Company

Every iPod needs headphones. Every cell phone needs a hands-free speaker. And both gadgets look extra cool enveloped in a leather case. Eforcity knows these things to be true, and that's the source of the company's booming accessories business. Eforcity.com carries a full line of accessories for things like cell phones, MP3 players, networking devices, and laptop computers.

"We carry a lot of accessories overlooked by large retail chains," says CEO Jack Sheng. "Because we are small, we are more nimble and can capture the peak season of gadgets." Eforcity.com also sees itself as more than just a retailer; Sheng describes the company as being "as much of a product development company as we are retail. We get involved with research and development, contract, import, and distribution, too."

Based in the Los Angeles area, Eforcity.com has more than 100 employees in the United States and Asia. The company has $25 million dollars in annual sales in the United States and Europe, and has experienced an explosive 900 percent growth rate in the past 3 years, placing it a spot at number 90 on the Inc. 500 list of America's fastest growing private companies.

Approach

A longtime Google AdWords™ advertiser, when Eforcity.com heard about Google Checkout, it signed up immediately. The company offers several checkout options and decided to add Google Checkout to the mix due to a strong belief that integration with AdWords would lead to an increased return on investment and higher conversion rates. The company also felt Google Checkout would inspire more consumer confidence because of its name recognition. "Everybody trusts Google," notes Sheng.

Results

	"We believe that Google Checkout fully meets, if not exceeds, the industry benchmark set by major credit card companies and merchant banks."

Eforcity garnered more positive results from Google Checkout than anticipated. Site traffic between the last quarter of 2006 and the first quarter of 2007 improved significantly. The pricing structure has saved the company money because they don't pay transaction fees. AdWords return on investment is up 10 percent thanks to integration with Google Checkout. Eforcity has seen a large influx of Google Checkout orders since it launched the service.

The company also experienced an often overlooked benefit of Checkout: fraud protection. "We didn't even think of fraud protection when we started using Google Checkout," Sheng says. "But we see virtually no fraud coming from that channel." Given that online retail is especially vulnerable to fraud, Sheng adds, this is especially noteworthy. "We believe that Google Checkout fully meets, if not exceeds, the industry benchmark set by major credit card companies and merchant banks."

Eforcity plans to integrate Google Analytics to better measure the changes in performance of their site. The company also plans to continue using Google Checkout promotions to increase awareness and sales. "Just having Checkout as an option provides more assurance to new buyers, so that they feel more comfortable shopping with us," Sheng says. Overall, he is very satisfied with the Checkout experience. "Google did a fantastic job of keeping Checkout reliable, and there's no doubt that it's beneficial," he concludes.