March 3, 2015
As of January 2015, Google announced that they have made the process of becoming a Google Trusted Store an easier process. If you or your client are an e-commerce site, becoming a Google Trusted Store will set you apart from your competitors in the online space.
Being a Google Trusted Store allows online shoppers to quickly see who offers a great and consistent shopping experience online. You can gain the trust and confidence of your potential customers instantly once they see the Google Trusted Store badge on your site or next to your ad. You can reach more customers with ease and improve sales. Best of all, it’s free!
If you are not already convinced to be a part of this program, these specifics may entice you further:
• Being a Google Trusted Store allows you to increase shoppers’ confidence in your store by emphasizing your reliable shipping, customer service and positive customer reviews. Your customers can also opt in for free purchase protection at the time of purchase. This allows customers to receive free help from Google if there is an issue with their order. This additional customer service can help convince a shopper to choose you over your competitor.
• You can highlight that you are a Google Trusted Store within your ad in Google AdWords through review extensions. Being part of the program also helps you qualify for seller ratings in AdWords, which is just another type of review extension to your ad. The badge is also displayed next to your shopping ads, which makes your product stand out from the rest. All of these benefits are proven to increase CTR and conversion rates on your site.
This is an example of a text ad - you can see that "Google Trusted Stores" is displayed at the end.
This is an example of a Google Shopping ad - here the check mark identifies this product as a Google Trusted Store product.
The major difference to the process of applying is retailers no longer need to provide a shipment and cancellation feed. This information is sensitive and can be difficult & timely to retrieve. Instead, Google is asking for consumer feedback on shipping, product selection and pricing. These results are shown in AdWords through seller ratings. Google also allows for more freedom on the placement, customization, and positioning of the Google trusted Store badge on the website. In the past, it had to appear in the bottom right corner of your site.
The changes that were made to the process incentivizes e-commerce stores to take part in the program. There are added benefits for both the retailer and online shoppers. This network is growing more each day, so not becoming a member can negatively hurt your e-commerce store.