The Internet experts at the eLab eXchange, using data from Nielsen/NetRatings and their own expert judgment, selected Become.com as the clear winner out of 8 sites in the best search and comparison web site contest. eLab eXchange members selected the Jellyfish Smack Shopping site as the best search and comparison web site from a set of 8 sites.

Jellyfish is a terrific site, but pales next to Become.com when considering search and comparison shopping sites because Jellyfish doesn't bring together search, product comparison, reviews and other features to help consumers find what they are looking for. Jellyfish is more like a different kind of social shopping site than a search and comparison site.

Experts deemed Become.com to have the greatest chance for success in the category based on key Web usage statistics, including unique audience, reach, total number of sessions, sessions per person, total minutes and page views. On all those metrics, become.com blew away the competition.

However, Like.com, chosen a distant third by the members of the eLab eXchange, was judged by the experts as a site to keep a careful eye on. Its metrics are trending up and people spend more time per person than they do on Become.com.

In other words, Like.com is stickier, although Become.com visitors are more engaged and there are many more of them.

Like.com is a great looking site and the visual search feature is innovative. But it doesn't have the breadth or depth of become.com. The experts thought that consumers might find it a useful adjunct to Become.com.

Become.com offers online consumers a good set of search tools, an easy to use interface, and plentiful reviews. It is easy to navigate and good looking. Key Web 2.0 features including discussion forums and product reviews are obvious reasons that consumers are visiting in droves. Further, the advertiser links are well done (and not annoying), and there are plentiful external links to further information, and handy price comparison tools.

What do you think?