You can use Google Sites for many things. Affiliate marketing (sell other people’s products), Blog (Drive traffic to your business via blogging), showcase your work with a portfolio and generate leads.
But what is the use of a website builder if it cannot be used for selling stuff online?
In this complete guide, you will learn everything you need to know to sell on Google Sites.
Can you sell things on Google Sites?
Google Sites is one of two Google’s web publishing platforms. The other one is Blogger, which is mainly used for blogging. Both are free to use, and the key benefit of Google Sites over Blogger is its drag-and-drop visual editor.
Yes, you can sell things (digital goods, services, eCom stuff) on Google Sites. But, It is not the most user-friendly platform for selling.
So, how do you sell on Google Sites?
It involves a few additional third-party services and tactics, which you will learn about in this guide.
What things can you sell on Google Sites?
Depending on the product type and format, there are basically three things you can sell on Google Sites. They are:
- Digital Products
- Services
- eCom goods
This complete guide will teach you how to sell digital stuff and services on Google Sites. Selling e-commerce items involves slightly different tactics, so that I will discuss it in a future tutorial.
How to Sell Digital Products on Google Sites
So, what are digital products exactly?
They are everywhere on the internet. It can be software, PDF, video content, audio files, data, ebooks, graphic designs, ChatGPT plugins, event tickets, audiobooks, games, plugins, paid newsletter membership, themes for WordPress, and gated content.
Things you need
There are a few essential items when you sell a digital product on Google Sites,.
They are:
- Product
- Checkout software/payment processor
- Price comparison table extension
- Related tools
The product
This is an option step, assuming you already have something to sell on Google Sites. However, if you do not have a digital item to put up for sale on Google Sites, there are a few ways to get them.
- Hire a freelancer — Use a platform like UpWork to get someone to design your digital product. Make sure you get the commercial rights to it.
- Co-op with a product owner — If you already know something with a great product, start a JV (Joint Venture) and promote it using Google Sites.
- Buy Whitelabel product(s) — Probably the easiest way to get the thing to sell on Google Sites is using a Whitelabel product with Master Resell Rights or Private Label Rights. Digest the product to see if it’s worth selling the item(s) on Google Sites and has the potential and perceived value.
Checkout software and payment processor
This is where people use their credit cards, PayPal accounts, and cryptos to purchase digital goods. The payment processor is used to process payments, while the checkout software is used to create a payment form.
Here are a few checkout software providers:
Ecwid
Ecwid is a robust e-commerce platform with features like an online store creator, social media and ad network integrations, automated abandoned cart emails, and discounts and gift cards.
The platform allows you to sell individual products by adding a “Buy Now” button to Google Sites.
ThriveCart
It is one of the best online checkout software with features like JV partnerships, funnels, bump offers, affiliate management, and integrations with PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net.
ThriveCart allows you to create an embeddable product checkout form for your Google Site.
Also, you can load the checkout widget as a popup or on a dedicated page under a custom domain.
SendOwl
SendOwl is another service similar to Ecwid that provides tools to sell on Google Sites or any platform, including Notion, Blogger, Linktree, Shopify, and WhatsApp.
The platform offers cart templates, one-click upsells, multiple-payment gateways, cross-sale capabilities, custom checkout fields, a download page, and custom embeddable buttons. Also, it includes features like download limits, PDF stamping, and restricted streaming and downloadable content to secure your content.
Sellix
Sellix is a platform to sell digital products using cryptos and fiat currencies. It supports major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, USDT, Litecoin, and Ethereum and has integrations with Stripe, PayPal, CashApp, PerfectMoney, and Skrill as well.
Sellix provides a wide range of features, including fraud protection tools, customization, themes, webhooks, API, and HTML/CSS editor for further customization.
Gumroad
Gumroad is another popular platform to sell your goods and services on your website, like SendOwl. It offers various features such as accepting payments from different currencies (depending on the user’s location), discount codes, selling multiple versions of the digital product (allowing buyers to pick from PDF, ePub, and Mobi), and lightweight DRM (Digital Rights Management) to control and manage access to copyrighted material.
Pricing comparison table
When you sell bundles of digital products on Google Sites, you must have a price comparison table to showcase what buyers received under each tier. For that, you need to embed a pricing table on your Google Site.
Although Google Sites’s page builder does not have one, you can use many widget builders to create one.
Use the following pricing table widget creator to design one for you.
Tips:
- Choose a preferred template and customize the look and feel to resonate with your Google Sites template and brand colors.
- Use contrasting colors to enhance the design and appearance of information and highlight key elements, such as the buy button.
- Utilize labels such as “Most Popular” and “Best Value” to promote a particular tier.
- Split test pricing, product features, and elements on each tier.
Complimentary tools to improve conversions
When selling digital items on Google Sites (or any platform for that matter) requires specific items to display, such as countdown timers (to create urgency), announcements (for coupons, etc.), popups (to minimize page abandonment), and other eCommerce widgets to boost conversions.
Here are a few tools to use when selling on Google Sites
Photo Gallery
According to studies, the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual. What better way than using a photo gallery of your digital goods?
To create a photo gallery with next/preview arrows and align photos vertically and horizontally, you need to use a photo gallery widget.
Build yours using the following widget builder:
Use the “Product Seller” template, add your product images, and customize the appearance.
Countdown
Suppose you will run a special event sale or offer a Black Friday discount for your digital product. There’s a start date and an end date for it, right? Use it in your marketing campaign to boost conversions.
The best way to showcase the time remaining for a sale, discount, etc., is by implementing a countdown timer on your Google Sites.
You can use one of these HTML countdown timers or use the following widget builder to create a widget right from this page:
Tips:
- Use a countdown widget on necessary placements on your site, such as the pricing comparison section.
- Make the timer clickable – Link to the checkout page or pricing section.
Customer reviews
Research conducted by BrightLocal has shown that a product with reviews on the page receives up to a 270% boost in sales compared to a product without reviews.
Since Google Sites does not have a customer reviews widget, you have to create one using a third-party service.
Use the following widget builder to create your testimonials widget:
In addition to manual customer reviews, you can use review aggregators to showcase customer testimonials published on platforms like TrustPilot, G2, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Deaderrater.
Popup
Not everyone visiting your Google Sites store or sales page will purchase at first glance. In fact, there’s a saying that it takes at least seven touches to convert a visitor into a customer.
You can trigger a special discount or a new offer when someone tries to leave the page using a popup.
We’ve listed many popup widget creators before. You can use one of those or use the widget builder below to make one:
Tips:
- Use powerful words, bigger headings, contrast colors, graphics, and countdowns to take page abandoners’ attention.
- Try various popup widget triggers: exit-intent, inactive on page.
- Use the mobile-specific design for mobile users, track, and A/B test.
Customer support
According to a study by American Express, 90% of Americans consider customer service as a factor in deciding whether or not to do business with a company.
You can provide live chat support via social messengers such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger or use dedicated messenger software such as Intercom, LiveAgent, and Gist.
Use one of these instant messenger chat widgets or the following widget builders to provide live chat assistance using social messengers:
Also, if you sell high-ticket digital products on Google Sites that require direct one-to-one voice assistance, add a click-to-dial widget on your site.
Here are more third-party tools to use on Google Sites:
- Social Proof Tools to Display Latest Activity — ex: Joe from San Fransico, CA, USA bought ‘DOMINATE’ plan of Ads Arbitrage for dummies 3 hours ago)
- Accordion Widgets to Add FAQ Sections to Website — ex: Include frequently asked questions under the sales page and checkout page to clear potential questions such as refund period, upgrade possibilities, and product delivery method.
- Cookie Consent Banner — Comply with laws and regulations and inform what information you collect when selling on Google Sites.
- HTML Sticky Bar Widget — Horizontal announcement bars can be used to notify important messages such as bonuses, flash sale discounts, and even collect emails.
Setting up
Now you know what’s required to sell on Google Sites, the next stage is setting it all up!
Set up checkout form and page
Use one of the checkout software listed above (Ecwid, Sellix), integrate your payment processor, and set up the checkout form.
Here’s how to create an embeddable checkout form on ThriveCart.
Login to your ThriveCart account, navigate to “Products,” and create a new product.
Name your product and add pricing details.
Choose a template (make sure you’ve selected an embeddable template to embed it on Google Sites) and customize it.
You can create a multi-page or a single-page payment form. Use content blocks and elements to customize it.
Get the embed code. Make sure the product is “Live” (not in Sandbox mode or is disabled) in order to receive payments.
Embed the checkout widget on the Google Sites editor. Use dots to change the dimensions of the widget.
Here’s a video tutorial:
Set up the sales page
The next step is putting it all together. You may add a logo carousel, photo gallery, countdown clock, call-to-action, back-to-element, and customer reviews.
How to Sell Services on Google Sites
Unlike digital products, it’s easier to sell services on Google Sites. Services can be related to online or offline projects. For example, you can think of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), content creation, and freelancing services as internet-based services, while construction work, plumbing, and hardware repair services are offline.
Things you need
Like selling a digital product on Google Sites, the steps for selling services are similar.
- Setting up your service(s)
- Payment processor and checkout software
- Price & service comparison table
- Related tools
The service is what you want to sell on Google Sites. You can use the same services, such as Ecwid, ThriveCart, Samcart, and Sellix, to create a checkout page and pricing table widgets to feature service details and prices.
Tools & plugins
You can use the same tools used in selling digital products when selling services. However, additional items will help a lot when selling a service-based item on your Google Site.
Before-After Image Slider
Suppose you want to sell a service on your Google Site involving physical activity, such as teeth whitening, hairstyle, construction, painting, and decoloration. In that case, you can showcase before and after images to give the potential buyer a clear understanding of your services.
Use one of these HTML before and after sliders or the following widget builder to create your image comparison from here.
Form
You can use Google Forms to create a contact form, price inquiries, ask for a quote, or any form. However, if you need a more customizable one for your site, you must use tools such as Jotform, Paperform, Typeform, and Aidaform.
Here’s an AI-based form builder. Specify the type of form you want to create, and the Elfsight form builder will build one for you automatically.
Google reviews
If your local workshop or digital marketing agency has a Google Business Profile and positive rating, don’t waste them! – Put Google reviews on your website to rent Google’s credibility and boost conversions.
Use the widget builder below to create your widget:
Interactive map
Does your business have branches nationwide, or has it even gone international? Why not use an interactive Google Map widget and showcase the nearest branch to the viewer?
Use the following builder to create an interactive Google Maps widget with multiple locations:
Portfolio
A portfolio section demonstrates your previous works. Using one on your service page will increase engagement and lead customers. The portfolio widget on your Google Sites can include images, a description of work, a link to book online, and even a phone number and email address.
Use the following widget builder below to create a portfolio widget.
Setting up
Like setting up the sales page to sell digital products on Google Site, in this step of setting up a service sales page on Google Site, you have to put together – the checkout form, graphics, service description, and others.
How to drive traffic
Now, you have set up the sales page to sell on Google Sites. But how do you make money without traffic?
Before sending traffic, you should keep a few things in mind:
- Track your performance — Use quality link tracking services such as ClickMagick and Voluum to analyze which keywords, ad placements, and ad copies generate sales and optimize campaigns by cutting off low-performing keywords. Also, integrate the sales funnel on Google Sites into your Google Analytics tracking if you have not done so already!
- A/B test your sales pages — How do you know the current sales page performs best? You cannot, right? That is why you should split-test them. But how do you conduct A/B test sales pages, considering Google Sites is not a funnel builder? You can overcome it by using a URL rotator. An URL rotation tool will route traffic to multiple URLs. To conduct split testing, you can duplicate the original sales page and make slight differences.
- Try different traffic sources — Each offer and landing page converts differently to each traffic type and source. Do not stick with just one traffic type and source alone – experiment with many!
Organic traffic
Organic traffic is free. Search engines like Google and YouTube are popular organic traffic mediums. Even though it doesn’t require investment for traffic generation, it will undoubtedly take time and creativity and involve competition.
For a start, you can start a blog on Google Sites and publish your product or service-related content.
Ensure you conduct good keyword research using a tool like WriterZen and optimize content using a tool like SurferSEO. Use low-competitive keywords to rank quicker on top of Google and analyze the competition to determine which type of content performs well.
Check out these Google Sites SEO tips for more ways to optimize your site for search engines.
Add call-to-action buttons, banners, etc., throughout the blog content to promote your products and services.
YouTube is also a great resource to drive traffic to your Google Site. Research first which type of content performs well and is popular, conduct keyword research for YouTube, and hold YouTube competitions using random comment pickers to boost engagement.
Use compelling headlines and thumbnails, add a callout, and discuss the link in your videos’ descriptions.
Solo ads
Solo ads traffic originates from emails. In Solo Advertising, solo ads vendors (marketers who own an email list) will promote your offer to their list, and you will only pay for legitimate clicks.
Since emails are a direct communication method with a leading ROI across many niches, marketers, especially in Make Money Online, Network Marketing, Business Opportunities (Biz Opps), Relationships, Health, and Wealth, use solo ads to build email lists fast (solo ads landing pages has got 30+% conversion rate), beta test landing pages, promote affiliate launches and sell own products.
Among many places to buy solo ad traffic, such as Forums, Facebook, and direct vendors, Udimi is the best and buyer-friendly marketplace, particularly for beginners. Check out How to use Udimi solo ads to learn more.
Search for a solo ads dealer on Udimi and read descriptions, reviews & ratings. Here’s a mega list of solo ads rolodex created using Udimi statistics.
Contact and ask whether your product/service on the Google Sites landing page will work with the seller’s traffic. It’s pretty important – Do not ignore asking.
It is recommended to use your own email content for solo ads rather than sending the tracking link.
The issue with sending a tracking link alone is that it is used as another traffic routing destination link of a larger pool of link rotators by the vendor to distribute traffic.
So, in other words, the traffic is less targeted and less warmed up compared to links within your email content, which sellers send to their lists.
The perfect solo ads sales funnel involves a frontier lead capture page, tripwire offer, and retargeting. You can integrate those into your existing Google Sites pages as well.
Also, you can try alternatives to Udimi, like Cleeko, to find sellers. Learn more about the platform in Cleeko’s review.
Related: Google Ads vs. Solo Ads vs. Facebook Ads
Paid ads
Paid advertising remains one of the fastest and most lucrative ways to generate sales for your business. For that, you should know what you are doing!
There are many paid traffic types:
- PPC ads — Pay-per-click advertising platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Ads put your ad in front of millions of people on search engines and their partners. Keyword selection, bidding, and ad copy (i.e., ad quality score in Google Ads) are essential factors.
- Video ads — The most popular video platform is YouTube. You can run ads on YouTube feed and within video.
- Native ads — Place ads in popular magazines and websites such as Huffington Post, Newsweek, FoxNews and Yahoo News. The ad copy is the key to getting a high CTR and quality clicks at cheaper rates.
- Push notification ads — Push notification traffic is cheaper but has limited targeting.
- Display Banner ads — It all depends on the banner placement and CTR. Some browsers and extensions, such as AdBlock, block banner ads by default.
- Pop ads — Popup and popunder ad traffic are cheaper compared to others. However, they have a low conversion rate.
- Social media ads — Run ad campaigns on social media and instant messenger platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit and Telegram. The creatives, targeting, and CTR are keys to getting quality clicks at a cheaper rate.
Here are a few popular ad networks you can use to run paid ad campaigns to drive traffic to your offers:
- Google Ads — Run ads on Google Search, YouTube, AdSense-partner websites and its partners.
- Microsoft Ads — Place ads on Bing, Yahoo!, and its partners.
- Meta Ads — Run ads on Meta’s platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and its partners.
- ProperllerAds — A self-serve platform to run campaigns for popunder, push notifications, interstitial, and survey exit campaigns.
- Adsterra — Another self-serve platform with 30B+ impressions/month, 15+ targeting settings, plus traffic & bid estimation tools.
- Zeropark — It is a real-time bidding (RTB) ad network that supports PPC, pops, pus,h, and native ads.
- Taboola — It is a content discovery and native advertising platform that you can place ads on sites like USA Today, NBC, Business Insider, MSN, Yahoo!, and Bloomberg.
Hire influencers
Another lucrative way to get sales is by hiring a social media influencer. You might have already seen some YouTubers, TikTokers, and Instagram users recommend/promote services and products. These posts or “shoutouts” are paid by and for brands and companies.
If your selling items match with influencers’ content, you can contact them and ask for collaboration or a paid promotion.
Shoutcart
Shoutcart is a platform where you can find influencers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, and Facebook. You can buy sponsored posts with links in their bio and run sitewide campaigns where influencers can participate and get paid per view.
Conclusion
Since Google Sites has limited options to build a high-converting page to sell on Google Sites, it’s required to utilize third-party tools to add a product pricing table, checkout form, and other widgets.
In this guide, you learned how to sell on Google Sites. Ensure you also use other strategies, such as email marketing campaigns, to maximize your profits. For instance, use high-quality and responsive email templates using one of these HTML email designers, set Google Business for your email, get a custom domain, and send using your custom domain.
Check out these related articles to learn more about Google Sites: