Yahoo Brings Web 2.0 to E-Commerce

Yahoo on Tuesday launched a beta of a social commerce site dubbed the Shoposphere. The site will allow users to browse listings of products, called "Pick Lists," that other users have created, as well as integrate the service with Yahoo's other social software offerings.

The search engine in recent months has branched out into social networking, with the purchase of Flickr in March and its Yahoo 360 Web log service.

Shoposphere users will be able to share their lists in a variety of ways, including through the Web site itself, throughout Yahoo Shopping, and via e-mail. RSS feeds of Pick Lists can also be generated that friends and family can subscribe to.

"We believe the community of shoppers is one of the best sources for product information and advice," Yahoo Shopping product manager David Beach said. He noted that the application would evolve to become "a hub for other types of user-generation content."

All of the 90 million products available through Yahoo Shopping will be available to add on the Pick List. From there, users can view, rate and comment on the lists. Yahoo 360 will also be integrated into the service, allowing a user to see if they are connected to the list's creator.

Improvements have also been made to the regular product search within Yahoo Shopping. The company says an improved user interface will enable users to quickly scan through prices and product reviews. Also, a MyList feature will work similarly to the Shoposphere concept in allowing users to create and share product lists, as well as create RSS feeds from those lists.

Beach added that more features are planned for the service in the coming months. "Look for tagging, search enhancements, more 360 integration, badges for putting a Pick List on your blog, and other surprises coming soon," he said.

One upcoming addition will allow for revenue sharing, where publishers of Pick Lists will receive a portion of the revenue generated from users buying products after visiting their list. No date has been set for the launch of that feature.