Commerce Blog
The official blog for the latest news from Google Commerce
Happy Omnidays!
12/8/14
December of 2014 may be remembered as the first truly omni-channel holiday season: the year retailers really stretched the sales funnel to include mobile, store visits and online buying under one big connected holiday umbrella.
Let's take a break from the holiday dash to see what we can learn from companies that have been creating unified shopping experiences for consumers while ringing in bigger and better profits for themselves. We'll start with a salute to three great examples of omni-channel thinking:
Macy's
,
Sephora
and
REI
.
Macy's
When over 15,000 people streamed into Macy's main New York City store at 6 pm this Thanksgiving Day, CEO Terry Lundgren wasn't too surprised. Omni-channel helped put those shoppers there. “So far, people are gravitating to the doorbusters," Lundgren said the next day. "There’s so much information online, so they’re doing that research and going right for those doorbusters."
1
Macy's has been working for years to focus its marketing and retail teams into a group with a single vision on omni-channel conversions just like these.
"That incentive, of growing the number of omni-channel customers, is something we have shared over the last couple of years," says Jennifer Kasper, Macy's Group VP for Digital Media and Multi-cultural Marketing.
Sephora
"In retail, you can't think of mobile as a threat. You have to think about it as a magnet to draw that client into your store." That quote from Bridget Dolan, Sephora's VP Interactive Media, says it all about how Sephora has been winning with omni-media.
Sephora's progressive approach is the result of watching, and actually listening to, its customers. Today the Sephora mobile app lets shoppers scan products right off the shelf and see if they're right for their look. They can also look up past purchases, in case they want that same great shade of lipstick or eye shadow again.
New research
shows that 46% of shoppers who use mobile devices in-store say they turn to the retailer’s site or app for information while they shop.
2
"I really can't believe how much of our traffic is now coming from mobile devices," says Bridget Dolan, "and how many of our clients are using search as the way that they figure out which products they want to buy while they're standing in-store."
REI
The trusted outdoor retailer’s stores – especially its flagship locations -- are paradise for anyone who plays outside. REI now uses digital as a way to pull customers right into that local store experience. After researching online, REI customers come into the store to try on those hiking boots or skis and then make the purchase.
Google/Ispos/Sterling
research
shows 69% of shoppers say they gather information from physical stores at some point in their shopping cycle.
3
"One of the things we know definitively is that all of our digital tools really connect our members to our stores," says Annie Zipfel, SVP of Marketing for REI. "So they're often researching product online… and ultimately they're coming in the store to make that purchase."
What can we take away from these three examples of omni-channel
success
?
1) Care less about where
. All three of these retailers are focused on using all channels to drive sales — wherever those sales might happen. As Jennifer Kasper of Macy's puts it, "The bottom line is, we're indifferent to whether [a shopper] converts in the store or online. We just want her to shop with Macy's."
2) Make mobile a magnet
. The best omni-channel retailers make mobile a part of their in-store experience, inviting shoppers to use their hand-held devices as they browse. As Bridget Dolan of Sephora says, "We really welcome our clients to take out their phones in our store. A client that really knows exactly what she's buying, all the reviews, all her options... is actually a happier client and will come back and shop with you more often."
3) Bring down internal barriers
. Annie Zipfel of REI says, "It is a smaller and smaller group that shops only in the store, or only online." If you still keep separate online and offline marketing teams, it may be time to think about bringing them, and their incentives, together so they can speak to customers in the way those customers shop now.
Happy omnidays, retailers!
Posted by Julie Krueger, Retail Industry Director
Visit the Local Retail Playbook to see our new “Digital Impact On In-Store Shopping” research about how consumers are shopping on and offline, and how retailers are responding this holiday season.
1
"CEOs of Target, Macy's, and Others Weigh In on Black Friday Sales." Fortune.com, November 28, 2014. http://goo.gl/lz3s0t
2
"Digital Impact on In-Store Shopping." Google/Ipsos MediaCT/Sterling Brands, October 2014. http://goo.gl/4TU0sY
3
ibid.
Shoppers Go Mobile Black Friday Weekend
11/24/14
With more and more retailers offering holiday deals earlier in the season, the excitement about Black Friday is no longer confined to a single day. Now it’s more like a month-long event. As a result, one in five shoppers plan to head to stores on Thanksgiving Day to capitalize on Black Friday deals.
1
To get a read on the trends heading into Black Friday, we took the temperature of holiday shopping online. We looked at search trends on Google, insights from Google Consumer Surveys and top trending purchases on our same-day delivery service, Google Express.
Mobile shoppers are out in force
As smartphone shoppers hunt for deals during snackable moments throughout their day, this holiday season will likely be the most mobile ever. Shopping searches on Google coming from smartphones have increased 3.5x year over year and continue to grow.
2
And we’re currently sending more mobile traffic to retailers per week from Google Shopping than we did during the peak of last holiday season.
3
The smartphone has become the most powerful shopping assistant while consumers are out and about, helping us read customer reviews, watch product demos and find other retailers with product in stock nearby. So it’s no surprise that the top spending days in 2013 for in-store sales are also the days we saw the biggest spikes in shopping searches on mobile devices.
4
This coming weekend, expect to see many of your fellow shoppers checking for deals on their smartphone while braving the lines and crowds at the mall. Nearly 50% of 25–34 year-olds use their phone to shop online while standing in line at a store.
5
To help these shoppers research products more easily this holiday weekend, we rolled out
new mobile features
to Google Shopping such as 360-degree imagery and more detailed product information.
Top trending gifts of the season
To get a sense of the hottest gifts likely to sell out this season, we used Google Trends to identify the top trending toys, devices and apparel searches on Google Shopping.
Game consoles and tablets continue to be the top gifts trending on Google Shopping, but wearable technology such as the “fitbit” is also on the rise this month.
Certain retro toys are making a comeback this season. Thanks to the new movie “Ouija,” searches for “Ouija boards” are up 300% since October. And queries for “Barbie Dream House” and “My Little Pony” are up as well compared to last month.
6
Cold-weather staples, such as “Hunter boots” and “Canada Goose jackets,” are among the most popular apparel searches, up 46% and 140%, respectively, since October. But “jogger pants” are the newcomer gift this season, up 39% from October.
7
Hunting for deals online
Shoppers are already prepping for Black Friday shopping by researching purchases and deals online. We found that 27% of shoppers have already begun hunting for Black Friday deals online.
8
The top questions people are asking about Black Friday on Google Search are:
What time do stores open on Black Friday
What time does Black Friday start
When does Black Friday end
What to buy on Black Friday
Source: Google data, November 2014.
Beating the holiday rush with same-day delivery
We wanted to take the pulse of the people making purchases this weekend as they prepare for the Thanksgiving festivities. Here’s an overview of the top trending purchases on
Google Express
across
locations
.
9
San Francisco: No gingerbread cookies here. San Franciscans are seeking a nutritious holiday with lots of bananas, avocado, coconut water and quinoa. And talk about eating clean: Disinfecting wipes are also among top shoppers’ searches.
West LA: The City of Angels is ready to party. Disposable silverware, plastic cups, paper plates, tortilla chips and garbage bags are all they need for hassle-free entertaining.
Manhattan: New Yorkers start off the day right with cereal, almond milk and—why not?—butter croissants. After a long day, residents relax with snacks such as mini pretzels and almonds.
Boston: Bring your appetite to Boston parties. Salty treats such as maple bacon chips, green pea crisps and peanuts top shopping lists. The city also buys more ketchup and popcorn than any other city.
Chicago: Baby boom. Chicago households are stocking up for tots this winter with lots of baby wipes and goodies such as chocolate and sparkling juice. To ward off sniffles, Chicago is loading up on vitamin C and orange juice!
Washington, D.C.: The capital is stocking up on healthy bites such as whole wheat crackers, fruit snacks and diet soda to wash it down.
To learn more about digital trends and how they’re affecting holiday shopping, visit
ThinkwithGoogle
.
Posted by Jenny Fernandez, Analytical Insights Marketing, Google
Sources:
1
Google Consumer Survey, November 2014, n=1100.
2
Google Data, November 2014.
3
Global Google Shopping Data, Week of 12/2-12/8 ‘13 compared to 11/1-11/7 ‘14.
4
MasterCard, SpendingPulse report, 2013 and Google Search data, November–December 2013.
5
Google Consumer Survey, November 2014, n=1100.
6
Google Trends, November 2014.
7
Google Trends, November 2014.
8
Google Consumer Survey, November 2014, n=1100.
9
Google Express data, last 90 days (only delivered orders counted).
New ways to rev up your Shopping campaigns
11/19/14
Want to get more impressions and clicks for your Shopping campaigns? Or want to know how to spot missed opportunities in your bidding strategy and find your mobile share of voice? We introduced
competitive landscape data
last year so you can start answering those burning questions, and today, we’re excited to announce a handful of additions that’ll help you find new ways to optimize your Shopping campaigns and engage shoppers on all devices.
Auction insights report
lets you compare your Product Listing Ad (PLA) performance to other advertisers participating in the same auctions as you are. With impression share, overlap rate and outranking share, you’re able to see trends amongst your peers and strategic opportunities to improve your bidding strategies.
Search impression share
has been revamped to be more useful and aligned with text ads. You can now analyze your share of voice at the granularity you want with Search impression share in the Dimensions tab. You’ll know which campaigns are limited by a low budget with Lost IS (budget) and which ones need further optimization with Lost IS (rank). Note that we now calculate Search impression share at account level so you may notice a change in impression share between October and November.
Device and time segmentation
are available to help you refine your bid modifier strategy. You can see if your peers received more mobile impressions than you over the weekend with the Auction insights report segmented by device and day.
Bid simulator columns
show you what your advertising results could’ve been had you set different bids. You can add these columns in your Product groups tab and, for example, find product groups that’ll drive the most incremental clicks.
Flattened view of your product groups
presents another way to analyze your performance. It allows you to sort your product groups within an ad group based on performance data and easily identify which to optimize. For example, you can sort by impression share, find a few product groups with the lowest impression share, and fine-tune those bids within a matter of clicks.
We hope these additions will help you identify easy-wins for the holidays and unlock new, more actionable ways to optimize your Shopping campaigns. We’ll continue to explore other reporting needs so you have relevant and useful data at your fingertips. Visit our help center articles for more information on
Auction insights
,
Search impression share
,
bid simulator columns
, and the
flattened product groups view
.
Posted by Dimitris Meretakis, Product Manager, Google Shopping
New Study: The Impact of Digital On In-Store Shopping
11/7/14
Research finds surprises about how smartphones and online information affect in-store shopping.
We've all heard the theories that people who do research online no longer care about the in-store experience … or don't even go to physical stores any more. Or that shoppers who use a smartphone in a store are looking to buy elsewhere.
Google decided to find out how much of this is true. We've just run a research study with Ipsos MediaCT and Sterling Brands with the goal of discovering how smartphones and online information have changed the in-store experience.
The results, as they say, may surprise you. The full details are available at
Think With Google
. But here's a sneak peek at what we learned.
First, the study confirmed two things most of us have suspected:
Yes, today's consumers are better-informed than ever before.
They crave information throughout the shopping process, and often use smartphones to get it.
But we also learned that three pieces of "common wisdom" were really more like myths:
Myth #1
: Search results only send consumers to e-commerce sites.
The reality
: The things people find in search results actually can send them to local stores. In fact,
3 in 4
people who said they found local information in search results helpful also said what they learned made them more likely to visit a store.
Myth #2:
Once an in-store shopper starts looking at her smartphone, the store has lost her attention and her sale.
The reality
: In-store smartphone moments are actually a good opportunity for brick-and-mortar stores to connect with shoppers and to help them make a decision.
46%
of those shoppers say they look at the retailer's own site or app for information. Only 30% look up details from a different retailer’s web site or app.
Myth #3
: With so much information available online, shoppers only go to stores to transact.
The reality
: Shoppers actually want more, not less, out of their in-store experience. They want informed, customized experiences.
69%
of shoppers said they gathered information from physical stores at some point in their shopping cycle. The catch is that 2 out of 3 shoppers said they didn't find all the info they wanted.
What does it all mean? Simply this: smartphones are a friend, not an enemy, to in-store shopping.
There are new opportunities for brands and stores to engage with customers in creative ways before, during, and after the customer’s shopping journey — one that may begin online and end up in-store. Search results, mobile ads, and mobile sites and apps can be magnets that draw consumers into stores and engage them while they're there. Smartphones and online information can also be a powerful way to create customized experiences for the consumer.
We discovered plenty of surprising insights in our study.
See all the details at Think With Google »
Plus, check out videos of Macy's, REI, and Sephora marketing execs sharing their approach for linking digital to store
here
.
New Ways to Add Money to Wallet Balance
10/29/14
What if you never needed to remember to add money to your Wallet Balance? Now, you don’t. With the latest version of Google Wallet you’ll be able to
add money automatically
to your Wallet Balance and set up
Low Balance alerts
, so that you’ll always have money in your Wallet Balance when you need it.
Add Money Automatically
Today, we are announcing a new way to add money to your Wallet Balance automatically through recurring bank transfers. The feature is secure, and will give you fast access to your money, with no Google Wallet fees.
With recurring bank transfers, adding money to your Wallet Balance takes care of itself. Simply schedule a recurring transfer from your bank account right into your Wallet Balance, and never worry about adding money to your Wallet Balance again. Choose the amount, set a schedule (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly) and you’re all set. Money will be added to your Wallet Balance automatically, and you can cancel your transfer at any time.
To set up a recurring transfer,
go to “Add money” then select
“Set up a recurring transfer”
There are no fees or minimum balance requirements for your Wallet Balance. And rest assured, your money is safe. Your Wallet Balance is backed by 24/7 fraud monitoring and the Google Wallet Fraud Protection Guarantee, which covers 100% of any transactions made without your authorization. If your device is lost or stolen, you can easily disable the Google Wallet app online or by contacting
Google customer support
.
Set up Low Balance Alerts
With Low Balance alerts, you can keep track of your Wallet Balance and make sure you have enough to pay for the things you need, or to send money to friends and family.
To set up Low Balance alerts,
open the Google Wallet app
and
touch
“Low Balance alert”
from
the
Wallet Balance screen
Spend your Wallet Balance in stores by swiping your Google Wallet Card at millions of locations in the US (including the District of Columbia) where Debit MasterCard® is accepted*, or use it to withdraw cash from an ATM. You can also use your Wallet Balance to Tap & Pay with any Android device running Kit Kat or higher at hundreds of thousands of locations throughout the US, on any mobile carrier. And as always, you can use it to make online purchases on Google Play, Google Express and anywhere you see the “Buy with Google” button.
Download the new version of the Google Wallet app on the
Google Play Store
and the
App Store
rolling out this week in the US, to use these new features.
Posted by Andrew Waterman, Product Manager, Google Wallet
* The Google Wallet Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated.
MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard® International Incorporated.
See Cardholder Agreement for details.
Google Express: more cities, more stores and a new name
10/13/14
One year ago, the first Google Shopping Express order was delivered—a box of granola. Our idea was to make shopping your favorite local stores as easy and fast as shopping online, and to help you get what you need delivered the same day. Since then, you’ve told us how we helped you restock diapers in the nick of time, made sure you had Bananagrams for family game night, and even made you feel connected to the outside world when you were home sick. Along the way, we've expanded to new locations, brought on more merchants, and offered more products. And now, we’re adding to the program you love.
More cities, more stores and more products
Starting today, we’re expanding to three new cities: Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Across all our cities, more than 7 million people can now access our same-day delivery service, and in Northern California almost 12 million can use our next-day service.
We’re also adding more merchants: 16 in total over the last couple of months. We’ve added national brands including 1-800-Flowers, Barnes & Noble, Nine West, PetSmart, Vitamin Shoppe and Sports Authority, and regional merchants such as Paragon Sports in New York and Vicente Foods in Los Angeles. In our new markets, we’ve added regional brands including Stop & Shop in Boston; Giant Food in D.C.; and Lux Roses, TigerDirect, Treasure Island Foods and Wrigleyville Sports in Chicago.
Additionally, customers in the Bay Area who are 21 and over can now order alcohol. Cheers (and please drink responsibly)!
Express membership
Starting today, shoppers who decide to become Google Express members will enjoy:
Free same-day or overnight delivery on eligible orders over $15.*
First dibs on delivery windows
Shared membership with a household member
Membership costs $95/year or $10/month. Or you can choose to pay as you go, at $4.99 per eligible order.
Learn more on our Help Center
. Either way, we don’t add any hidden markups, so you pay the same price for your stuff on Google Express as you would in-store.
New shoppers can try the
first three months of membership for free
. You can cancel it at any time, so it’s easy to test it out and decide if you like it.
A shorter name
We've also noticed people referring to us as "Google Express"—and we love it. So as of today, we've simplified our name. Plus, we've added a punch of color to our parachute:
With more cities, more merchants, and more of your favorite items, Google Express is on its way toward making your life easier by helping you get even more errands out of the way. We hope to give you more free time—and we can’t wait to hear about all the things you do with it.
Posted by Brian Elliott, Head of Partnerships, Google Shopping
*Free delivery means no shipping & service fees. Same day or overnight depends on availability of delivery windows. Eligible orders are $15+ before taxes/fees in select delivery areas and exclude restricted items. Service fees apply to ineligible orders. Pricing may change. Requires active membership subject to terms & conditions.
Halloween's Hottest Costume Trends Are Frozen
10/13/14
Are you an Elsa, Olaf or Anna? Judging by the top trending searches for Halloween costumes on Google, you’re going to see a lot of each on the streets this October 31. The characters from Disney’s animated blockbuster make up three of the top five trending costumes this year.
While last year’s list featured popular choices from TV (Breaking Bad) and the viral video “What Does The Fox Say,” movie-themed costumes are dominating this year. Maleficent and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costumes round out the top five. Costumes from Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America and The Avengers take places 6 through 8, while video-game Assassin's Creed and pet costume were the only non-movie themed costumes trend to make the Top 10.
With more than half of their traffic coming from Google, online retailer
BuyCostumes.com
anticipated the surge in interest around these top costumes and tailored their Google Search advertising to ensure that they’re connecting with consumers as they’re looking for this season’s popular costumes.
“We watch the trends with a keen eye, especially around this time of year,” said Jennifer Dominiquini, chief marketing officer for BuySeasons, Inc., parent company to BuyCostumes.com. “It is important to us to leverage the trends and ensure those searching for them are finding our brand in their search.”
Trick or Doggy Treat?
It’s no surprise that canine companions frequently join the family as they take to the streets, going door to door, but more and more people are looking to incorporate their dogs into the Halloween spirit. Searches for dog costumes are trending nearly 15% higher than last year, and one pet even costume managed to crack the Top Ten trending costumes. At number 9 on this is ‘spider dog’, no doubt inspired by the viral video sensation
‘Mutant Giant Spider Dog’
, which has generated more than 99 million views on YouTube since the beginning of September. BuyCostumes.com has been seeing a surge in interest around pet costumes this season, with people also looking for ways to incorpoate their animal friends into themed costumes for the whole family.
Halloween, The DIY Way
Halloween is one of those holidays filled with the do-it-yourself spirit, particularly if the DIY costume and general Halloween trends on Google Search are any indication:
Top 10 Most Searched DIY Costumes
Top 10 Halloween DIY Searches
DIY Elsa costume
DIY mermaid costume
DIY couples costumes
DIY Minion costume
DIY Minnie Mouse costume
DIY Disney costumes
DIY Ninja Turtle costume
DIY superhero costume
DIY Olaf costume
DIY Wonder Woman costume
how to make Halloween props
how to make Halloween invitations
how to make Halloween wreaths
how to draw Halloween
how to decorate for Halloween
how to draw scary Halloween stuff
how to throw a Halloween party
how to make a Halloween mask
how to do Halloween makeup
how to plan a Halloween party
But nowhere is the the DIY Halloween spirit more alive than on YouTube. Last year, nearly one out of three Halloween costume searches on YouTube were for DIY costumes. Searches for DIY costumes on YouTube grew more than 200% in 2013 compared to the previous year.
One DIY area on YouTube that sees a significant seasonal spike every year for Halloween is in makeup. Searches for makeup on YouTube hits a high each October as millions of people search for Halloween inspiration and tips.
Whether you’re looking to show off your inner Elsa, are searching for the best outfit for Fido, or are looking to wow your friends with your DIY prowess, there are tricks and treats available for everyone this Halloween.
Posted by Danielle Bowers, Data & Trends Manager
2014 Holiday Shopper Research: Shopping Never Sleeps
10/9/14
This holiday shopping season will be our most connected ever, with devices at our fingertips helping us hunt for deals in short moments—whether it’s on a laptop at work or on a smartphone right before bed. In fact, one third of all shopping searches on Google happen between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
.
1
That’s because shopping doesn’t stop once the mall closes. Today’s shopper spends more time than ever researching purchases online at all hours of the day; we’ve gone from midnight snacking to midnight shopping.
To understand how digital trends will impact this year’s shopping season, we conducted our annual Holiday Shopper Intentions research with Ipsos MediaCT, surveying consumers on their shopping behavior. We found that people are shopping earlier, using online video to help with research, and turning to smartphones as personal shopping assistants.
Black Friday is becoming a month-long event
People are starting their research early and retailers are stretching Black Friday promotions across November, changing the focus from just one day to a month-long event. More than half of consumers surveyed said they’ll start their research before Thanksgiving, with 26% of shoppers having started before Halloween
.
2
Shoppers are also spending more time consulting more sources before making a decision. In 2010, shoppers used five sources of information on average before purchasing, but that has more than doubled with shoppers consulting at least 12 sources last year
.
3
This means that October through November has become a crucial period for retailers to reach shoppers online, being present with offers, information, how-tos and content.
Online shopping is the new window shopping
Shoppers are going online for inspiration at all points of their day, not just to research specific products but to see what their friends and favorite influencers are wearing. Sites like YouTube and Pinterest have become the new window displays, and a new generation of fashion influencers like
Bethany Mota
are influencing shopping decisions.
Shopping-related content on YouTube, from unboxing videos to product reviews, is becoming an important part of the holiday research process and is trending up year over year. Haul videos—or the YouTube equivalent of telling your best friend about your latest shopping purchases—spike during key shopping events and hit their peak during Black Friday weekend. Videos with "haul" in the title have have been watched more than 1.1B times on YouTube, and views are up 1.7x this year compared to last year
.
4
And shoppers aren’t just using YouTube for research ahead of time, they’re also looking up videos while they’re in stores to help them make decisions. One in four shoppers say they've used YouTube to search for a video related to a product they're considering while in a store
.
5
Your phone: The ultimate shopping assistant
One of the biggest enablers for shopping throughout the day is our mobile devices. Our research found that 75% of smartphone shoppers plan to use their phones in-store this holiday season
.
6
It used to be that shoppers came to the store with little knowledge, and the sales associate educated them on products. Now shoppers are coming into stores teeming with information, and are turning to their phones as personal shopping assistants. One in three shoppers use their smartphones to find info instead of asking store employees
.
7
We’ve found that when retailers understand mobile behavior in stores, they can meet shoppers online with helpful information. In fact, 46% of shoppers who use their phone in a store still end up making a purchase, an 11 point increase from 2011
.
8
Consumers are coming into stores more purposeful and informed than before, and savvy retailers are turning this into an opportunity.
Want to know more about the 2014 holiday shopper? Check out more research and case studies at
Think with Google
.
Posted by Beth Thomas, Industry Development Manager, Google
1. Google Shopping search data, July - September 2014
2. Google / Ipsos MediaCT 2014 Holiday Shopping Intentions Study, September 2014
3.
Google and Inmar, 2013
4. Google data, January 2013 - September 2014, Indexed views on YouTube
5. Google Consumer Survey, September 2014
6.
Google / Ipsos MediaCT 2014 Holiday Shopping Intentions Study, September 2014
7. Google Mobile In-Stores study May 2013
8. Google Nielsen, November 2013
Top holiday tips for retailers
10/2/14
With October kicking off this week, the holiday shopping season is just around the corner. According to our
recent research
, 29% of shoppers plan to start their holiday shopping before Halloween. With this in mind, we’ve put together a
Holiday Shopping Checklist
filled with the season’s best practices for retailers to maximize performance across both Search and Shopping campaigns. In addition to our checklist, here are the top holiday trends from last year and tips from the Google Shopping team on how to make this Q4 a good one.
Address increased shopping demand today.
Last holiday season, traffic sent to merchants from Google Shopping doubled year-on-year
.
1
This momentum has continued and in July we saw traffic sent to merchants surpass last year’s peak holiday traffic from Google Shopping
.
2
Not only has consumer interest increased, but it is also beginning earlier. Our
research
shows last year consumer interest in Black Friday was up 27% from 2012 and related searches started about a week earlier than the prior year. Get the most out of this high volume shopping period by establishing your marketing goals early and using our checklist to help achieve them.
Connect with mobile shoppers.
The best way to connect with your customers is to be there whenever and wherever they are looking for your products, and increasingly this is on mobile. Mobile devices drove 35% of all traffic to retail sites in the US last holiday season, and this is expected to increase to 43% by November 2014
.
3
Globally, Google Shopping sent over 3X more traffic to merchants on smartphones in holiday 2013 year-on-year
.
1
Make sure you plan for a significant proportion of your shoppers to be mobile this season.
Provide fresh and accurate information to customers.
Pricing and shipping are two of the most important factors for shoppers when making a purchase online
.
4
Update and resubmit product feeds regularly to ensure that customers see consistent pricing and inventory information across your Product Listing Ads and website. Improve the customer experience by using
automatic item updates
to update your items on Google Shopping based on the data we find on your website. If you offer free shipping, include messaging in your text ads or use the new Merchant Center
shipping configuration
tool
to reflect this in your Product Listing Ads.
New shipping configuration tool in Merchant Center
Differentiate from the competition.
With strong competition during the holidays, promotions are a key driver in determining consumer purchasing decisions. This was evident last year, as 92% of all shoppers took advantage of some type of promotion
.
5
Consider how you can differentiate your messaging by highlighting a strong promotional offer or unique value proposition. Make your Product Listing Ads stand out by using
merchant promotions
and provide an additional stamp of credibility for your business by becoming a
Google Trusted Store
. Provide additional value for shoppers by displaying
product ratings
on your PLAs. According to Diana Ruka, Senior Director of eCommerce at COACH, product ratings have provided “added value beyond price points or descriptions - they convey a message without need for words- they provide distinction.”
Example of merchant promotions, product ratings and the Google Trusted Stores badge displayed on Product Listing Ads
For more holiday tips and best practices, check out our
Holiday Shopping Checklist
or join us for our
Learn With Google Hangout
on Air on October 30 at 10:00am PST for more holiday optimization tips.
Posted by Shelby Coyne, Product Marketing Manager, Google Shopping
1 Google Internal Data Q4 ‘12 to Q4 ‘13.
2 Google Internal Data Q4 ‘13 to Q2 ‘14.
3 IBM Online Retail Holiday Readiness Report, June 2014.
(Note: IBM’s definition of ‘mobile devices’ includes smartphones and tablets.)
4 Shop.org, Holiday Planning Guide, February 2014.
5 Baynote Holiday Shopper Survey, January 2014.
Holiday Shopping Made Easy with Google Wallet
10/1/14
Fall is here, and the holiday season is right around the corner. While this time of year comes with lots of celebrations, it can also come with a never-ending holiday shopping list. Here's how Google Wallet can help you save time and speed through your shopping list safely this holiday season -- and all year-round.
When you're shopping in stores
Google Wallet works with all credit and debit cards. Use your Android phone (running Kit Kat or higher) to make
Tap & Pay
payments on any mobile carrier, at hundreds of thousands of stores in the U.S. including Toys”R”Us, Babies”R”Us, Walgreens, Petco and many more. Just look for this logo:
If you don't have an Android phone, you can swipe a Google Wallet Card everywhere Debit MasterCard® is accepted in the U.S. And because we don't want you to miss a good holiday deal, Google Wallet lets you store coupons, loyalty and gift cards right on your phone.
When you're buying online
Speed through online and mobile checkout wherever you see the “Buy with Google” button, at merchants like Priceline, Jack Threads, NewEgg and
many more
. Simply press the "Buy with Google" button to check out in as few as two clicks.
When you need to send money
With Google Wallet, you can
send money
to anyone in the U.S. with an email address. Send money from your phone with the Google Wallet app, or in Gmail from your desktop by clicking the $ sign in your attachments bar.
Keeping your money safe and you in control
Google Wallet sends you a real-time notification after each transaction. This not only helps you keep track of your spending, but also provides an additional level of security. And if your phone gets lost or stolen, you can remotely disable the Google Wallet app at wallet.google.com.
At Google, we take fraud protection seriously. Google Wallet stores your credit and debit card information on secure servers, not your phone, and encrypts your payment information with industry-standard SSL (secure socket layer) technology. When you use Google Wallet to Tap & Pay, we don't send your real card number to the merchant. Instead we send a virtual card number along with a one-time-use security code. Google Wallet is also backed by 24/7
Fraud Protection
, which covers 100% of unauthorized transactions.
Google Wallet is an easy way to speed through your holiday shopping. Download Google Wallet today on the
Play
or
App Store
.
Extend the reach of your Product Listing Ads to qualified shoppers
9/9/14
With the growth of product queries across the web, advertisers are looking for new ways to connect their products to interested shoppers.
By opting your
Shopping Campaigns
into Google’s search partners, you can now reach users as they search or browse for products on retail and commerce sites in the Google Search Network. These retailers, such as Walmart.com, are part of
AdSense for Shopping
, our latest product to help monetize site traffic.
Extending your Shopping Campaigns to these sites helps you reach qualified users beyond google.com and Google Shopping. Your Product Listing Ads show alongside contextually relevant results, determined by the user’s search, the product category or the product name.
For example, if you sell tailgating grills on Google Shopping and a user searches tailgating grill on a retail partner's site, your Product Listing Ads may be eligible to appear
.
Product Listing Ads on Walmart.com
Similar to text ads, opting your Product Listing Ads into search partners won’t affect your quality score on google.com.
AdSense for Shopping is currently limited to a small set of retail and commerce publishers. As we release the product to more publishers, we expect advertisers with Product Listing Ads opted into search partners to see increased traffic to their sites. If you’re a retailer and you’re interested in monetizing your site through AdSense for Shopping, please complete
this interest form
.
To learn more about showing your Product Listing Ads on search partners and evaluating your performance, please visit our
AdWords Help Center
.
Posted by Jesse Adkins, Product Manager, Google Search Ads
New Shopping Campaigns Upgrade Tool
8/11/14
This is the final stretch. At the end of August, regular Product Listing Ad (PLA) campaigns will retire and be replaced by Shopping campaigns. A majority of you have started upgrading to Shopping campaigns, but if you’re one of the few who haven’t yet, we’re introducing a new upgrade tool that’ll help you upgrade in a matter of clicks.
This tool creates a Shopping campaign from your regular PLA campaign, with a campaign structure and bids based on your regular PLA campaign and historical performance data.
If you haven’t started your upgrade, we encourage you to use this tool as a jumping off point for your Shopping campaigns. Be sure to check your campaign budgets, settings and bids so they’re customized to your business needs.
Note that
not all
campaigns are compatible with this upgrade tool. If, for example, you use AdWords labels or groupings in your product targeting or inventory filters, you
must
update your data feed with custom labels before you use the upgrade tool, unless you’re happy to use another attribute to subdivide your inventory in AdWords directly.
You can access the upgrade tool, and check which of your campaigns are eligible, in the Settings tab of your existing Product Listing Ads campaigns. Learn more in the
help center
.
We’re here to help
We want to make sure you’ve thoughtfully upgraded and are ready for the holidays. Join us for a
Learn With Google Hangout on Air
on August 12 at 10:00am PST to walk through the new upgrade tool. If you have any questions, reach out to the
AdWords Community Forum
or
contact us
.
Posted by Eric Tholomé, Director of Product Management, Google Shopping
Helping shoppers decide with product ratings on Google Shopping
7/29/14
Product reviews provide critical information to shoppers making purchase decisions. To help shoppers easily find this information when searching for products, we’re introducing product ratings on Product Listing Ads.
Shoppers in the United States will see product ratings appear in the form of stars and review counts on Product Listing Ads across google.com and google.com/shopping. This 5-star rating system represents aggregated rating and review data for the product, compiled from multiple sources including merchants, third party aggregators, editorial sites and users.
Product ratings for juicers as indicated by stars and a count of total reviews below Product Listing Ads
We believe these ratings will help differentiate products across google.com and google.com/shopping and will help merchants drive more qualified traffic through Product Listing Ads. In initial tests, product ratings also helped increase click-through-rates of Product Listing Ads.
How to enable product ratings on your Product Listing Ads
Product ratings are available to merchants targeting the United States who choose to share all of their product review content with Google, either directly or through an
approved third party aggregator
.
In order to give merchants time to share their review content, we’re offering a grace period from late July through October, 2014. During this grace period, we’ll allow product ratings to be shown across all Product Listing Ads where we have product review data available. After the grace period, we’ll only show ratings for products from merchants who choose to share their reviews with us.
Product ratings are one of several extensions we may show with Product Listing Ads, so please note that just because a product has reviews does not mean that we’ll always show ratings.
How to share your review content
If you would like to enable product ratings on your Product Listing Ads, please begin the process of submitting your review content to us by completing our
product ratings form
. During the initial launch, we expect high inquiry volumes and appreciate your patience as we work to address all inquiries.
We also plan to open up product ratings to merchants targeting countries outside of the United States in the coming months, so please stay tuned.
Posted by Mike Capsambelis, Product Manager, Google Shopping
Manage your gift cards, request money and send money for free from your debit card with the Google Wallet app
7/16/14
Today, we’re introducing several new features to the Google Wallet app* for
Android
and
iOS
devices that make it easier to shop in stores and get paid by friends and family. First, you can now easily manage your gift cards and redeem them in stores using the Wallet app. Never worry about forgetting your gift cards at home again. You can also request money from friends, which means you can settle the dinner bill while you're still at the table. Lastly, sending money with your debit card is now free, making it even easier to pay your friends or the babysitter using Wallet.
Store gift cards and instantly check your gift card balance
You can already store your loyalty cards and offers in Google Wallet, and now you can easily keep your gift cards in Wallet too. Add your cards to Wallet just by snapping a picture of them or typing in the card info. Then, when you want to use the gift card at the store, just show your phone to the cashier at checkout.
For certain gift cards, you can check your gift card balance in real-time and get reminders to use your card when you are near stores. Participating merchants with these features include:
If you received a gift card electronically, you can also save it to your Google Wallet directly from the e-gift by clicking “Save to Google.” This feature is currently available through merchants including Sephora, TGI Friday’s, Whole Foods and more.
Request money from friends with the Google Wallet app or Gmail
For all those times when your friends forget to pay you back for dinner, you can simply request money using the Google Wallet app (for U.S. users, 18 years and older). They will receive a notification and can instantly pay you back. If they need a reminder, you can send them a friendly nudge from within the app. You can also send your friends a message right within Gmail, and request money just like you would attach a picture.
Send money fast and for free using your debit card
You can now send money for free in Wallet by using your debit card. No more searching around for a checkbook or waiting for your funds to arrive. With Google Wallet, your money is at your fingertips.
Use Google Wallet in Spanish
If you’ve activated Spanish language settings in your Android or iOS device, the Wallet app will now display in Spanish.
Download the new version of the Google Wallet app on the
Google Play Store
and the
App Store
rolling out this week in the US, to use these new features.
Posted by Glenn Thrope, Product Manager, Google Wallet
*Android devices v. 4.0+, USA only, iOS devices v. 6.0+, USA only
Scale your Shopping campaigns with bulk uploads and AdWords Editor
7/15/14
With less than eight weeks left until
regular Product Listing Ad (PLA) campaigns retire
, we're excited that the majority of PLA advertisers have already started taking advantage of Shopping campaigns, and 85% of these have already fully upgraded. Advertisers who’ve upgraded like
Farfetch
,
US Mattress
,
LiBoutique
and
ValuePetSupplies
are seeing great success thanks to the retail-centric interface, item-level reporting and competitive benchmark data.
For those of you who’ve upgraded, we’re excited to introduce two new tools to make campaign management, specifically bid optimization, easier.
Bulk Uploads:
You now have the ability to download a product group report, edit your bids and destination URLs, and import your changes using
bulk uploads
.
AdWords Editor:
We’ve heard your feedback, and with the latest version of
AdWords Editor
, you can edit your bids and destination URLs for individual product groups at scale. At this time, AdWords Editor doesn’t support the creation of Shopping campaigns or product groups, so please plan time to create your campaigns and subdivide your product groups directly in AdWords.
If you haven’t upgraded to Shopping campaigns, we strongly encourage you to start as all regular Product Listing Ad campaigns will retire at the end of August.
Many third-party agencies and platforms are upgrading advertisers to Shopping campaigns, so if you work with one, reach out and see how they can help. Here are a few resources to answer questions and get you started:
Shopping Campaign Tutorial Videos
How to create a campaign
How to prep my data feed
How to optimize my product groups
Upgrade Hangouts on Air
Shopping Campaigns Upgrade 101: Where and how to start (beginner)
Shopping Campaigns Upgrade 201: What to do now (advanced)
Help Centers
AdWords Help Center
Merchant Center Help Center
AdWords Community
Posted by Eric Tholomé, Director of Product Management, Google Shopping
Win the digital shelf with our new guide to Shopping campaigns
6/20/14
We introduced
Shopping campaigns
in February to make it easier for you to manage your Product Listing Ads (PLAs). In late August, Shopping campaigns will be the default campaign type for all PLA advertisers.
To help retailers make the most of their Shopping campaigns, we’re excited to introduce a new best practices guide, “Shape Up Your Shopping Campaigns.” It addresses important questions like:
How should you structure your campaigns: by product line, performance, or both?
Which feed attributes have the best chance of improving CTR?
Are you adjusting bids quickly enough during peak seasons?
Download the “
Shape Up Your Shopping Campaigns
” guide now to ensure you’re making the most of your PLAs and data feeds.
For additional help, here are a few resources:
Tutorial Videos
to help you get started
AdWords Help Center
for more detailed information on Shopping campaigns
Learn With Google Webinar
(April 15) for upgrade tips
Learn With Google Webinar
(May 22) for more advanced upgrade best practices
Posted by Matt Lawson, Director, Performance Ads Marketing
Let your shoppers speed through checkout on iOS apps with Google Wallet Instant Buy
6/11/14
Typing shipping and billing information on mobile devices can be a difficult experience, which is one of the reasons why
97% of mobile shoppers
abandon their shopping carts. We
introduced
Google Wallet Instant Buy to make checkout on mobile sites and Android apps easier and help shoppers speed through the purchase process - often in as few as two clicks.
Today we're bringing this same technology to iOS apps.
iOS developers in the U.S. can now
sign up
to integrate the Instant Buy API and bring a fast and easy checkout experience across iOS, Android and web.
Merchants and developers selling physical goods and services can use Instant Buy to take advantage of the following:
Easy integration that works with existing payment processors
Secure payments with 24/7 fraud monitoring
No Google fees
Merchant success with Instant Buy
Many merchants have used Instant Buy to simplify their mobile checkout and turn visitors into customers on their mobile sites and Android apps. For instance:
RueLaLa
saw a
4X increase in purchase conversion
for Google Wallet users on their Android app after integrating Instant Buy. More than half of Google Wallet users came back and made repeat purchases within a matter of weeks.
Eat24
integrated Instant Buy and saw that Google Wallet users had an
11% higher average order value
than that of credit card purchases on their Android app.
Fancy
experienced a
20% conversion increase
on their mobile and desktop sites, as well as Android app.
We've been working with select early partners, including
Wish
,
B&H
,
Eat24
,
Fancy
,
Newegg
and
Sionic Mobile
to integrate Instant Buy into their iOS apps. We are excited to open the Instant Buy iOS API and welcome more developers to
sign up
today.
Easy integration process
Developers can now review the
Instant Buy iOS SDK documentation
and integration process. Integrating is fast and easy, with most merchants finishing the process in less than a week.
Learn more
about Google Wallet Instant Buy. For the latest Google Wallet updates, follow us on
Google+
.
Posted by Justin Wong, Product Manager, Google Wallet
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Archive
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Happy Omnidays!
November
Shoppers Go Mobile Black Friday Weekend
New ways to rev up your Shopping campaigns
New Study: The Impact of Digital On In-Store Shopping
October
New Ways to Add Money to Wallet Balance
Google Express: more cities, more stores and a new...
Halloween's Hottest Costume Trends Are Frozen
2014 Holiday Shopper Research: Shopping Never Sleeps
Top holiday tips for retailers
Holiday Shopping Made Easy with Google Wallet
September
Extend the reach of your Product Listing Ads to qu...
August
New Shopping Campaigns Upgrade Tool
July
Helping shoppers decide with product ratings on Go...
Manage your gift cards, request money and send mon...
Scale your Shopping campaigns with bulk uploads an...
June
Win the digital shelf with our new guide to Shoppi...
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