Google has released their new plans for their shopping cart software, Google Checkout which ultimately equates to a spike in costs for subscribers of the service.

In an e-mail released yesterday, Google explains the following:

Hello,

We’re writing to let you know that on May 5, 2009, Google
Checkout’s transaction processing fees will be changing. We’ll be
transitioning from our 2.0% + $0.20 per transaction rate to a new
tiered fee structure, where the rates will vary depending on the
dollar amount of your monthly sales processed through Checkout.
The rate you’ll be charged beginning on May 5, 2009 will be based
on your sales processed through Checkout during the month of April
2009. Each month thereafter, we’ll continue to use the prior
month’s sales volume to determine your transaction processing
rate. For more details about the new rates, please visit
http://checkout.google.com/seller/fees.html

We’ll also be discontinuing the AdWords free transaction
processing promotion on May 5, 2009. Any AdWords transaction
processing credits accrued during April 2009 will be applied
towards transactions that occur on May 1-4, 2009.

Fees are the same for all payment types (Visa, MasterCard,
American Express, and Discover) and there are still no monthly,
setup, or gateway fees. For cross-border transactions, there will
be an additional 1% fee assessed per transaction. To learn more
about Google Checkout fees, please visit
http://checkout.google.com/seller/fees.html

Google is committed to the continued growth and development of
Checkout and to helping merchants increase sales by driving more
leads and higher conversions. Advertisers who use Checkout have
the opportunity to display the Checkout badge on their ads, which
has proven to be an effective way to differentiate ads and attract
user interest. Checkout users click on ads 10% more when the ad
displays the Checkout badge and convert 40% more than shoppers who
have not used Checkout in the past.

Greetings everyone!

I wanted to pass along an excerpt of this interview that I received in my e-mail between a representative from Small Business News and one from an internet marketing representative that works for InfusionSoft.

While a great part of the interview was centered around an upcoming seminar hosted by InfusionSoft, two very important questions were asked that are completely relevant to what we do and how we can help you at imSAM.

Q: How important is it for a small business to be on the web?

A: My feeling is that if you’re not on the web, you don’t exist. I know that sounds harsh, but think about it. People rarely use phone books anymore. People throw out their junk mail. And telemarketing is the most annoying thing around. The consumer is now in control and he goes looking for what he wants on the web. If you want to grow your business and have sustained growth, you must have an active web presence. Putting up a static, brochure-like site that doesn’t get updated for months does not constitute “being on the web.”

Q: How important is it for a business to have a blog?

A: Having a blog is important for two reasons. The first is that blogs are content and linking machines and search engines love content and links. If you’re continually producing content on your blog, you’ll get more search engine traffic. The second reason is because the Internet initially made business very impersonal. People crave personal connections and they find those connections with blogs. If I can get to know a person or a business through a blog, I’m much more likely to do business with them.

I think these two statements speak volumes about a) the importance of having a presence on the web and b) the importance of having that site updated on a consistent basis. Often, and much to their dismay, small business owner’s will either forgo having an online presence at all OR they’ll have an incredibly attractive site that never gets updated. In either case, you’re missing out on eyes that could potentially convert to customers. At imSAM, we are poised to provide you with services for both at an attractive price.

Contact us today to find out more about having a web site developed for your small business.

A lot has been said over the past three years about Google’s mysterious project, the GDrive. So much anticipation has been built up about it, that since nothing has come to fruition, people are starting to wonder if it even exists at all.

The GDrive is yet another attempt by Google to dismantle industry-leading Microsoft as the - well, the industry leader. As a service, the GDrive has the potential to top Gmail (Google’s e-mail product) as the second place tool on Big G’s belt. (Their search engine service is #1).

So what exactly is this magical product?

GDrive is basically online storage in which the Google servers will have enough capacity to hold the entire contents of your hard drive. It will also come with expanded features such as the capability of booting up your computer from the online drive to load Google’s operating system.

If you’re not following where this is going. Imagine having the ability to start working on a project at home and then heading up to your corner Starbucks. With GDrive, you can open up the document that you were working on at home, continue to work on it at Starbucks and when you return home, the changes you have made to it have already been made to your PC at home. It is, of course, a long overdue weapon in Google’s potent arsenal of online tools and has the capability of changing the landscape for those owning home or small business personal computers. It will also have the ability to establish Google as a legitimate threat in an industry where Microsoft has been king for so long.

The GDrive is set to launch in 2009.