Common AdWords Faux Pas – Don’t Get Caught Out!
Do these emotions/actions/ feelings sound familiar in the anticipation of your first AdWords Campaign; ‘electrified’, ‘fast and shallow breathing’, ‘excitement’? It seems straight-forward; easy even, but fast-forward a few weeks and you have noticed no difference in leads let alone sales. You begin thinking that maybe you’ve missed something, that maybe the simplicity of setting up a campaign belies the complexity of the entire system.
Don’t Leave Your Online Marketing Until It’s Too Late!
Time and time again, I see businesses put weeks, months, even years of planning and research into business models. But time and time again, I see companies throw in the towel mere weeks into trade. I wonder if they have ever looked at the time and effort they have put into setting up their business and compared it to their marketing…?
“I’ll just use the newspaper; I get a few calls from that!”
I’ve heard this on too many occasions, a client hasn’t received positive ROI in the first 3 weeks and they decide that the money would be better spent on something that is getting ROI, albeit limited. The writing is on the wall, digital media is growing and newspapers are declining. They’re an old medium for news access, plus we have a tiny device in our pockets that allows us to gain an insight into the world’s information. Tell me how one would grow their business in a dying media and I’ll show you an advertising executive from the old guard.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a company. People invest in their business from the get-go, insurance, equipment, fees for registering the name, etc. This is all before anything has even been sold. This can take months, even years before the business is ready to trade.
I understand that there needs to be revenue, even if it isn’t positive ROI, there needs to be some ROI, but we have to look at the facts before jumping the gun and terminating an online strategy prior to it taking flight. Imagine buying a plane with the view of escaping to the Bahamas (or a destination of your choice), organising all the flight path requirements, gaining all the necessary documents, employing a pilot, taxiing to the runway, as the g-force of the take-off begins you run up to the cockpit and just as the wheels leave the asphalt, yell at him to power down because you’ve realised that the jet fuel is expensive and you could buy a rowing boat to get there cheaper.
“I will just do flyer drops!”
This amuses me, as I’ve had experience outside of work with this sort of advertising. It might bring in a couple of people, sure, and for some businesses a couple of ongoing customers is great. I had a friend with a gym and he did flyer drops in the local area, just like the eight or nine other gyms in the local area did. People did the free trial and yes, some signed up, but what happens then? Do you do another flyer drop in the hopes that you missed someone? What about the person in the suburb just over who drives through your suburb on the way home from work? There’s no way a flyer will catch them. There’s a much broader market out there that is being missed out on and that market is digital.
This is why the online strategy must be prepared for, budget allocated for several months to find the right strategy. There’s no magic button, you may be lucky and strike gold in the first month, or you may have to slog it out for 2-3 months before you find something that works. This is the nature of business.
“I would’ve expected more by now!”
There’s a few, quick and broad, steps that I take, particularly in regards to AdWords, which sets the stage for a broader strategy:
1. Ensure the Keywords are relevant.
2. Remove search terms that are irrelevant.
3. Analyse the activity of people who are relevant on the website.
4. Ensure market targeted is correct
5. Optimise both the campaign and the website based off that information.
Once you know what returns business, take it to the next level, use that as a basis for your SEO, Facebook, etc.
To make it in business, investment is required. We are at the cusp of a revolution, in my opinion, that will return the power of business away from the corporations and into the hands of the little guy, aided by the internet and politics. Begin your journey now and be ahead of the game when this revolution takes hold; make sure Get More Traffic is there with you to help your business make the most of it. Call us on 1300 332 256 today!
Ever since Global Network Navigator created the first clickable web ad in 1993 for Heller, Ehrman White & McAuliffe with a Click Through Rate of 44%, we’ve all developed a love/ hate relationship with Banner/Display/ Image ads on the Internet. I love them, you likely hate them.
You’re probably thinking, “why don’t you marry them, INSERT MYSTERY NAME HERE?” adding, “ner ner nerner ner ner”.
Firstly, we’re not in primary school anymore, so that was a little juvenile, but I get it, you’re letting off steam. And quite rightly, I imagine, after being bombarded by image ads stopping you from all the work or fun you want to do on the Internet, the combination beautifully realised reading this awesome piece of journalism.
Day in day out, they’re there, asking you to buy something, possibly after you’ve already bought that something, more likely after you’ve decided not to buy that something, and even more likely that you have no intention of ever buying, and you’re wondering why they would even show up in your daily travels through the Internetverse ™ (just made that up then).
It always amuses me when I see a text ad pop up on a website I’m viewing asking me if I “Have A Blocked Drain? Call the Sydney Blocked Drain Experts” when I’m in Brisbane and my landlord is my next door neighbour who happens to be a plumber. Entirely irrelevant to my needs, yet somehow this ad is floating on my radar.
Now, people will often point out that the Click Through Rate these days is nowhere near the heights of those original pop-up ads, in fact, they are a fraction of a fraction of what they were at stage one. And Google has admitted that only about half the ads served are actually viewed, in that many that register as an impression (showed on the screen) are actually ‘below the fold’, meaning the user must scroll down in order to see it. If half the ads aren’t being seen, we can effectively double the CTR, but I’m a linguist, not a statistician, so take that with a grain of salt. Also, when we are talking a CTR of 0.03, it’s much of a muchness.
You are probably thinking that this is actually proving your case that Display network marketing is terrible, but you’re wrong and I say this with authority. When Google Display network ads are targeted correctly, they can be a business’ greatest ally! I’m sure you’re aware of Remarketing, which is basically following people around the net with Image ads after they’ve viewed your website, you may not know how targeted they can actually be.
I had a mate recently tell me how much they despised the fact that they were being ‘followed’ by this company that they bought one product from, with offers on the same product they just purchased! I understand the annoyance and if only that company’s marketing team had created a Remarketing list for people who have purchased in order to sell accessories instead of the product they just bought, the ads may have been less annoying and more enticing.
There are a number of other Pop-Up avenues making a splash that actually do annoy me, such as the Pop-Up to subscribe on a website, or the Pop-Up to add additional food items to my already ridiculously long pizza order (but the annoyance in this case is the lack of willpower in saying no to Chocolate Lava Cakes).
This is the idea of immediate upselling and while it has its place, I find myself, particularly on my phone, becoming frustrated when I click the little ‘x’ to close it and my fat, chocolate-lava-cake-and-pizza-laden fingers accidentally bring up the exact thing I don’t want. This is more of an issue with a site’s mobile optimization, though.
In order to make sure you are not one of those that annoy their clients, you need a strategy. Display ads are not going away anytime soon and I foresee a drastic change to how they are distributed as people become savvier with the features that are already available, and as features are added.
I have several examples of a Display campaign that works that isn’t even a Remarketing campaign. In particular, the targeting of Display ads to individual relevant forums and websites in order to spread awareness of a new product, or a new feature, can result in some of the best conversions a company has ever seen, especially if the product is an innovation of a current, widely used model. These campaigns, while the CTR may still be low, have incredibly high Conversion Rates.
And that’s what it is all about, increasing your Conversion Rate. So speak with us today at Get More Traffic on 1300 332 256 to see what we can do for you and your business!
Online Marketing Best Practices
I love it when a client recognises that someone is trying to pull a number on them, it validates the time I have invested explaining how the AdWords system operates to them. Yet the unscrupulous never fail to try, often using tactics and methods that are flat out against Google Policy for their Google Partners.
I can only imagine the excitement of a business owner, who has been spending a decent percentage of their gross revenue on AdWords, feels when they hear that they can slash their costs and increase their traffic exponentially at the same time. It must feel like hitting the jackpot.
Here are a couple of commonly used tactics to get the foot in the door:
- Claiming to be from Google.
- Claiming to have a ‘special’ partnership or deal with Google. Alternatively, claiming that their status as a Premium partner gives them special privileges.
- Claiming unlimited clicks for a set price.
- Claiming to get you at the top of the page 24/7.
Google Partners are bound by strict codes of practice. The facts are as follows:
- Google Partners are not allowed to purport to be ‘from Google’.
- Google Partners are not provided special or even unique treatment in the AdWords system. No, Premium Partnership does not grant special privileges.
- ‘Unlimited clicks’ is a misnomer, and potentially deceptive if coupled with point four. The idea behind unlimited clicks comes from choosing certain exact match terms that historically have minimal search history. This way the company can charge a set price on a range of search terms knowing full well that those search terms will never reach the charge they have set.
- Google operates on the basis of market forces, if you want the top position; you bid for that position and make your ads and landing page as relevant to the search term as possible.
Often these are used in conjunction, creating the perfect storm of shonk. Often the promises are short-lived, especially when the company requests money upfront. It can be framed as a three month special, where if you pay for three months you will receive a discount. Many people would see their current costs on AdWords and consider the option, as it seems like a savings and a small price to pay upfront for unlimited clicks at the top of Google.
At this stage it is worth mentioning that transparency is a must when it comes to AdWords. As a business owner, knowing where your dollars are being spent is part of your job, as you know. I’ve had many clients come to me from other companies because their AdWords campaign and, all of its data wasn’t theirs to peruse, it was accessible only at the behest of the agency looking after them.
This provides an agency with the ability to take credit when things are running smoothly, as well as the chance to bombard you with what could potentially be irrelevant stats when the going is rough (smoke and mirrors).
Recently I have had a client who came to me as they were looking for more transparency in their AdWords spend. After investigating a drop in sales during a particular time period, it became clear that the organic traffic was bringing in the majority of the sales with their previous agency. The whole time this agency had been saying their campaign was providing all the results!
Fortunately these practices seem to be going the way of the dodo (the bird, not the internet company, this isn’t libel), as more business owners, like yourself, become more savvy with the AdWords system, the less these vultures can prey on the unsuspecting. But as they say, fore-warned is fore-armed, so if anyone approaches you with the above, let them know in no uncertain terms your thoughts on their dodgy tactics. If you want a company which does follow the rules and is transparent, then you know to get in touch with us here at Get More Traffic on 1300 332 256 or visit our website.
The 3 Key Features You Must Have in Online Marketing
Whether you are stepping into the world of online marketing for the first time, or if you are a savvy marketing business owner, we all have one thing in common – that we should never stop learning and we should never assume that we know it all. As the bright and bubbly crowd that we are here at Get More Traffic, we’re all for learning from those around us. So go on, follow our lead and learn a little something from us! We reckon there are three main points you must always include in your online marketing strategy; websites which are optimised for high conversion, Pay-per-Click advertising, and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Conversion Optimised Website
Your website is the online version of a physical shopfront. People will choose to enter your website based on whether they like the look of your website, or not. Believe it or not, a successful website comes down to whether it has been optimised for conversions. Let’s face it; we live in a world where people expect everything to be available at their fingertips. If your business is not offering this, then people will go elsewhere; they will go to your competition! A website which has been created for optimal conversion rates should come before a Pay-per-Click advertising strategy, and a SEO plan. There is no point in running these methods if they aren’t going to lead your prospective customers to a well-functioning website. It’s why we offer Convertopages as a website conversion product. Speak to your Account Driver today if you are interested in learning more.
Pay Per Click Advertising
Want prospective customers to find you when they are searching for what products and services you offer? Then Pay-per-Click advertising is what you want. It puts your business in front of users at the exact time they are online and looking for the products and services you sell. In terms of timing, you couldn’t get it any better. But what about a user’s buying cycle? What’s that, you ask? This determines where the user is in their search query progress. Users can begin their search online for a product or service, but will revisit that search process four to five separate times before they are ready to click on your ad link. You want to capture their attention when they are at this stage in the buying cycle. Unsure how to do this? It’s the exact reason why you have someone like your Account Driver here at Get More Traffic to help you with this. Speak to them today about your target markets buying cycle.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO tactics help your website to rank as high as possible on search engines. We prefer to focus on Google simply due to the sheer size of the online giant! When your website ranks well in Google search, users will inherently trust your website to be relevant to their search query. It also builds trust, brand recognition and it puts you above your competitors. However, SEO does have a bit of a science to it, and getting it to work for your website is seriously a full time job. Due to the fact that a company like Google are always tinkering with their search algorithms, it’s our job to stay on top of what that means for you!
So, gone are the days when you could easily rely on a few advertisements in the local newspaper or radio station. With prospective clients always online, whether that’s via a PC or mobile device, you need to meet them there. The three key features above are what will ensure you can this successfully. If you’re interested in learning how Get More Traffic can help your business, visit our website today or simply give us a call on 1300 332 256 – we’d love to have a chat and help you out any way we can.
Incorporating your USP in Ad Copy
If you want to stand out from your competitor’s you need to be able to communicate why. Are your products or services cheaper? Do you provide 24/7 technical support? Do you have free shipping? You must be able to succinctly say why a consumer should choose you over the competition. If you can’t articulate this, why should anyone listen to you?
Any successful business will possess a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) whether that is a product or service which has the greatest potential or profit power. So that you can align your USP with your advertising efforts, you must learn to incorporate it in the vast majority of your ad copy.
Why You Need to Stop Searching Google for your Ad Now!
Offline marketing is notoriously difficult to measure and track which is why online marketing methods such as Google AdWords are growing more and more in popularity.
When you first sign up to traditional advertising methods, such as television, radio, and print, there is always a certain amount of satisfaction you feel when you see your ad. A smile spreads across your face as you see the result of the money you spent for the advertising as you imagine how many other people will be exposed to your ad as well (see what I did there?!). How do you measure the success of your ad beyond seeing it yourself?
With online marketing methods, you can measure and track the effectiveness of each ad, and each campaign. But what happens when you go to Google your ad and you don’t see it? A frown appears across your brow and you wonder why you can’t see it. Where is it? You search again and still you can’t find it; what is going on?! I’m here to tell you exactly why this might be the case and what you could be doing to actually hurt the intentions of your AdWords campaign.