In today’s Tech News Tuesday episode, we’re talking about online shopping and Google’s new plan to turn YouTube into a shopping destination. Is the ultimate goal to have you shop while you watch?
Links in this episode: Google wants to turn YouTube into QVC with new shopping features
Transcript
Welcome to the Get Digital Marketing Results podcast where we give you information and actionable tips to grow your organization.
Bob: Hi, I’m Bob Clark.
Donna: And I’m Donna Botti. We’re with Delos Inc and we make the web work for you. In today’s Tech News Tuesday episode, we’re talking about online shopping, and we’re not speaking of Amazon or Walmart, but Google’s new plan to turn YouTube into a shopping destination where viewers can watch things like product unboxings, makeup tutorials, or cooking videos and immediately buy featured products directly through YouTube.
Bob: Wait a second Donna, I thought YouTube already did this? I’ve seen lots of videos where they say, you can click the link in the comments below to buy our stuff, or whatever it is.
Donna: True, that is where you add a link to your product in the video description, but this is going to be different. Think of it like QVC, but you’re not calling an “operator standing by,” you’re simply clicking into the video to buy a product. Google is currently testing it out with a limited number of YouTube channels.
Bob: Wow, YouTube is already a $15 billion-a-year business for Google, so this is going to be huge. Google is testing ways for video creators to list as many as 12 items for sale on a digital carousel below their existing videos, using Shopify as it’s online store provider.
Donna: The ultimate goal is to convert YouTube’s bounty of videos into a vast catalog of items that viewers can browse, click on, and buy directly while they’re watching the video. But again, this is all a test, so Bob, enjoy your YouTube videos without the temptation to shop while watching… for now.
Bob: That’s it for today’s episode. You can find the link to the Ars Technica article, and a transcript of today’s podcast, at DelosInc.com/159. And don’t forget to subscribe, so you don’t miss out on our actionable digital marketing tips to grow your organization.
