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Retail Experts Weigh in on the Google Buy Button

By Tinuiti Team

Introducing the Google Buy Button:

After significant hype, Google’s Buy Button also known as “Purchases on Google” is now available to select retailers through Google Product Listing Ads (PLAs). Shoppers will now be able to purchase their favorite products directly from search engine via their mobile device.

The newest feature will challenge Amazon’s “one-click” ordering system and has the potential to transform Google’s custom search empire into a dynamic marketplace with increased mobile friendly purchasing abilities.

In the coming months, retailers and marketing professionals will monitor product ROI to determine if Purchases on Google is having any impact on the friction currently present in the mobile buying experience.

Below we asked three retail professionals what they believe will be the impact of “Purchases on Google” for mobile conversion rates, retailers and consumers.

How does the Google Buy Button work?

As shoppers browse the search engine they will see a “Buy on Google” button. That ad will link users to a retail- branded product page (hosted by Google).

On the following page – users will have the option to enter their payment information (for the first transaction, unless it has already been linked to their Google account). From that point forward, all purchases will be linked to the user’s account – enabling a streamlined purchasing system.

POG - Under Armour

The Impact of Purchases on Google:

“As I mentioned earlier this summer, the real challenge for Google will be creating an experience for shoppers that comes anywhere close to what rick-backusAmazon is already doing.”

Although the buy button is available, the sample size on Google’s newest development is still very small. While it may be too early to gauge the impact, Google’s buy button is an obvious shift to improve mobile conversion rates.

Historically, Google tends to roll out new developments slowly – but that doesn’t mean retailers should be stagnant in their preparation. While on standby, merchants should have real-time quantity data updates ready to roll out if the Buy Button becomes available to them.”

Rick Backus, CEO CPC Strategy

“While the Buy Button may seem like the best new toy on the block, there may be some assembly required.

Google is now putting themselves at the anthony-artusoforefront of the transaction, stepping away their usual middle man role, meaning they’ll want the process to be as smooth as possible for the consumer.

What this means for smaller stores is less site exposure due to the shopper being able to complete a transaction without ever leaving Google, making it difficult to establish a relationship with that shopper.

On the other hand, if a site is fully optimized for mobile and they are able to maintain accurate pricing/availability (potentially multiple updates per day) this could lead to a surge in mobile conversions. We’ll have to wait until the sample size is bigger to understand how much of an effect this may have, but merchants should not shy away from this.

Countless merchants struggle to break even with their mobile traffic and this could be a major factor in turning that around.”

Anthony Artuso, Retail Search Manager at CPC Strategy

“IF (big if) the Google Buy Button is as successful as jostin-munarGoogle Shopping has been, it will certainly change the landscape of managing mobile PLAs.

Currently, mobile conversion rates on Google are not the greatest but this should help to fix that. The problem is that not all advertisers on Google have mobile optimized sites and the Buy Button fixes that issue right away.”

What will be interesting to see is if Google will allow Merchants to select certain items to be Buy Button eligible rather than their full product catalog.”

 

Jostin Munar, Senior Retail Search Manager at CPC Strategy

 
 

Google Buy Button Resources:

Google Buy Button: Can the Search Giant Fulfill Retail’s Pipe Dream?

The Google Buy Button: Impact for Retailers and Mobile Conversions

 

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