Google will reportedly be adding a "Buy Now" button to its search results, enabling users to buy products far more easily.
The changes will give consumers a way to purchase products apart from services like Amazon and eBay, which are currently the top players in e-commerce.
The buttons will accompany sponsored search results under a heading, which reads "Shop on Google." Buttons will not be placed under non-sponsored results. Once a user clicks on the button, they will be taken to a separate Google product page. Once there, options for things like size and color will be available and the user will be able to finalize their purchase.
Of course, it won't be Google itself selling the products but rather acting as an outlet for retailers to sell their products. It is unclear exactly which retailers will be included at the launch of the new feature, however, rumors suggest that Macy's will be among the first. The button will reportedly only show for a small percentage of users, and only on mobile, at least in the beginning.
Of course, the move begs the question: is Google trying to take on the likes of eBay and Amazon in the e-commerce market? The move certainly will turn Google into a company that plays a direct role in purchasing items rather than simply a place where users can be directed to other places to purchase items. Google will essentially be a "store-front" for retailers.
This isn't necessarily something that retailers want. Reportedly, many retailers have voiced concern that the change will turn them into simple order-takers, which could weaken their relationship with consumers.
In order to ensure that this is not the case, Google will reportedly also be allowing consumers to be directed to retailers' websites and will also allow retailers to heavily brand the Google pages used to sell items. Not only that, but Google will also allow retailers to recommend other items to consumers.
Despite this, it will be Google that actually places the order, and the company will not give retailers credit card information. Google will also store payment information to make future purchases easier, much like it already does with Google Wallet in Google Play.
The change also highlights Google's growing emphasis on mobile use and keeping mobile users on Google websites. The company recently announced that searches on mobile outnumbered searches on desktop in 10 different countries. Because of this growing use, companies are clamoring to ensure that their cut of the mobile traffic pie is as big as possible.
