Recently Google scared a bunch of BigCommerce merchants.
Google emailed them, stating that their Google shopping feed had been disabled and their account was in imminent danger of suspension.
Google shopping feed is the plumbing that allows retailers to show their products in search results when consumers search with intent to buy, example ‘buy red shirt.’
For many merchants, disabling their Google shopping feed can be a death sentence.
These threats from Google are not a result of nefarious behavior from these retailers.
Instead they are a result of Google mandating a change in how products are listed in the Google shopping feed. Until recently the products did not have to include details like color and size. But now, these details are required.
So when Google noticed such details missing, they disabled the feed.
But the problem is that BigCommerce retailers cannot show these details even if they want to. That’s because the Google feed built by BigCommerce does not include such details.
So BigCommerce is working with Google to build an updated Google feed that will include additional details.
In the meantime, if you are suffering from this problem, send an email to community@bigcommerce.com along with your merchant center account and the store domain name. Bigcommerce promises to escalate with Google and get your account active again.
Here is the lesson for retailers – as long as we depend on others for customers, our business is at risk. Most people assume that there is no escape from this problem.
But there is.
One is to diversify our business into multiple acquisition channels.
The other is to systematically convert new customers into repeat customers.
Then you’ll have a relationship with your customers. They will remember you. And they’ll keep coming back regardless of what Google, Facebook or anyone else does.
Check out a demo to learn more about how RewardCamp helps you to convert new customers into repeat customers.