Do you remember way back when the Internet was new and it seemed scary to buy things online? The fear of identity fraud and other security violations was very real, especially when horror stories were broadcast all over the news and spreading like wildfire.
Despite all this, there are now over 1.25 billion Internet users around the globe, so the sky is the limit for online retailers who can do a good job of catering to their target market’s needs.
If you’re already selling products on the Net, then you are probably well aware that credibility is KING with consumers in the information age. People (whether consciously or unconsciously) are constantly looking for little security checkpoints in a site that tell them “Not to worry…your money is safe being spent here.”
How can you be sure that your visitors feel safe buying from your site? That’s a multiple answer question, but some of the lowest hanging fruit in terms of establishing your online checkout credibility is using common identifiers that people can recognize, like PayPal, VeriSign, and especially a trustworthy checkout process like Google Checkout.
My fellow PPC’er, Page Christenbury, suggested Google Checkout to one of her Ecommerce clients, and you can see the positive results it had on CTR, Transactions, and Revenue practically overnight…
1. What is it and how much does it cost…
Google Checkout is exactly what its name implies – according to Google, “a fast, secure checkout process that helps increase sales by bringing you more customers and allowing them to buy from you quickly and easily with a single log-in.”
Google Checkout is not completely free to use, but you don’t have to pay any fees up front or on a recurring basis and it’s totally comparable to most payment processing services. You only pay a small fee per transaction as outlined below:
2. How can it help you…
Google Checkout can help you in 3 main ways:
A. Acquire more visitors.
According to Google’s calculations, people who use Google Checkout click 10% more on ads containing the Google Checkout logo.
– Mission A, accomplished.
B. Bring in more sales.
Brace yourself… What does your current conversion ratio look like? How does a 40% gain sound? Google says, “A fast, convenient checkout process helps Google Checkout users convert 40% more than shoppers who have not used Checkout before.”
– Awesome.
C. Curb fraud.
Google has set up its checkout program to not only protect the visitor, but you, the seller as well: “Checkout’s Payment Guarantee protects 98% of Checkout orders on average – when an order is guaranteed, you get paid even if it results in a chargeback.”
– Alright!
3. What Are You Waiting For…
Three Easy Steps (except possibly #2, for which you might need your webmaster’s help):
1. Create a Google Checkout Account
2. Pick an integration option to get Checkout on your site
3. Start selling once it’s integrated with your site!
Google Checkout…Check it out!
