Google will be throwing open the doors to the Chrome Web Store some time in the coming months, and they're currently preparing for a whirlwind global tour to sing the praises of HTML5 and Chrome. On the tour, the Web Store will be a frequent topic of discussion and they've recently announced a couple important additions to the Store's developer preview.

Google Checkout payments are now supported, and developers can sign up for a merchant account on their dashboard page. Page previews have now been added -- so you can see how your app will look in the Store prior to publishing. Pages can be customized with header images and Google is also allowing devs to upload their own promotional banners (they'll be displayed when your app is feature in the store).

One downside for developers hoping to sell their apps in the Web Store is that Google Checkout might be the only payment option. Checkout still isn't available in that many countries, so international devs looking to deliver localized Web apps will have to wait for Google to make good on their expansion promises.

ed note: it's become an expected part of app stores, but as you can see in the screenshot the Chrome Web Store will offer recommendations based on what other users install.