Searching for and buying a product with your smartphone is about to get a bit easier. Google is reportedly just weeks away from adding a “buy” button to mobile search results, a move that will increase the company’s rivalry with other online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is attempting to simplify the smartphone shopping experience by allowing users to simply hit a buy button to complete a transaction straight from search results, rather than toggle between retailer websites.
The new buttons will only accompany sponsored search results; the options that pop up on the page under the “Shop on Google” heading. Non-sponsored results supported by the traditional Google search algorithm will not include the new buttons.
Clicking on the buy button will take a prospective buyer to another Google product page where they can pick sizes, colors, and shipping option.
While the entire transaction will take place on a Google page, the products will continue to be provided by and sold from actual retailers.
A person with knowledge of the new venture, tells the WSJ that Google will provide customers the same option to opt into marketing programs – such as emails and discounts – that would traditionally be seen on the retailers’ website.
Google pages where purchases are completed will also be heavily branded for the retailer selling the products. Recommended purchases, often seen below a selected item will also come from the same retailer.
The new system will function much like rival online retailers apps from Amazon and eBay, allowing users to store their payment information and shipping information making it easier to complete future purchases, even if they from a different retailer.
Google won’t actually share the data with retailers. Instead, the company will get the funds from shoppers and passes it on to the retailer, the WSJ reports.
Can Google Outsell Amazon and eBay? [The Wall Street Journal]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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