Google Checkout Blog

New feature: Coupon creator

Friday, October 27, 2006



Since launching Google Checkout earlier this year, we've received a lot of feedback on the features you'd like to see. Coupons and discounts have been a big hit so far with buyers, but until now, it's been hard to create coupons without being an API wizard. Now, you can create coupons right from the merchant center. You can specify $-off discounts, %-off discounts, and specify such things as "one per customer," "new customers only," and so on. To help you better optimize your discounts and sales, you can even track usage of the coupons and get reports.

Try it now on the Coupons page (requires a Checkout merchant account). After you've created a coupon or two, we'd love to hear your feedback.

From the field: CSN Stores

Wednesday, October 18, 2006



For us here at CSN Stores, Google Checkout has been a welcome addition to our host of over 50 online home-furnishing websites!

We cater to a wide range of furniture budgets and tastes with sites like Bedroom Furniture Direct, Dining Rooms Direct, and more. We began working with Google through the AdWords program, and we are excited to take part in this latest opportunity.

We've seen a relatively high number of customers prefer Google Checkout, and we think it’s doing wonders for attracting new business. The Checkout icon in our AdWords advertisements helps bring us new customers and the Checkout button helps convert them by displaying the trusted Google name. Google Checkout also helps convert customers that come from other advertising channels by offering them a convenient and secure new checkout process.

We constantly strive to provide better service to our customers and Google Checkout helps us do that!

Checkout and Analytics: Working together

Friday, October 13, 2006



We've just launched additional support for Google Checkout merchants who also use Google Analytics. If you're already using Analytics to learn how visitors find and interact with your site, now you'll be able to see conversions and revenue metrics for your Google Checkout transactions. All you have to do is add a JavaScript call and a hidden field to each page that displays the Google Checkout button, and your Checkout conversions will automatically be tracked in your Analytics account.

For more on how to use Google Analytics with Checkout, there's a Google Analytics section in the Google Checkout Developer's Guide. If you're a Checkout merchant unfamiliar with Google Analytics, learn more here.

From the field: Sierra Trading Post

Tuesday, October 10, 2006



At Sierra Trading Post, our goal is to provide the highest-quality name-brand merchandise at 35 to 70% off retail prices, while at the same time providing a second-to-none customer experience. We recognize that customers are demanding a faster, easier, and more secure online shopping experience these days, and as an online retailer, we want to provide technologies that will allow for this experience.

As customers become more concerned about having their credit card information stored in many different places on the web (as a result of online purchases), we feel that a service that can provide a centralized location for storing this information married with the ability to use this information at many of the places they want to shop will become increasingly valuable. Google Checkout has been built in a way that satisfies all of these customer concerns, as well as several business ones -- by the use of AdWords badge, we are able to capture a more targeted visitor base; by the use of Google Checkout-specific coupons, we have the ability to run unique promotions concurrent to our own; and by the use of Google Checkout marketing efforts, we are able to attract an additional subset of online shoppers.

We have seen (at times) new customer rates higher than 60 percent, transaction fee savings upwards of 20 percent, and 1,000+ percent increases in Google Checkout sales due to word-of-mouth marketing campaigns. There have also been positive results on other levels, and we look forward to additional long-term customer and business benefits that this innovation will provide.

Google Checkout Modules for osCommerce and Zen Cart

Thursday, October 05, 2006



If you're using or considering using osCommerce or Zen Cart to power your online business and want to offer Google Checkout, I have good news for you. We recently released Google Checkout modules for both open source shopping cart systems. With a minimal amount of configuration, these modules will enable you to quickly start offering Google Checkout to your buyers.

You can download the modules from the contributions sections of the osCommerce and Zen Cart sites. Also, if you want to talk about the modules, we've started discussion threads here and here.

Finally, these modules are open source projects on http://code.google.com, so feel free to make any improvements or report any issues about what you might find. The project homepages are: http://code.google.com/p/google-checkout-oscommerce/ and http://code.google.com/p/google-checkout-zencart/.

Now it really pays to use Checkout

Tuesday, October 03, 2006



As more and more stores across the Internet use Google Checkout, online shopping becomes faster and more secure. Even better, whatever you buy totaling $30 or more (before tax and shipping) at participating stores will automatically earn a $10 bonus. Now, one login lets you buy from lots of different stores, and also gives you a $10 bonus each time you buy. Look for the "$10 off" Google Checkout button when you're shopping online. It's the sign that guarantees your transaction will be faster, safer -- and $10 cheaper.