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SP Feature Article

The Internet Will Change the Buying of Services

The Internet is fast becoming a tool that more consumers are using to improve the way they live and the way they do business. As more people turn to the Internet as a viable information source, its usefulness as a tool of commerce has experienced phenomenal growth. Already, consumer sales on the Internet have reached $10 billion and are expected to surpass $100 billion by 2003. With about $600 billion spent annually on local services, the next logical step in e-commerce is the ability to buy services on the Internet.

The Internet will change the nature of buying services because it has several unique characteristics:

The Internet is a Useful Matching Tool

The Internet can mimic the way we find service professionals in the real world, while allowing a greater depth of information and more convenience. You can research all your options, and Internet matching services such as ServiceMagic can locate the most appropriate service professionals to meet your needs.

With its creation of a systematic Internet matching program, ServiceMagic is at the forefront of selling services on the Internet.

The Internet Makes Buying Services More Personal

By working with local service professionals, the Internet can be a vital link for you, the consumer, and businesses. Instead of turning to impersonal listings of potential service professionals in the phone book, you can go to ServiceMagic to identify your exact needs.

Once your needs are defined, ServiceMagic will connect you to local service professionals who are able and interested in completing your project. You will only make contact with those service professionals who can do the work. Once you make contact with the service professional, you can concentrate on choosing one with whom you feel comfortable since all the service professionals are carefully selected by ServiceMagic and have the ability to do the project. In addition, ServiceMagic offers anonymity so service professionals will not know the identity of potential customers; you don’t have to worry about receiving unwanted solicitations.

The Internet Saves the Consumer Time

By taking advantage of the depth of information delivery available on the Internet through ServiceMagic, you can save time throughout the selection process. ServiceMagic’s matching service will take you through a systematic process that allows you to define your needs down to the last detail. You will see all the options available and will choose those that best suit your taste and budget.

Traditionally, you would have to shop around to compare prices, products and services. For major projects, this required a huge time commitment traveling from retailer to retailer and making numerous calls to gather information. Now this process can be completed quickly entirely on the Internet at ServiceMagic in the convenience of your home or office.The Internet makes the process of buying services more efficient.

Once your needs are identified, ServiceMagic’s matching service will contact various service professionals who meet specific licensing and/or technical requirements. ServiceMagic will take steps to ensure that the service professionals are legitimate, experienced businesses. Once ServiceMagic informs these service professionals of the project details and service professionals who are interested in the project will respond. ServiceMagic will give you the names of these service professionals, and you can contact as many or as few service professionals as you want.

This matching process is efficient not only for you, but also for the service professional. Service professionals won’t have to deal with cold calls from consumers who are unsure of their needs and who may not end up using their services. This saves the service professional money as well, since they can focus on working with consumers who have actual jobs that need to be done not consumers who are merely considering a project. By taking advantage of the Internet’s unique qualities and usefulness as a matching tool, buying services will become more efficient and more personal. Using the Internet for buying services will support a level of market efficiency that will positively impact the economy by driving out inefficiency, lowering overall prices and costs, and increasing overall profitability.

With a systematic process of buying services on the Internet already in place, ServiceMagic is at the forefront in this next step in e-commerce.