Amazon vs. Google: Which is Best for Your Business?

A key factor in running a successful online business is an optimized data feed. However, with so many options on the market, it can be difficult to choose the right one that will help your business succeed. The two key players in the industry, Amazon.com and Google, are competing for the top spot in the eyes of marketers — each bringing their own advantages and disadvantages. It’s important to understand their pros and cons in order to decide which data feed is the best fit for your business.

Amazon is known almost exclusively for online shopping. It accounts for 41 percent of the U.S. e-commerce market. It has a presence in 15 countries across the world, allowing businesses to easily sell to and test the global market as well as implement advertisement placements that appear directly on product pages. Even if a consumer isn't searching for your specific product, they may see it on a competitor's page, which can increase visibility and awareness of your brand. This exposure is a distinct strength for Amazon.

On the other hand, with a large online marketplace like Amazon comes a significant amount of competition. More effort (and money) is required to make your business memorable and stand out from others. Companies that sell their products on Amazon will run into various fees, such as fluctuating selling costs and commissions from ads. Additionally, Amazon doesn't have a built-in shopping cart integration feature. This means that a third-party resource is needed to integrate and track inventory properly.

Now to Google, the world's most popular search engine that provides many benefits for your brand. First, Google leads consumers directly to your website, rather than customers purchasing your products secondhand through Amazon, thus eliminating the need to share commission. Furthermore, consumers can browse through other items on your site, all while you gather first-party data to use for future personalization efforts. Google also allows businesses more control in displaying specific designs, ensuring brand consistency across platforms. Finally, Google’s reach extends beyond that of Amazon’s, as Google ads appear in 90 countries internationally.

Although Google is widely used and contains an array of information, it struggles with being considered a “booming retailer.” Consumers don't first turn to Google to purchase something they've been eyeing. Another con of using Google is the limited control of where Google's ads are displayed. Google Shopping ads follow data and an algorithm to determine where they're placed, which is out of the hands of the advertiser. This can of course lead to a brand's advertisements being placed on sites in which they don’t align with.

The question remains: who wins the data feed battle? Taking a step back, there is no clear winner or correct choice of which data feed is best. With the right strategy, businesses can benefit from using both Amazon and Google’s data feeds together. It's up to the business owners to assess the advantages and disadvantages of these top players together with their own needs and goals.

Dawn Paul is the content marketing manager for Adtaxi, one of the nation’s fastest-growing digital marketing agencies.