Everyone, especially those of us at CoFactors, can use a decent giggle (at least) once a day. So much the better if the giggle rides shotgun with a nice deal on a product you need. Or, well, didn’t know you needed until it just occurred to you that, at such a good price… why not? Woot.com, which sells one product a day at deep discount and limited quantities, has got to be one of the most useful and inventive applications of Really Simple Syndication that we’ve seen. Each daily offer is broadcast via RSS and accompanied by an always amusing description. The snarky Woot community stays up late, awaiting the midnight release of the next Woot, and rushes to be the first post on that day’s board. These posters are liberal with their opinions of what’s on sale and keep Woot honest by immediately posting the lowest available prices for the same product from other sources. The Usability Professional in me loves Woot for the purity of its experience: one page, one product that you either want or you don’t. The Interactive Strategist in me is not sure how they are making money, but the compulsive shopper in me doesn’t care! Woo(t)hoo!

Strange, but a good laugh is still hard to come by online. So, we appreciate Woot for that reason alone. And also for the cheap coffee maker that works great! Except when it sometimes clogs or overflows…

NG

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 30th, 2005 at 4:21 pm and is filed under Usability, E-commerce.