suppliers as well as customers, but that there was no specific number in mind.