Somehow, Internet commerce maintains this high concept and of-the-future aura. Maybe it's all the jargon, like "dot com" or "intention marketing."
But don’t let them fool you, these companies are just hawking product. Take a look around this holiday season and you’ll see that Internet companies are as capable of a price war or bargain bonanza as any furniture store or used car dealership out there.
Take today’s news from Google for example. They announced free processing for all Google Checkout merchants through the holiday season.
Only two days ago, Google Checkout rival PayPal launched a promotional incentive program to encourage online shoppers to use the eBay company's payment service.
PayPal customers will be eligible to receive cash rebate offers up to $20 when paying with PayPal on qualifying merchant Web sites in North America, including eBay.com The incentives also include free shipping on some brand items.
Get your payment services right here! Get'em while they're hot!
In a post on their official blog, Google said that from Nov. 8 through Dec. 31, 2006, Google Checkout merchants will receive free processing for all of their Checkout sales, regardless of whether or not they use AdWords.
And oh yeah, according to Google, new Checkout merchants are eligible for this limited time offer as well.
"So sign up now," Gavin Chan, Google's product marketing manager, said in a blog post.
The world-wide web version 2.0: it's a flea-market without the tent.
There is one simple reason that Google and PayPal are making busy with the incentives before the Holiday season, JupiterKagan Senior Analyst Patti Freeman Evans told internetnews.com. They work.
She particularly encourages e-commerce sites to offer free shipping. It can help PayPal get new customers, she said, even if it's not a permanent solution for sales.
"The ensuing challenge will be for Paypal to keep these newly acquired customers without having to always offer them free shipping," Freeman said. "But that is true for any retailer."
This article originally appeared on InternetNews.com.
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