Google Checkout to merchants: Give us your customers, and your advertising
What is Google Checkout, from the merchant perspective? According to Google:
For merchants, Google Checkout is a new way to process sales. It works with Google AdWords to make it easy for shoppers to find you and buy from you.
Google also asserts to ecommerce retailers that not only will Google Checkout drive more customers and drive more sales, it will do so while reducing customer sales and acquisition costs:
Every online merchant has two goals: sell more and spend less. Google Checkout…is a way to process transactions that helps you achieve both. Checkout works with Google's search advertising program, AdWords, to increase your sales and minimize your expenses throughout the online sales and marketing process.
Google’s mastery at “spinning” its products and services to both advertisers and consumers contributes to its unprecedented financial, and public relations, success.
Is Google a benevolent promoter of ecommerce, however, or is it an online “wolf in sheep’s clothing”?
My articles, It's official: Google launches 'Checkout' with predatory pricing model aiming to 'increase advertising spending' and Google Checkout aims to takeover consumer relationships, hinder merchant CRM strategies , discuss the negative impact Google Checkout may have, on advertisers, on merchants and on consumers.
What merchant would say no to a proposition such as Google’s to “sell more and spend less?” Those merchants who consider Google’s own financial objectives that motivate the integrated Google Checkout - AdWords scheme and those merchants who value:
- Transparency in advertising pricing and cost
- Advertising budgeting via published rate cards
- Avoiding disadvantages in media placements
- Diversification in media buys
- Clarity in vendor pricing and motivation
- Lowering customer acquisition costs
- Maintaining customer relationships
- Providing direct customer service
- Developing customer value through CRM strategies