Google is supporting local online store WantItAll with its best practice advertising information and advertising standards, says Google SA country manager Stafford Masie.
"It's interesting to see that the store has decided to use the Google advertising platform exclusively. We have a standard of best practice guidelines that we are sharing with WantItAll."
However, Masie says this service is not limited to WantItAll. "As part of Google's online sales operation, we provide all our advertisers with this kind of support." The guidelines form part of what Google calls its online sales operation, which provides advertisers with an online sales representative.
"We love the fact that more people are using an online format for advertising. It really is the optimal marketing mechanism," states Masie. With more people spending time researching products and product values online, it makes sense to optimise search inventory, he explains.
Garage days
WantItAll founder Justin Drennan says Ryan Kitching, account strategist at Google Ireland, contacted the company last year. "Google gave us a call out of the blue saying they love our business and want to support us. They see us as a gateway into SA, and have selected some partners to use. We happen to be one of them. They do not give too many secrets away, but did let on that they built some of their own unique technologies into the site, not just those you find 'on the shelf'."
Until recently, Drennan and two university friends operated WantItAll out of a garage. The original service involved ordering items that were available overseas, importing them into SA, and then delivering locally. According to Drennan, the shop now offers eight million items and the team works full time for the store.
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