Building momentum for your online store can be tricky. Follow best practices for retail marketing and you’re on the right track. But sometimes, you need a little more to push shoppers in the right direction.
That’s where good old-fashioned advertising comes in handy. The world of media has moved from print to the web. This shift helped revolutionize how you justify your advertising budget. Performance is much easier to measure. Advertisements target your audience more effectively.
For online retailers, advertising can help. One of the most popular forms of advertising on the web today is pay-per-click (PPC). PPC is entirely performance driven. You only pay for ads when potential shoppers click on them, leading them to your storefront.
Ready to get your first PPC campaign off the ground? Follow the steps below to ensure a successful advertising campaign.
Step 1: Get started with a PPC provider.
One of the most popular names in the PPC world is Google. Surprised? Of course not. Google offers user-friendly ad management that appeals to businesses of all shapes and sizes. Everyone uses Google. You’ve probably clicked a link in one of the ad boxes at the top of the page before. It’s the best place to get started learning about the world of PPC.
Step 2: Write your advertisement.
Create a concise advertisement that gets to the point quickly. Tie in promotions. Include a call to action that appeals to your audience. Compelling ad copy is difficult. You may want to enlist the help of a professional ad copywriter or digital marketing expert.
Step 3: Make a list of keywords.
If you’ve already spent time fine-tuning your SEO, this one should be a no-brainer. If not, remember to limit your keywords to only the most relevant ones. A wide berth on a PPC campaign may bring in more traffic, but it won’t necessarily bring in members of your audience. Remember, it’s about getting qualified leads that will become buyers.
Step 4: Plan your budget carefully.
With PPC, you define how much money you’re willing to spend over a given period of time. If you’re testing ads and keywords, make sure you set a low budget cap over the first week or so. That way, you’ll spend less money figuring out what appeals most to your audience. When your campaign is fine-tuned, you can allocate a bigger budget.
Step 5: Pay attention to performance metrics.
As you launch campaigns, your PPC provider will deliver detailed breakdowns of how your campaign is performing. A strong understanding of relevant metrics is necessary for the success of your campaigns. Make sure you’re paying the closest attention to advertisements that eventually result in conversions.
