Google may soon pose a threat to Amazon and eBay as the Internet search giant may introduce "Buy Buttons" on its search results page.
Google has not confirmed the introduction of the new buy buttons on its search results pages.However, rumors suggest that the company is estimated to introduce the buy buttons in the next few weeks, which will definitely heat up the online marketplace rivalry.
The Wall Street Journal cites sources familiar with the matter and reports that the buy buttons will start appearing on search result pages of products such as mobile devices.
"The buttons will accompany sponsored-or paid-search results, often displayed under a 'Shop on Google' heading at the top of the page. Buttons won't appear with the nonsponsored results that are driven by Google's basic search algorithm," per the Wall Street Journal report.
When shoppers click the buy buttons on a Google search result page, they will be diverted to a separate product page where they have to complete their purchase. Online shoppers will have the chance to select colors, sizes, shipping options and more, while making a purchase. Payment for a successful purchase will go to Google, which will then pass the order and money to the retailer.
The sources also revealed that the products will be offered by retailers directly. Google is believed to be in talks with retailers such as Macy's for the launch of the buy buttons on Google pages.
The buy buttons will not appear if a person is using a desktop computer. Google will initially start the program only with a minor percentage of its traffic.
Even though Google will start small, the program has great potential of growing big and giving stiff competition to big-wigs such as Amazon and eBay in the near term. However, some market observers believe that the move will shift the company's operations from being a search engine to online transactional business.
Recently, Google announced a new feature only for U.S. based consumers that allow ordering food from restaurants directly from the search results. Google launched the service with six partners including MyPizza.com and GrubHub.
Google is one of the most used search engines in the entire world, which is used by millions of people every day. Online retailers believe that the upcoming buy buttons will hamper their sales majorly and divert customers to buy from Google's retailers.
Photo: Kristina Alexanderson | Flickr
