YourGrocer.com-- CLUNK

Select a box of Lucky Charms and all you'll see is a pathetic little photo. That's it. You won't find any product data at all. In fact, you can barely see that pestering little leprechaun. Wondering how many bowls it'll take to clog your arteries? Keep wondering. There's no fat content information. At bare minimum, when it comes to product information, an online shopping experience should meet an in-store shopping experience. These guys didn't even come close.

TigerDirect.com-- CLICK

Some online stores lend themselves to a deeper level of product information. Computer stores fall into this category. Any shopper for computer equipment demands an extensive list of product data, its compatibility with existing equipment, and expert opinions or third-party reviews. TigerDirect.com finds some success delivering the goods.

In my example, I went on a search for an Iomega Zip Drive. The initial search returned some limited information on Iomega's line of Zip products. Selecting the one I wanted, I "drilled down" for more info-- full descriptions, potential uses, plus a standardized Q&A explaining "What I get" and "What I need." That standardized bullet-point listing is excellent. Every time I looked at another product, I could always count on seeing the "What you get" and "What you need" sections at the bottom of every page. My only beef with TigerDirect.com is the lack of opinions. It would have been nice if it added links to third-party reviews of the products.

NextMonet.com -- CLICK

For stores selling one of a kind items (such as art), especially high-ticket items, product information is essential. If I'm going to drop $3,000 online on a piece of art, I want to be well informed. But that information should not be delivered like it's done at TigerDirect.com. That's because you're selling the product's image, which takes some finesse. Start by telling a story and giving some background information. NextMonet.com pulls this off beautifully. It's got lots of drill-down options. You can click through for a larger image, full descriptions of the artwork, bios of the artist, plus links to the artist's other work. Excellent job, NextMonet.com. Bellisimo.

Remember, there is a value to educating visitors. Make your site a resource for both products and information. That way your customers won't need to go anywhere else.