In today’s internet age, anything can be done online, and many customers prefer the convenience of online shopping. There’s no need to drive to different shops, brave the crowds, or stand in queues. However, shopping online can also become a complex situation, as you need to hop from one e-commerce website to another if you want to browse the different brands.
That’s why Google released a new online platform called Google Shopping. It’s, in a nutshell, a paid search ads platform that allows businesses to advertise their products. You can even list your shopping campaigns on google ads through this platform.
Businesses can use this platform by setting up a Google Merchant account if they don’t have one already. You can add your products by clicking on the “Surfaces Across Google” button and then the “Add Product Data” button to list your products.
This means when customers search for a specific product, Google will place google ads shopping links to that product at the top of the page, and it’ll also be listed on their shopping page. This allows people to access many different products.
If they click on your product, it leads them back to the origin website, meaning it also generates more web traffic. Initially, this platform ranked the products depending on advertiser bids and relevance, but they’ve brought back the free version, so you don’t need to use the paid version.
Google has a tab at the top called Shopping when you search for something. By clicking on it, it automatically lists the related products and where you can buy them online, along with images of the products. On a computer, you’ll see filters on the left-hand side where customers can adjust their price range, colour, brand, and other factors. The mobile version looks almost the same, except the filters can be opened by clicking on the filters icon in the top left corner of the page.
Some of the hesitance in using Google Shopping comes from several myths about paid ads. One of the most common thoughts is that people never actually click on shopping ads; they just scroll past them. However, studies have shown around 83% of clicks on PPC channels are brought by customers clicking on shopping ads.
Another myth is that Amazon is the better option. While Amazon is a massive e-commerce platform, it’s only available in 10 countries. Google Shopping is available in more than 35 countries, allowing you to reach a larger client base.
There are several benefits to using Google Shopping, especially if you use the paid search option. While this might be more expensive, it allows your products better visibility and generates more web traffic as customers click on the product link. When they’re looking for a product, customers’ first instinct is to google it. Thus it’s a way to gain new customers with little effort.
Firefly is a digital marketing agency specialising in online marketing, from paid media to social media and SEO. If you’re unsure how to best market and list your products on Google Shopping, Firefly is the best option to help you get started; contact us today!