How brands can take advantage of a new Google ad feature – Google Shopping
Dan is going to tell you everything you need to know.
Let’s create a scenario.
It’s 2021 and you’re planning a trip to Ibiza (why wouldn’t you plan a visit to the party island!?) and you need your usual clothing items and accessories, i.e. a nice pair of sunglasses, vests, socks. Usually, we know what item we intend to purchase and the brand that we want to purchase from. Trainers? Nike, easy!
But… What if you wanted to compare an item from a couple of brands first before deciding? You want a floral shirt for day parties, but you want to have a look around first. Does Top Man offer a better price than Zara? Does River Island’s floral patterns match my outfit more than Boohoo?
This is what Google Shopping is – your very own virtual mall. This is how brands can take advantage.
So, what is Google Shopping?
It allows consumers to search for, compare, and shop for physical products across different retailers who have paid to advertise their products there.
How can businesses use it?
Businesses can list products on Google Shopping for free – initiated by Google to help with the impact of COVID-19 but it looks like that’s here to stay. We’ve used this feature to supplement our social acquisition strategy for one of our clients (where online sales is essential to their business).
What are the benefits for brands using Google Shopping?
People who click are more likely to purchase – those who see ads here are in the intent stage of their purchasing journey – goes without saying, they’re shopping
Optimised visuals – unlike Google search ads, consumers can see the product title, price, and an image of the product when comparing items. The Mr Porter floral shirt, no way. The Hawes & Curtis shirt, I might be able to pull it off
Better conversion-rate – when consumers click on the ads they go straight through to the product page, so it’s less likely they’ll get lost on the website. Simple = Better
Less money wastage – when linked to a Google Merchant account, items that are out of stock will automatically not be served by Google Shopping ads. This means you won’t get that horrific feeling of spending £1k on a product that people can’t buy!
Ohana – As Lilo from “Lilo & Stitch” said, Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind. In non-Disney terms, Google Shopping allows you to group products together. You might want to implement ads with your best-selling floral shirts or product groups of muscle fit floral shirts (big win in my eyes). We’d then be able to see the revenue which results from which product group – leading to better consumer behavioural insights
Google Shopping is becoming more and more influential in the ecommerce world, and it’s easy to see why. A simple user experience, potential to get in front of people who want to buy products, and expanding consumer insights for future online sales campaigns.
Have questions? Want to know more detail? We’re here, come and chat.
