Indiabookstore.net–a search engine for books

You want to buy books? You know a lot of online bookstores that offer wide variety of collection, while some of them offer discount and other offer free shipping? This ultimately makes you undecided from where you should buy the book. Try this new search engine. Indiabookstore.net offers book search and let you know whether it is available from 5 major book stores, including flipcart.com, infibeam.com, indiaplaza.in, landmarkonthenet.com, pustak.co.in.

As you click on the results, you are offered the price, days needed for shipping, and other relevant information. As you click on the “buy” button, you land on the website of that bookstore.

A very nice concept indeed started by Animesh to bring book search at one point.

We had an email interview with Animesh.

Q1. Tell us something about indiabookstore.net. How you thought of starting it?

It started as a simple script I made for myself. I often found myself checking book prices and availabilty on 3-4 book stores, so thought it would be cool is a script could do that for me.

Q2. With lots of online bookstores available online, how do you feel a search engine stands out?

That is precisely why a search engine can be of help. Lots of online bookstores means lots of different places to look for your books. Some may have it, some may not. Some may have it for cheaper. So it makes sense to start searches from a search engine, if you know what book you’re looking for already.

Q3. Who are your customers or targeted audience? Is there a market size that you are targeting?

Anyone who buys books online is a potential target audience. No clue about the market size.

Q4. What is your business strategy that you want to adopt?

I think I’ll just focus on improving the search. It is a simple product and it ought to do that very well.

Q5. What is the source of revenue that you are seeking?

Revenue sources can be affiliate tie-ups with the book stores and advertising.

Q6. Do you feel there is space for competition in it?

You mean space for another search engine? Yeah I guess. If someone can do it better, they can make their space.

Q7. What you feel is the value of innovation in your business?

I have tried other meta-search engines too, and unfortunately, none of them have a good enough user experience. This is my personal opinion though, as I could never get myself to use any of those. So I have focused on making the search experience fast, and clutter free.

Q8. What is the scope of expansion and what is your vision about it?

I’d like to add more bookstores to the fold as I go. It is important to also add some of the niche sellers, they sometimes have books which the larger ones don’t. So in order to lay claim to the fact that IndiaBookStore.net can be a good place to start a search with, I’ll need to cover all those corner cases.

Q9. How you liked the journey till now as an entrepreneur, being able to start an online concept that appears unique?

IndiaBookStore is actually a part time (weekend) venture. My full time business is running iTasveer.com, an online personalized printing service. So I’ve been into business since about 4.5 years now. I’m pretty much loving it so far. It is always a good feeling to try and bring some simplicity and happiness into users’ lives.

Q10. Any advice for future entrepreneurs from your personal and professional experience?

I think it has been said enough times before, and I’ll only repeat it. If you (future entrepreneur) have an idea in mind, you have got to start taking time out everyday and start putting things into action. Get a minimum viable product up, see if people want to use your service and then take it from there. I am a proponent of launching early, testing and improvising. I think it is a better way to go about starting a business than making an elaborate business plan.