Google vs. PayPal • 18 June 2007 • The SnowBlog

Google vs. PayPal

          No, it's not some huge industry news or speculation on one buying t'other. I just want your opinion on which is easier to use. The beady amongst you may note that on our homepage there is a new button. You can buy a copy of Needle in the Blood direct from this site! With your credit card! It's like the future. It's one of the things that came out of our strategy week (I have so much to write up for you on that... more as it comes) - to make sure people can buy books direct from us if they want to. I actually thought it was going to cost the earth and require me to learn Javascript, but it turns out that Google has a natty new addition to its businesses: Google Checkout. It's brill, and simple, and reliable, and secure, and everything... but you need a google account to use it. 

My question is: do you have a google account? Like a gmail or googlemail address? And if you don't, would you consider signing up in order to buy a book from us? Or would that be too much hassle? And if you don't have a google account, do you have a PayPal account? Or would you even prefer to be invoiced and post a cheque? 

So many questions - but it would be really, really useful if you had thoughts you could share! In fact, as this is effectively market research and you're meant to pay for things like that, I will enter everyone who replies in an All Star Prize Draw and the winner can have a free copy of a Snowbook of their choice. 

The button for Needle is just a trial. Depending on what you say, I'm going to make all books available from the website, but I want to make sure the payment option is the most convenient for you, the treasured reader. 

Paypal, Google or cheque? You decide. 
Emma