At this point, there is probably not a person living on the planet that has not performed a Google (News - Alert) search, used the maps feature, or even opened up a Gmail account through the website. However, some might not be as familiar with another feature called Google Shopping.

Google Shopping, previously known as Google Product Search, allows for users to search more specifically for items they are looking to purchase by narrowing down the search using specific research criteria. The service was also designed to help small businesses, giving them a chance to get listed in the search results alongside much larger companies. Google said this service would change the way people shop.

“This is about delivering the best answers for people searching for products and help connect merchants with the right customers,” said Sameer Samat, vice president of product management for Google Shopping. 

Google’s marketing e-book says that when most people are looking to purchase an item they check at least 11 places before making their final decision, with Google Shopping being one of the most visited sites. The shopping engine lets consumers compare and contrast multiple retailers’ product lines with one click.

Any company that is interested in having its products show up in the Google Shopping results can pay a small fee to participate. However, some smaller businesses might worry that its products might get lost in the results. Nii A. Ahene, writer for Zippycart an ecommerce solutions company, said that if done correctly, smaller businesses could level the playing field by using Google Shopping.

“Your success on Google Shopping doesn’t only depend on your products getting listed. You need to constantly optimize product titles, refine product descriptions, and add new products, all while ensuring that your products make it to the first page of the search results,” said Ahene.

Ahene said business owners should understand the Google Shopping dashboard, make sure to include high resolution images of the products for sale, refine product descriptions, optimize data feeds, and analyze the results. Ahene said paying attention to these areas and spending the time to make the changes could result in your small business being listed in the results next to Best Buy (News - Alert), Amazon, and even Target.

Google is even having a Webinar this week to help merchants understand the importance of selling products online and how Google Shopping can help businesses expand its brand. 

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO click here.

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