I’d like to applaud Anirvan and BookFinder for making some really necessary changes on his site. The previous site layout really was not set-up to make it in the new internet browsing world of clarity, ease, and efficiency. The new site is a huge improvement and I will definitely be making more use out of it.

The other change integrates shipping prices into the search results to allow users to be aware of exorbitant shipping fees on the front-end, a great consumer-driven change that will undoubtedly serve to increase sales through the site. Also one that has to give a big boost to AbeBooks sellers who charge less than the standard shipping fees.

Working in one of the more purely competitive markets in business does have its advantages and that’s providing immense price value to the consumer. I’m such a big fan of these metasearch sites because they help demonstrate to consumers the value-added service online booksellers provide.

I have to admit, many of Google’s new ventures are, while pretty cool, not always aligned with my own internet needs … until now. It is rumored that this week Google will launch an online payment service to compete with Paypal. GBuy, once rumored to be Google Wallet, is said to cost more than Paypal, but will offer discounts for AdWords clients.

Paypal, an eBay subsidiary, currently operates in 55 markets and manages 105 million accounts - Each second the site processes over $1,100 dollars in payments. The company has had its ups and downs including near bankruptcy, bouts with organized crime, and class action lawsuits.

As B&N begins its third party seller program for invited sellers, in what they call “Beta” mode, there are a variety of ways they could elevate this part of the website. One of the issues I would consider most important would be integration of their used books into the metasearch engines, especially Addall and Bookfinder. I would not be surprised if this action alone doubled the site’s used book sales. As it is now on Addall, Barnes and Noble only offers their own books, often showing up at the bottom of the page or not at all. This would be a huge boon for online sellers on B&N proper or through Alibris.