February of 2021 is coming to a close and with it we had a few ecommerce developments that are worth some attention. These sorts of announcements are easy to miss if you’re not looking out for them.
No worries though, we’ve got your covered.
Here’s everything important in the ecommerce world that you may have missed this month.
Microsoft Advertising product updates
This month’s Microsoft Ads product updates include new conversion adjustment capabilities, automatic conversion data scheduling, new custom reporting parameters, cross-campaign asset reporting, Dynamic Search Ads expansion, extension updates, and more.
Maryland’s ad tax
Maryland became the first state in the US to impose a tax on digital advertising. The tax applies to revenue from digital ads that are shown inside the state and is only applicable to companies generating over $100 million from digital advertising. This move comes as local businesses have struggled to survive the effects of the pandemic while big tech companies have seen record-breaking growth. Proceeds generated from the tax are set to go towards Maryland’s schools. This may be the first of many similar initiatives, as more states are seeking to pass similar taxes.
Until it’s addressed by major advertising platforms, merchants need not make any adjustments to their campaigns. Even then, this tax is unlikely to affect the majority of advertisers.
Build a free website in Microsoft’s Digital Marketing Center
Microsoft’s Digital Marketing Center now offers a website creation service that aims to remove the cost and time barriers of creating a website. Geared towards small businesses without a formal site, this new service will enable small businesses to expand their digital marketing efforts.
Facebook’s new small business initiative and product updates
Facebook launched a new initiative called “Good Ideas Deserve To Be Found” that highlights how personalized ads are an important way people discover small businesses, and how these ads help small businesses grow. The company has also introduced a few small business oriented product updates including a simplified Ads Manager, extension of Facebook's free Checkout offering through June 2021, improvements to restaurant Pages, and an updated Business Resource hub.
Automatically adjust pricing on Buy on Google listings
Google released a new automatic product repricing feature for merchants utilizing Buy on Google. Through Merchant Center, eligible merchants can now create rules that automatically adjust the price of their Buy on Google product listings. The feature is only available for the Buy on Google program, it doesn’t apply to Google’s free product listings nor to traditional Shopping Ads.
