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CEO at Econsultancy
15 November 2007 16:53pm
Earlier this year I posted an article in our blog titled Google Checkout – a paid search optimisation tactic? and I wondered whether anyone had further evidence or experience about how powerful it is to have the icon there to increase click through rates (and therefore reduce click costs / increase ROI)?
I came across an interesting variant on this approach just now when searching on 'internet marketing' on Google (http:/
/www.
google.
co.
uk/
search?hl=en&
rlz=1B3GGGL_enGB225GB225&
q=internet+marketing&
btnG=Search&
meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB)
Can you see the eBrandz.uk.com paid ad with the Google Checkout icon on it?
And yet if you visit their site I can't find a checkout in sight. They sell search services, not goods.
Surely this is a (cunning) misuse of the icon to drive click through (and also therefore reduce click costs)?
Are Google policing this kind of thing? If not, we might as well all have the lovely icon there...? At least we have a checkout...
Ashley Friedlein
CEO
E-consultancy.com
Owner at Wynyard Consultants Ltd
16 November 2007 09:22am
Hi - nice idea, however their checkout is here;
http://www.ebrandz.uk.com/pay-per-click-campaign-management-services-uk.htm
Not sure I would buy this service this way, though setting up the facility to be able to do so in order to use the icon is a nice thought.
Iain
On 16:53:47 15 November 2007 Ashley wrote:
CEO at Econsultancy
16 November 2007 09:55am
Ah... fair enough. Although it is probably still worth selling something (anything...) just to get the Google Checkout icon for PPC optimisation? This could be particularly helpful for publishers, professional services organisations, B2B etc?
Ashley
Freelance Web Consultant at architxt.net
16 November 2007 10:54am
If I click a checkout button then I would expect to be taken to a checkout page.
I found this in their Programme Policies page:
Buttons or links containing the word ‘checkout' should initiate a checkout process, not a ‘view trolley' page. The latter may confuse buyers and disrupt the purchase flow.
On 16:53:47 15 November 2007 Ashley wrote:
CEO at eBrandz
17 November 2007 14:21pm
Hi,
This is Milind Mody from eBrandz. I became a paid member of this great website just a week back. Did not expect anyone to discuss eBrandz in these forums.
As far as using checkout logos are concerned, as Iain pointed out we have their logos on our SEO and PPC service page. Google manually reviewed our website before giving us an approval. They have certain minimum commitments which we are fulfilling. We do get a lot of our orders from Google checkout.
I am not sure what problem Lawrence faced while clicking on our checkout buttons. I tested it, and it is working for me.
Hope this helps.
PS :- The forum interface here is quite different ...I am still trying to get used to this interface.
Milind Mody.
CEO at Econsultancy
19 November 2007 09:18am
Hi Milind
Thanks for commenting - good to hear from you. (And you're right that the forum interface here isn't very good - about 9 years old now. We're relaunching the site next year so hopefully it will improve!).
So perhaps you can let us know whether you do see improved click through rates when the Google Checkout icon is present? If you do, then do you think there is a business case for sites like this one (which has a purchase process) to get Google Checkout to optimise PPC performance?
I'd be interested to know what % of your purchases are via Google Checkout versus standard credit card? And if Google Checkout customers tend to have a different profile to other purchasers (e.g. by geography)? I assumed that Checkout customers would tend to me more 'consumer/mass market' than "business/professional"?
Regards
Ashley Friedlein
CEO
E-consultancy.com
Freelance Web Consultant at architxt.net
19 November 2007 09:39am
Hi Milind,
The checkout button works fine.
My comment was about the page people land on. Google's policies state that "Buttons or links containing the word ‘checkout' should initiate a checkout process". I now realise that this may just refer to check out buttons on people's websites, rather than on the ads.
Did Google review your advert as well? Perhaps they would rather see you point to: http://ebrandz.uk.com/pay-per-click-campaign-management-services-uk.htm
I don't have access to an AdWord account at this moment. Can anyone check the FAQs there for any info about the checkout button and where it can and can't point at?
Lawrence
On 14:21:38 17 November 2007 Milind wrote:
CEO at eBrandz
19 November 2007 13:03pm
Ashley,
For us, we took a business decision to accept Checkout. The free credit card processing (till 31st Dec 2007) was an attractive offer and hence we implemented it. Even after 31st Dec 2007, there are rebates for businesses advertising on Adwords. This made a lot of business sense.
Getting Google Checkout logo for our Ads was the next logical step. Google says somewhere on Checkout pages, that having a Checkout Icon improves CTR.
Regarding this site, there is certainly a business case to get Google Checkout to improve PPC performance. Although I am not sure if your users have time to open Checkout accounts.
You are right that most Checkout users are consumer oriented. We just ask our customers to open Checkout account and then pay us.
Currently, about 30 to 40 % of our transactions are through Google Checkout. If the transaction is in thousands of dollars, then there are problems with Checkout system, but overall its quite stable.
Looking forward to the new forum interface. I sincerely think it will lead to an increase in participation from other users.
Lawrence,
I get your point now. I am not sure about the guidelines at Google Checkout (I was not involved in implementing this) but the process is that you apply for Checkout, implement it on your website, and then Google rep will review your site and approve it. Our's was a complex case (because we have implemented it across multiple domains) and hence required personal interaction with Google reps.
Hope this helps.