How to Find and Win Over Comparison Shoppers Chances are, your customers are conducting pre-purchase research. Here's how to tap into that educated base.

Let's say you're in the market for a new iPad case. You want something strong and sturdy for travel, but also sleek and stylish. And you'd like it to be black and olive green. Or aubergine.

In other words, you are me. Last fall I started rooting around for that very case, querying on Twitter and Facebook and weighing pros and cons. Someone suggested I check out the Dodocase, which resembles a Moleskine notebook. I loved the look but wasn't completely sold. I tweeted once more: "Looking @DODOsays iPad cases--and *this close* to pulling the trigger ... Any opinions out there?"

As it happened, there were. Matt Winslow, co-founder of Dodo competitor Beacon Cases in Raleigh, N.C., fired back a suggestion to check out his product. In a subsequent e-mail, he discussed pros and cons of various cases and particulars of Beacon's unique "tab and gate design" (a pivoting wooden doohickey secures the iPad, as opposed to a tension fit or strap).