Google Showcases Shopping Ads Update and their Effect on eCommerce

In the month of July inspired by the rush of shopping centered around New York City Fashion Week, Google debuted an update to their Google shopping ads. Creating big changes in terms of advertisement formats and branding in eCommerce website development, showcase shopping ads are now located in the results of a generic query become featured on the Google page. Available for fashion and home decore, this experience for retail advertises is called shop the look – and it’s exactly what it implies.

Google estimates that over 40% of shopping related searches on their site are for broad terms. What they have shown in the past, as they explain, were specific product results that may be useless for a person who isn’t sure of what they are looking for.

With the new interface, rather than showing a single result, the new format displays 3 product images – a main images and two supporting images with more personal messaging from the retailer, allowing for much more control for branded storytelling in such advertisements. Similar to the previous version, ads will be charged based on a PPC (pay per click) bases for users who click-through to the advertiser’s landing page. It’s more about shopping the look, rather than showing results of specific items only.

This update acts as a type of eCommerce web solution for customers who might want to explore their options. Google pulls out a swipe-able format in which shoppers can look through different brands and price ranges, engaging with the consumers on smarter navigation for a more user-friendly experience. The new interface also includes either the location of the store near-by the searcher or a short brand promotion.

This is great news for eCommerce website developers who are looking to gain more visibility for their site. The new advertising layout allows for a better chance to be discovered by customers, as well as a brief look into their online catalog.

This won’t be the first time eCommerce sites are trying their hand at connecting with their customers on a more digital scale. The technological shift of implementing ad strategy with social media channels has been a familiar business move in our contemporary times. This type of integration is also expected to continue, as advertising revenue of social networks worldwide will see about $31 billion in 2016.

Google’s shopping ad experiences are also affecting the format of eCommerce solutions on other media platforms. The average user spends 2 hours a day on social media. And with YouTube continuing their reputation as the mecca of advertising opportunities, Google introduces TrueView for shopping through videos, making it easier for viewers to get more information about a product. As Google documents, the number of advertisers using this method is up 50% since January with about 1/3 of them are using it every week.

Visibility is made simpler and easier to gain specific insights with these new updates, but Google also directly tackles the issue of having more control over branding as well. The update includes the concept of companion banner, where an interactive banner appears next to the Youtube video that shows all the products mentioned. The banner is interactive as it is informative since users can scroll through the list while learning more about each product.

The second feature of Google’s TrueView update is the product picker, where advertisers can choose which of their products to prioritize. This allows for advertisers to show specific products in videos that they seem fit, as well as making the Youtube shopping experience that much more manageable.

It’s safe to say that shopping has become truly globally integrated with the interconnectivity of online platforms. That’s why the idea of enabling currency conversions in Australia, Switzerland, Canada, and the UK for Google’s ads is another helpful feature that make shopping more efficient. No matter what country you may hail from.

The feature takes information of your local data and translates it into your current geographic location. So if you are located in the UK and are browsing a US store, the prices would be converted automatically and reflected in British pounds.

But what does this mean for the all the pre-existing eCommerce website development advertising? Well, the updates do signal online retailers to get ready to streamline their products for maximum accessibility. While visibility is the goal for brands looking to increase Internet traffic, Google’s new and improved showcase shopping features seem to be geared towards the approachability and the informative aspect that a company can offer in their given digital space.

And while we can expect to see a consistent flow of updates continue to rise along with the growing industry of eCommerce, these changes pretty much set a new standard for online marketing. Not just for Google – but for most advertisements you may come across on the web with a high trending aptness for incorporating themselves to fit into our post-Web 2.0 lifestyles more and more.