Selling online is now a lot easier than it was a few years ago. The introduction of the Google Checkout tool has made it simple for anyone to set up an online store without the need for programming skills or indeed any knowledge of websites.
The store created in the new checkout gadget is simply copied and pasted onto your existing site and the store runs from Google Docs without the need for the store owner to update stock levels. There is even the option to use Google's own checkout to complete the whole online buying process, creating a seamless shopping experience for the end user.
This new gadget has made it simple for anyone to get up and running online with an eStore, and adding new items is as simple as adding lines of text into an online spreadsheet. You can even link to images in your Flickr or other online photo album to add images to your store items. The links are simply added to the online spreadsheet and the whole store can be previewed at any time, even while live changes are being made. Items out of stock are shown automatically as unavailable once the live' updated stock levels reach zero.
Best of all, this technology doesn't cost anything. The Google Checkout Gadget is free once you have registered and if you need to use Google's own checkout then you pay a percentage of the final sales price, so there is no outlay unless you are actually sold something. Most eCommerce solutions incur costs per month whether you sell or not, so this is a great way to get into online selling.
The Gadget is backed up with full support and there is the usual help forum where other users have submitted useful tips and information on how to make the best use of the technology. Even for a total novice it is almost impossible to fail to set up a great, slick looking online shop. Maybe you just want to sell a few unwanted items online without committing to a one of the more popular auction sites? Using the Google Checkout Store Gadget is a great place to start.