Product optimisation plays an important part in improving customer experience with accurate product information across all platforms. Among many other factors, delivery speed can make or break a shopper’s decision to purchase. But, as a part of the feed optimisation process, advertisers mostly concentrate on just the basic shipping settings, leaving behind the delivery estimates.

So, to help merchants provide accurate delivery timelines and improve customer trust, Google introduced the Google-Calculated Delivery Speed Estimates. These estimates appear as annotations in your Google Shopping results. This feature empowers e-commerce merchants to showcase precise delivery timeframes in their product listings on Google, enhancing transparency and boosting conversions.

Key Factors Influencing Google’s Delivery Speed Estimates:

• Shipping Method: The selected shipping option’s speed, such as standard, expedited, or next-day delivery.
• Carrier Performance: The reliability of the shipping carrier that you have chosen, based on its historical data and delivery times.
• Location Factors: Distance between the origin (seller or warehouse) and the destination (customer’s address).
• Warehouse Processing Time: Efficiency in order processing and shipment dispatch by the provider.
• Real-Time Data: Utilization of current data and predictive analytics to enhance accuracy.
• Historical Data: Analysis of your previous shipments and orders to refine delivery estimates for specific locations or sellers.

Benefits for Shoppers:

These delivery speed estimates assist shoppers in making informed decisions between products or sellers, promoting transparency and aligning with consumer expectations about delivery speed. The benefits include

• Improved Conversion Rates: Shoppers are more likely to purchase when they see clear delivery timelines.
• Increased Transparency: Providing accurate delivery details fosters trust and reduces cart abandonment.
• Enhanced Shopping Experience: Customers enjoy a more informed shopping journey, improving satisfaction and loyalty.
• Better Decision-Making: Shoppers can compare delivery times between products or sellers, leading to more informed purchase decisions.

E-Commerce Merchant Participation Requirements:

• Eligible Shipping Regions: It is currently available only to those merchants who ship to customers in the United States (US).
• Ship-From Location: It is only supported for e-commerce merchants based in the US.
• Domestic Shipping: Only domestic shipments are eligible (e.g., a ship-from location in the United States ships to consumers in the US only).

Additional Considerations:

• Handling Time Specifications: Clearly define both minimum and maximum handling times to provide accurate delivery estimates.
• Transit Time Considerations: Provide precise transit times based on different shipping methods and destinations.
• Cut-off Times: Specify the latest order placement times for same-day processing to ensure timely delivery.
• Carrier Integration: Ensure that the integration with supported carriers is in place and configure shipping settings correctly in Google Merchant Center Next.
• Data Accuracy and Maintenance: Keep shipping information up to date, including warehouse locations, shipping methods, and carrier performance data, for reliable delivery estimates.

You can easily implement this feature from our Shopping Feed App to enable more accurate, location-based delivery times in your Merchant Center Next. You can read the complete guide to enable the Google Delivery Estimates.

Along with an optimised shopping feed, use this feature to give your customers the confidence to shop with you!