Paid Search has largely evolved over the years and although most advertisers are using the same campaign types, the role of the channel will vary from one business to another. There is simply no one-size-fits all when it comes to Paid Search activity.
And if you are an ecom brand with a relatively low budget, thinking of launching Paid activity can be a daunting task. Will it actually work? And most importantly will I be able to drive a high enough number of conversions to remain profitable?
Lots of questions that you might not be able to answer initially but there are 4 key factors to consider before setting up a Paid Search account
What is your overall goal and how can the channel contribute to delivering just that. If you are looking to drive sales, what are the wider business expectations from the channel? PPC alone can’t convert users into customers. There needs to be a wider strategy involving conversion rate optimisation, email marketing, and other paid activities to drive brand recognition and sales in the long term. But once you have a clear understanding of your wider marketing mix and your overall business goals, think of what success will look like for the paid search channel. Paid Search might not always be the right channel if you have limited advertising budgets.
If you’ve never launched any PPC activity in the past, it’s highly likely that the role of the channel will evolve quite rapidly and so will your account structure. In that example, it will be a matter of testing what works and what doesn’t work in a short period of time. And based on the results you’re seeing you will quickly need to understand whether the channel is sustainably supporting your business growth.
The higher the competition, the higher the cost of advertising on the Google platform. These are external factors that we do not control so be very clear on those ahead of making a start. Have a look around the Google Search landscape, search for keywords your customers might search for and see who you might be competing against. Ultimately this is what will impact your cost per click and therefore your return on ad spend.
Depending on your price point and your brand positioning the channel will be used for different purposes. Think of how long it takes for a user to make that final purchase. If it is a considered purchase involving a long research phase, customers will look around, possibly take days or weeks before deciding which retailer they’re willing to spend their money with. On the other hand, ‘I see it, I want it now’ type of products aren’t considered purchases and that path to conversion is much shorter, increasing the channel’s ability to drive more volumes in the short-term.
So, Paid Search isn’t a tap you can just switch on. Of course, the channel is very good at driving sales from those ready to buy customers but it requires constant monitoring and optimising to drive the results you’re after. And don’t forget that it goes beyond just that. The role of the channel will be different based on multiple factors that need to be laid out before launching any activity.
