Shopping Actions: What You Need to Know!
Shopping Actions is Google’s major new feature, which has recently left everyday Google users somewhat puzzled. Since its creation in 1998, Google has sought to make the Internet experience easier for its users. But above all, it has always tried to surprise them.
Recently, the announcement of the very first Google Pixel smartphone showed the whole world that Google was still as unpredictable as ever. Today, we take a closer look at the features of the newest addition to the family: Shopping Actions.
The first test in the USA
It was in March, in the United States, that Shopping Actions (formerly known as Google Express) carried out its first tests. And the news is good for Shopping Actions! According to Google’s internal data (Q1 2017 vs 2018, cumulative), there was reportedly an “average increase of around 30% in basket size”. Very good news for our French retailers as well. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of this brand-new feature?
What exactly is Shopping Actions?
Shopping Actions is a new Google program that, as its name suggests, allows users to perform three main e-commerce actions:
Buy quickly and easily
This may seem obvious. However, to buy a T-shirt today, we browse several websites, click through different categories and spend a considerable amount of time just to purchase a simple T-shirt. With Shopping Actions, customers can now buy in 2 or 3 clicks (or hands-free with Google Assistant!).
The principle behind Shopping Actions is to combine all of Google’s features in order to make online shopping easier for customers. With Google Assistant, you can ask your phone to add your laundry detergent to your basket or directly purchase a princess duvet cover for your five-year-old daughter who has been begging you for one for the past three weeks.
Create Shopping lists to save and share
What could be better than bringing together all your To Do Lists and other reminders on your phone when you need to remember to buy toilet paper! You can also ask Google to save your favourite brand of biscuits in a list so that you can buy them more quickly next time. In addition, this list can be shared with your closest friends so that you can enjoy together the taste experience whose secret only you know!
A universal basket
As you have understood, Shopping Actions allows you to purchase all kinds of products and food items from multiple brands and multiple retailers in a single basket. Even if others had thought of the idea, only Google could make it happen!
The advantages of this new feature
Shopping Actions will allow retailers wishing to sell their products online to display their products across three Google Product Listing Ads platforms: Google Shopping, Google Assistant and the Search Network. A new way to build customer loyalty, with the aim of making online and voice-based purchases easier for customers.
In addition, e-commerce businesses will be able to use a Merchant Center account. This will make it possible to manage both Google Shopping campaigns and Shopping Actions campaigns. However, the billing model will not be the same: with Shopping Actions, retailers will be billed per sale and will only pay when a transaction is completed.
What about GDPR?
Naturally, the GDPR debate comes back into the spotlight! Shopping Actions offers instant checkout using the customer’s saved payment credentials. However, where is the customer’s data stored? Is it shared with e-commerce businesses using Shopping Actions? These are questions that Google will answer when the service launches in France.
As for this important information, no one currently knows the release date. So be patient and stay alert. In any case, we can’t wait!
