What Google’s Buy Button Means For The Success Of Your E-Commerce Site

August 12, 2015

Ready, set, launch. The discussion of Google adding a “Buy” button has been going on for some time, and should be fully rolled out any day now. Interestingly enough it is coming at the same time both Pinterest and Instagram took the leap as social media platforms to utilize their services for e-commerce companies (which you can learn more about here). Regardless, understanding what this update will mean for your e-commerce company and how you can use it to your advantage is essential. It will be associated with mobile “Shop on Google” section; so the sooner you can get started the better.


How Will It Work?

When Internet users come across a product it will take them to a Google page where the shopper can purchase their desired product. Google will pass on this order information to the retailer. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Google buy buttons will appear first on mobile search results pages. Additionally, it is understood that Google will manage payment processing, however, the good news is that it will not take a percentage of the transaction. Google benefits from the “Buy Button” because retailers would continue to pay a per-click advertising fee to support this service.


Top Things the Buy Button May Change for E-commerce Companies

There are a handful of major considerations that e-commerce companies should be aware of. According to experts at Practical E-commerce, the impact of this change could be really important for small and mid-sized online stores that might not be able to compete with large retailers for paid clicks.


This Addition WILL Impact Your Mobile Sales


One of the most important things for e-commerce companies to consider (and bare with me, this may seem obvious), is that the Google buy button is very likely going to impact your mobile sales. Although you may see a drop in CTR for your site, conversion rates should increase.


Something to consider is that a great deal of online shoppers are now primarily using mobile devices to browse the Internet. However, even with the increasing use of mobile, it seems as though most shoppers tend to use a laptop or desktop computer to make purchases. There could be several reasons for this preference (for example, typing in a cc number on a smaller keypad) but the main point is that there are still barriers, which are preventing mobile commerce’s growth.


It is likely that Google’s Buy Now button and process, especially being designed for mobile users, may make this change for the better and thus impact your mobile sales in a positive manner. Overall, e-commerce retailers that are participating in Google’s buy now program will also gain a competitive advantage.


If You Haven’t Considered Google Shopping: Consider It Now


With this new update, it is important to consider the relationship your e-commerce site currently has with Google shopping. Are you already enrolled with Google Shopping? It is very likely that Google’s buy button will be an extension of Google Shopping’s Product Listing Ads. So, if you aren’t already set up with Google Shopping, now is the time to really consider it. You can see this page for more information on becoming a merchant on Google Shopping.


One of the biggest challenges with merchants on Google shopping is the task of actually maintaining their product feed. The problem is that having to manager social media, a website, a blog, etc. can all be a little overwhelming, especially if you are managing it all in-house. Your key to success with any of these tasks is making sure you have a team that understands the responsibilities of managing Google Shopping in addition to all of their other tasks. Your Google shopping page should be updated each time the product changes so that it accurately reflects what is for sale on your website.


If Google does incorporate Buy Buttons with its Product Listing Ads, participating in Google Shopping might become an essential component of online commerce for Internet merchants. Going back to my main point, before the buy button launches you may want to get set up with Google shopping and start experimenting with your product feeds and offers.


Content Marketing Will Take on a New Level of Importance


If you’ve read any e-commerce blogs recently, you know that content marketing is a major key to success. With the addition of the buy button, this is really going to be taken to a new level. Most SEO experts have claimed that an organic listing on Google search-results is better than an ad on that same page; however, with the link to Google shopping, and the existing merchant services Google offers this may become a major change and consideration for e-commerce content marketing. Ultimately, a Google Buy Button as displayed through mobile search results could change certain SEO dynamics.


Bearing all of this in mind, you may want to evaluate your current content marketing strategy and maximize anything you can about your current outreach. In the end, your goal with content marketing should be to build search-engine-ad resistant customer relationships. Consider the new dynamics of the Buy Button and move forward accordingly. Of course some of the kinks will need to be worked out after it is officially launched, but do your best to prepare in the meantime.


Making Use of Your Social Connections


One thing that I feel gets swept under the rug in terms of any e-commerce change is utilizing social media to your benefit. Let your followers know about your profile on Google shopping, inform them about the buy button once it launches, and don’t forget to remind them of sales or updates to products or services. While some of your following may shop directly through your site, others will want to give Google shopping a try. Rather than solely relying on organic searches, also try to pool some of your existing audience that may not have purchased otherwise.


Some Customer Service Tasks May Take a Hit


While we have explored some of the benefits, it is important to highlight one concern or potential flaw to the Google buy button in terms of customer service and relationship building. It is speculated that Google will not be sharing customer payment information, and as a consequence online sellers would have access to complete profiles for customers who use the Google Buy Button.


Basically, customers who choose to use the Google buy button would be experiencing shopping with Google, not shopping with your brand directly. Think of this as very similar to Amazon’s marketplace. This could have several consequences, including reaching out to those who recently purchased from your site. It is important to keep this in mind to further research upon the launch of the Buy Button/


The Takeaway

Entrepreneur online said it the best, “You want it. You search for it. You buy it.” Google, wants to make the process of shopping a step faster for its users, and this is an admirable task. Keep an eye out for the launch of the buy button in the coming weeks on mobile search, and look out for any valuable input on how these changes may impact your e-commerce company and SEO. In any case, if you haven’t set up your merchant account on Google shopping you should do it now. Start considering aspects like content marketing and social media that will play into the success of your Google shopper following. Also start to consider how you can bridge the gap with customer service.


Are you excited for the new Google Buy Button? Do you think this will positively impact your e-commerce company? Let us know in the comment section below.

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