One of our core beliefs is to focus on the user. We know that when it's time to shop, our users often start by searching, and that they're looking for places to shop that are convenient and secure. Checkout addresses this need by making online shopping quick and safe, from search to purchase. As always, our goal is to improve the user experience by providing more relevant information whenever users choose to search and shop with Google.

Here are some tips for optimizing button placement -- and for boosting your Google Checkout conversions all through 2007:

- Choose a Google Checkout button that's the same size as your existing checkout button. Display these buttons side by side if possible.

- If you display your existing checkout buttons or links in different locations on your website, be sure you put a Google Checkout button next to all of your existing checkout buttons or links.

- Display the text "or check out with" between your existing checkout button and the Google Checkout button to make sure your customers understand their options.

- Insert the text "What is Google Checkout?" below the Checkout button, then link this text to a page on your site explaining Google Checkout buyer advantages. Here are some ideas for communicating the advantages of Google Checkout to buyers.

But as with any new business, Big Blue Saw was facing several problems. We were not only a new business, we were a new kind of business. Potential customers thought we had a great idea, but were afraid to trust us with both their dreams and their money. To top it off, we actually received e-mail from customers telling us that they were uncomfortable using our existing payment processor.

We wanted to make sure that our customers felt as comfortable as possible with the ordering process. This is why we have given them the added option of using Google Checkout. The Google name may mean the difference between a customer and just another visitor to the site.

We cater to a wide range of furniture budgets and tastes with sites like Bedroom Furniture Direct, Dining Rooms Direct, and more. We began working with Google through the AdWords program, and we are excited to take part in this latest opportunity.

We've seen a relatively high number of customers prefer Google Checkout, and we think it’s doing wonders for attracting new business. The Checkout icon in our AdWords advertisements helps bring us new customers and the Checkout button helps convert them by displaying the trusted Google name. Google Checkout also helps convert customers that come from other advertising channels by offering them a convenient and secure new checkout process.

We constantly strive to provide better service to our customers and Google Checkout helps us do that!

In addition to the positive customer experience Google Checkout offers, we've also been very pleased with the benefits for our business. We're seeing great results as Checkout helps us acquire new customers every day. We've appreciated the increased sales as well as the ability to process transactions for free, based on our AdWords spend. For us, Checkout is an excellent fit with our commitment to innovation, customers, and achieving outstanding business results.

WeaKnees is a company that my friend Jeff Shapiro and I started a little over five years ago, based on our love of TiVo. We sell a huge variety of capacity-enhancement kits and parts, replacement parts, and most of all, new TiVos with huge capacity - up to 1800 hours of recording space or 200 hours of HD recording capacity.

Our workforce is almost always fewer than 10 people, and most of our customers haven't heard of us before their initial purchase. Google Checkout has been a perfect fit for a relatively small company like us -- from the buyer's point of view, they don't need to trust us with their payment data to purchase our products. Many are also happy to avoid re-entering information on our website that they've entered countless times before (name, address, etc.). They simply provide their Checkout login and password, and they're one step away from finishing the transaction.

From our perspective, the benefits go deeper. In addition to capturing extra business through increasing customer confidence, the Google Checkout badge is key. We receive a greater clickthrough rate, which raises our AdWords ranking without raising our cost. And, on top of that, we avoid paying fees for the credit card processing.

We're excited about Google Checkout because it provides consumers with a convenient, safe, and quality platform through which to shop. Since our business focuses exclusively on magazine subscriptions, Google Checkout offers a way for our customers to use one checkout system to subscribe to different titles across publishers.

We're seeing strong Google Checkout adoption among our customers, and the service is growing at a faster rate than we typically see with most new checkout options. We've also seen it become a source of incremental sales with a positive impact on conversion rates. We look forward to watching Google Checkout evolve as it continues to provide higher sales and ROI for our business.

Here are a few of the benefits for those of who are e-commerce providers:

1. One year of payment for every merchant you sign up plus a percentage of these merchants' Google Checkout sales.
2. Bonuses for integrating with Checkout (you can even earn an extra bonus for integrating before September 30th).
3. Free marketing exposure to merchants seeking e-commerce providers integrated with Google Checkout.

To get started, just apply for the program. And if you're a merchant that wants your e-commerce provider to integrate with Checkout, let them know we're ready to help. Simply point them here today.

1. The competitive 2% and $0.20/transaction processing fees.

2. The free transaction processing credit that gives merchants a huge economic boost on their existing AdWords spend. Most merchants look at reinvesting that benefit into higher bids, more keywords or both.

3. The Google Checkout badge (the little shopping cart next to your AdWords ads), which can give merchants' sponsored listings a clickthrough boost, which can further increase their ROI.

Our merchants are really loving Google Checkout -- so I wanted to highlight two customers who exemplify what we're hearing:

First, Mark Fitzgerald with Grapevinehill.com (they sell shoes, not wine). He says, "We've seen a material number of buyers choosing Google Checkout, so we're really enjoying the increased AdWords ROI. We absolutely love the free payment processing credits we are earning."

Second, John Wieber at Laptopbroker.com has also seen strong Google Checkout buyer adoption. John says,"We have not had a single chargeback or transaction issue. Most importantly the use of the Checkout via ChannelAdvisor Merchant is simple and quick. We are confident that Google will quickly enhance its service to become the best solution on the Internet."

So that's our take. Thanks to the team for not only inviting me to be the guest blogger today, but for creating such a great product. We're all eagerly waiting for what new enhancements will be coming, and to see how things go this holiday season with Google Checkout.

That's why we are constantly evaluating and streamlining the review process, working to minimize the impact on order processing while still helping protect your business. We acted early on to address the feedback we received from some merchants about the review process, taking steps to streamline it, reduce review times, and communicate with sellers more clearly about our fraud-prevention efforts. We've also been working to fine-tune our systems so they're even more effective at identifying transactions that warrant review. We're committed to constantly improving this area and the entire product, so please let us know how we're doing and what we can do to ensure Google Checkout always serves your business.

Of course, fighting fraud is a team effort, and we need your help. Following some key best practices can ensure that together we safeguard your business. Specifically:

1. Request signed proof of delivery for high-value orders
Without signed proof validating that a package was indeed delivered, it becomes difficult to counter a buyer’s claim that they "never received the package."

2. Keep shipping records and documentation
Documentation is the name of the game in chargeback cases. Keep shipping and packaging information close at hand. Archive all customer correspondence back and forth about an order. The more information we have, the better able we are to represent your interests.

3. Ship only to the shipping address recorded within your Google Checkout Seller Interface
Fraudulent buyers sometimes try to change the shipping address right before you ship goods. Insist on shipping to only the address on record in your Google Checkout account, as this address is the one our risk systems have analyzed.

4. Respond to Google promptly on chargeback information requests
The card associations' have strict reply windows for contesting chargebacks. Therefore, responding quickly to Google's inquiries for information is critical, as it helps give us the time we need to work with you to build a strong case.

Some merchants have asked, "Am I protected for intangible goods like digital downloads and services?" The short answer is that cases like this are much harder for sellers to win. The card associations have historically made it very difficult for sellers to prove that a digital or intangible good chargeback case is invalid. We will continue to work with you as much as we can including using any methods you have used in the past to win these sorts of cases, but do recognize that it can be difficult to win these cases. As a result of the card associations’ position on digital/intangible goods, these transactions are not covered by the Google Payment Guarantee program. Do note that we are committed to working with the associations to build better ways for all merchants to be protected against invalid claims on digital goods and services.

Doing business always involves some risk, and this especially holds true when serving customers online. However, by keeping these best practices in mind, as well as following Google’s chargeback protection policies, you can significantly minimize your exposure to fraudulent transactions.

Rest assured that maximizing your sales and profits while minimizing your exposure to fraud losses is one of our highest priorities and we're committed to working with you to make online commerce faster, easier, and safe.

One of the lesser-known benefits of Google Checkout is its ability to help you prevent and fight fraud. In fact, Checkout's first line of defense works to prevent fraud from even reaching you: we proactively filter out fraudulent transactions using Google Checkout's proprietary fraud detection technology.

To help you fight fraud, we developed the Chargeback Resolution policy, which covers all Google Checkout transactions. This policy helps you efficiently manage any chargeback you receive; we even fight them on your behalf. Our team will work closely with you to ensure that you have the best chance of winning a dispute. If you already have tools and systems in place to handle chargebacks, we won't stand in your way -- you retain all the rights to directly contest chargebacks yourself.

An important aspect of the Chargeback Resolution Policy is the Payment Guarantee, which offers an additional layer of protection by guaranteeing payment for transactions that follow best practices in fraud prevention. Transactions covered by our Payment Guarantee are marked as "Covered by Payment Guarantee" on the Order Details page of the transaction. If you don't see this designation on a given transaction, don't worry—it's still covered by the Chargeback Resolution policy.

Posted by Gavin Chan, Associate Product Marketing Manager

We’re seeing a lot of excitement and questions about how Google Checkout works with AdWords, so we thought we’d answer some of them here. Here are a few of the more common questions we're hearing:

What is AdWords?

AdWords is Google’s search advertising program, which displays ads alongside Google search results and on search and content sites in the Google Network. When you create an AdWords ad, you choose keywords for which your ad will appear and specify the maximum amount you're willing to pay for each click. Your ads are then displayed when people search using the keywords you’ve selected; you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

Can I offer Google Checkout if I don’t use AdWords?

Definitely! You can still provide your customers with a fast, safe, and convenient checkout experience. As far as fees go, you’ll only be charged 2% plus 20 cents per transaction for the sales you process through Google Checkout.

What are the benefits of using Google Checkout with AdWords?

There are two main features you can take advantage of when using both programs together: the Google Checkout badge and free transaction processing. The Google Checkout badge is a small shopping cart icon that appears on your AdWords ads when you offer Google Checkout on your website. It communicates to buyers that shopping with you will be fast, convenient and secure.

Free transaction processing enables you to process $10 of Google Checkout sales at no cost for every $1 you spend on AdWords. For example, if you spent $1,000 on AdWords last month, this month you could process $10,000 in Google Checkout sales for free.

Why is Google Checkout integrated with AdWords?

Our goal is to improve the entire online sales process for sellers, from generating leads through online advertising to processing the sales that result. Shoppers often begin the purchase process by searching online and looking for places to buy. One interesting stat from Shop.org: 37% of all online purchases start with a search. When shoppers search, the Google Checkout badge helps turn more of these queries into leads by making it easy for users to identify stores that accept Google Checkout. Once customers click through to the store and are ready to buy, Google Checkout offers a streamlined checkout process that helps convert those leads in to sales. Finally, when it’s time to process sales, Google Checkout works with AdWords to reduce transaction processing fees to zero. We think there's a natural relationship between online advertising and transaction processing -- and that's why you see the integration at every step in the online sales and marketing process.