YouTube announces a new shoppable ad format

YouTube has launched a new direct response ad format that makes YouTube video ads more shoppable by adding browsable product listings beneath the video ad to inspire customers and traffic to the brand’s product pages.

The introduction of the new ad format comes at a time when consumers have begun to spend more time shopping online and brands around the world change their advertising and marketing strategies to drive more sales online.

The new shoppable ad format lets advertisers stock a Shop now section with products. The listings would appear underneath the video ads in smartphones and viewers can browse through the products while keeping the video ad playing at the top part of the screen.

Online stores that want to use the new shoppable ad format need to sync their Google Merchant Center feed with their video ads.

WiX launches new extended eCommerce solution

WiX, a leading website building platform, has announced the launch of its extended eCommerce solution. It provides online merchants and retails brands with a wide range of must-have eCommerce features including customizable branded storefronts, cart, multi-channel sales, hassle-free dropshipping, native payment processing at competitive rates with WiX Payments, professional analytics and report creation, extensive shipping and fulfillment capabilities, and much more.

The new extended eCommerce solution coupled with already existing WiX solutions like Ascend, a complete CRM and marketing product suite, and Corvid, a comprehensive web development platform, will help brands and retailers to build and scale their eCommerce business easily.

Avishai Abrahami, co-founder and CEO at WiX, said that “Online shopping has entered a stage of hyper-growth, and businesses need the resources to meet this increasing demand. Our new eCommerce functionalities are designed to help our customers sell anything, anywhere.”

The new eCommerce solution has everything a modern eCommerce business needs including secure payment solutions, automated tax calculation, streamlined order and fulfillment management, USPS shipping integration, advanced business reports, and a wide range of eCommerce partner apps.

WiX has also launched WiX eCommerce School to empower business owners with the skills and knowledge required to build and manage successful eCommerce businesses.

Google makes retail product listing in its main Search result page free in the US

Google has announced earlier this week that it will bring free product listings to the main Google search result page (All tab). The new change comes after Google began to include free listings in the Google Search Shopping tab from last April onwards.

Now merchants have the opportunity to get their products listed on both the main search result page as well as the Shopping tab for free regardless of whether they advertise on Google or not. Previously, Google showed shopping listings as a panel of sponsored ads from advertisers bidding on specific search terms.

For retailers, free product listing in Google search results means free exposure to millions of people who come to Google every day for their shopping needs.

The free product listing is currently limited to the US but Google will expand it globally by the end of this year. If you are an existing user of Google Merchant Center and Shopping Ads, you don’t need to do anything to take advantage of the free listing. For new users, Google will streamline the onboarding process over the coming weeks.