If you run an online business, you need to know about pay-per-click advertising. It’s an online advertising system in which an advertiser is charged only when someone clicks on the ad displayed, meaning there’s no waste. You’re only charged for ads that generate a real response. When people click on an ad, they are more inclined to convert into a paying customer. So, PPC is a very cost-efficient means of advertising and an important part of any marketing portfolio. It can be a big moneymaker for your eCommerce store, as long as you know the right PPC optimization techniques.
To make it work, you’ll either need a deep understanding of PPC eCommerce optimization or help from professionals who know how to leverage PPC ads and develop a website with landing pages that boast great features, is intuitive, and converts customers.
The simple fact that this is an easy way to generate revenue means it’s already a hugely popular system, and while it can be easy to set up there are some common mistakes people make that render their PPC campaigns less effective than they should be.
Let’s take a look at why PPC might not be working on your eCommerce store, how you can boost our sales, and some PPC best practices you should always follow.
If you already have PPC set up on your eCommerce store and it isn’t working out well for you, there could be some simple fixes that make it much more effective. From Google ads optimization to solving poor quality landing pages, there are measures that can be taken to ramp up your PPC setup’s effectiveness.
Let’s start with traffic and conversion. When you first set up a PPC campaign you may have the default settings switched on for search campaigns, which it optimizing for clicks. It means you’ll get a high number of people clicking the ads, but ultimately failing to create conversions. If people click but don’t buy, then you’re missing your goal.
Conversions are always the end goal here, and to work towards that goal you should go beyond traffic and look at traffic by keyword. Look at which keywords are driving much of the clicks that don’t convert and pause it. If it’s not converting, it isn’t helping. Then, consider whether you could improve that keyword and ask whether you used a broad match instead of an exact match.
Oh, and don’t forget about the ad itself. If your ad is causing people to click through by making a big promise but then failing to deliver on that promise, then it’s also not helpful. You should ensure those who click your ad get exactly what they expect when they click through.
Remember, traffic isn’t the same as conversions or sales.
As we alluded to in the last section, a bad landing page can have a big effect on whether your PPC advertising works. If your landing page puts someone off, then what reason will they have to either click on an advert in the first place or make a sale once they move onto the next page?
Make sure your landing page is clear, professional-looking, and delivers exactly what potential customers want and expect. If your page resembles a spam website with too much information and poor quality graphics, visitors will lose faith in your brand and are unlikely to convert.
For higher ROI, keep your pages clean and professional, only make promises you can keep, and remove or change pages that don’t offer good conversions.
Finally, let’s consider quality scores. This is an essential metric for PPC advertising that is commonly ignored. If you use too many keywords that have low-quality scores, you may avoid some competition but you won’t see positive results. Ad diagnostic tools can ensure you use a combination of high, medium, and low-score keywords.
An effective combination of these three will ensure you get the best results.
We offer PPC recommendations because this system can increase sales. It’s as simple as that. This form of advertising can generate new income, sell your products to new audiences, and expose your website to people who may otherwise have never heard of you.
It can only do that, however, if you consider the following tips for creating the best PPC campaigns.
Start by defining your goal. All projects need a goal, and if you don’t know what you’re working towards then you don’t know whether your conversions are high enough and whether your keywords are working out for you.
High-performing keywords are your friend. Analyzing the effectiveness of keywords is essential for long-term success. Look for keywords that generate traffic and conversions, and nurture them. Find variations that work, too, and stop using the ones that don’t help you.
Once you know which keywords work, you’ll instantly see which ones don’t. Filter out of the ones that generate traffic but no conversions, and the ones that don’t even generate traffic. Refocus your efforts on new keywords that work, and spend time experimenting with new ideas and options.
In PPC, negative keywords let you filter who sees your ad based on the specifics of their search query. In plain English, it allows you to prevent people who you know won’t be interested in your ad from seeing the ad. You can find negative keywords using the Google Ads Keyword Planner, and by keeping a list of negative keywords that work you can ensure you don’t waste time (and money) reaching out to people you know aren’t interested in buying.
Optimizing your keyword bids for your personal circumstances is important because every advertiser has a different goal. Your keyword bids should be optimized according to target search page location, whether or not you want to maximize clicks or enhance cost-per-click. You’ll also need to consider return on ads spend, cost-per-acquisition, and outranking share.
There is only so much that PPC for eCommerce stores can help if the ad itself isn’t good. Remember to create ads that offer something compelling, which look good, and which catches the eye.
Avoid using too much text as it will likely put people off, and if your product looks particularly amazing…don’t be afraid to use photos! When you create an ad that compels people to click, you’ve won half the battle.
Ad extensions offer greater customization options in PPC advertising. Location extensions add your phone number and business address to an ad, giving people quick access to your contact details. Message extensions make it easy for people to quickly message you.
A dynamic site link extension shows additional pages on your site and gives quick access, and price extensions show people the cost of products they might be interested in.
With ad extensions you can add the details you know your audience will be interested in.
Finally, remember to make landing pages that are specific to your ad. Ensure the page continues the theme of the advertisement and doesn’t redirect people to a page that makes no sense.
If someone clicks on an ad for a t-shirt…then make sure the ad-specific landing page features that t-shirt!
At Catapult Revenue, we know PPC advertising inside-out. Our team knows what it takes to create a website that frames products and services and seamlessly connects PPC ads with landing pages that convert.
Through our deep understanding of how PPC advertising works, we connect you with new audiences and showcase your branding on relevant sites, utilize appropriate ad extensions, and take every measure to ensure only the people who are likely to buy from you see your ads. We reduce wasted expenses and create streamlined campaigns that work.
We manage digital marketing campaigns, SEO, and everything else you need to gain new customers globally, whatever your product or service.
For more information and a full eCommerce assessment, reach out to our team by calling (312) 625-0447 or filling in our online form.
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