How online communities have come of age … for catalogers

By Joe Dysart

Overstock.com, for example, hosts an online community of customer reviewers who guide fellow consumers to the best buys and bargains. And it costs the marketer nothing. “Customer reviews on the Overstock site play an invaluable role in helping consumers learn more about the broad range of products we offer,” says Jacob Hawkins, Overstock’s senior vice president of change management. That naturally leads to greater sales.