The retailing landscape has drastically changed since the emergence of e-commerce. The online business platform has seen massive growth in recent years. One of the main attractions of e-commerce platforms is that they’re widely accessible and make it easier for new entrepreneurs to bring their idea to life.
The biggest challenge e-commerce businesses face is that the market is currently saturated; 90% of e-commerce businesses fail within four months of launching. Standing out and attracting a following is essential, but marketing can be costly. (3)
Fortunately, for any e-commerce business, there are affordable marketing options that can help increase exposure and expand your client base. If you’ve been searching for a solution, you’ve probably heard that Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing is one of the best available.
Here’s how you can use PPC marketing to grow your e-commerce business:
The problem
Many e-commerce businesses are run by individuals and new entrepreneurs. For many, it’s their first business venture. These people often find their biggest problem is getting their business noticed, let alone attracting clients.
Poor or non-existent digital marketing is a mistake that can lead your e-commerce business to failure. You’ll have a greater chance of success if you invest in good marketing. But marketing generally requires experimenting with different streams, which may be unsuccessful. (5)
This poses the question of how to gain exposure without overspending on marketing. PPC is perhaps the best answer to this.
What is Pay-Per-Click Marketing?
PPC is a emergence of e-commerce that allows an advertiser to place ads on a site or platform and pay only when the ad is clicked. Their ad will be displayed when users search or view related topics, hoping to attract them to the advertised link where they’re offered a product or service.
Advertisers are charged a fee each time their ad is clicked. The setup essentially allows advertisers to pay for each time they get a potential conversion from the ad instead of paying for an ad that may never be clicked.
How PPC marketing works
PPC marketing is based mainly on keyword choice. Advertisers will often go through lengthy research and planning processes to pick good keywords that will likely attract clicks and conversions. This stage can be challenging, particularly for those unfamiliar with digital marketing. Businesses can optimize their advertising campaign with the help of eCommerce PPC management services.
Keywords are terms that determine when the ad is shown. Your ad will be displayed when there’s a search containing one or more of your keywords, which indicates that the user is interested in a topic related to your ad. For example, an e-commerce business selling remote-controlled model airplanes may use “model airplane cleaning kit” as a keyword.
The displayed ad is determined by an “ad auction” on the host platform. The list of ads containing keywords relevant to a current search term is run through an automated process. Ads “bid” against each other based on multiple criteria to determine relevance. The winner is displayed as the top search result. (4)
How PPC can benefit your business
All marketing campaigns are intended to benefit the business, and the profits need to outweigh the cost. PPC marketing comes with benefits that could be advantageous to e-commerce businesses or any scale.
- Traffic is sent directly to your business website, where potential clients can complete transactions.
- Your e-commerce business gains more exposure. Even if ads aren’t clicked, they’re still seen. Your emergence of e-commerce from an unpaid ad. These people now know your business exists, meaning they may come looking in the future. PPC ads can raise brand awareness by up to 80%. (1)
- Properly optimized, PPC marketing can be incredibly cost-friendly. According to Investopedia, clicks cost USD$2 on average. If you earn USD$200 on a single click, you’ve made a significant profit. (2)
- Successful ad campaigns result in more sales and conversions.
- You can run multiple ads simultaneously, meaning a higher likelihood of clicks.
- Many PPC service providers, like Google Ads, allow you to set a budget, so you won’t spend more than you can afford.
The gist of these benefits is that a well-managed, well-planned PPC marketing campaign is an excellent strategy for boosting site visits, sales, and your e-commerce business.
The basics of starting a PPC campaign
As mentioned earlier, it’s advisable to employ a professional service if you’re new to PPC marketing or having trouble with unsatisfactory marketing campaigns. That said, there are a few basic steps you can take to create an ad and start a campaign. Here’s a brief outline of some common steps taken in PPC marketing:
- Determine your goal: Understanding the purpose of your ad is key to creating an effective ad. Without a plan, you run the risk of developing an untargeted ad that may not perform well.
- Identify your target audience: PPC is more likely to succeed if your ads reach an audience interested in your business.
- Spruce up your landing pages: These are the pages that people will see after clicking your ads. The ad gets them there, but the landing page should make people trust your business and want your product/service. A web designer can assist with this.
- Decide on your partner: Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising are two of the most prominent platforms. Still, it’s best to decide your partner based on where you’re most likely to reach your target audience. Social media platforms may be appropriate for some ads.
- Create your ad: Your ad is what attracts clicks. This is where additional services are most helpful, as they’ll assist with keyword, bid, and ad optimization.
- Launch your campaign: Launch the ad campaign. You have the option of running a campaign for a limited amount of time. This tactic allows you to test if it’s working and adjust if it isn’t.
Bonus tip: Marketing with influencers
This digital marketing strategy works well alongside PPC marketing. The method entails reaching out to influencers who have a good-sized following within your business’ niche. If they show interest, you provide them with an affiliate link. If people purchase your product or service through this link, the influencer earns a percentage of the profit from that sale. This system is an excellent strategy for taking advantage of the influencer’s existing followers without paying anything upfront, but you sacrifice part of your profit.
Conclusion
PPC marketing strategy has excellent benefits that can give your e-commerce business the boost you’re looking for. To sum it up, it allows you to advertise on a platform by paying only for ads that get clicked. PPC marketing can help your business soar if you optimize correctly, plan accordingly, and budget fairly.
References
- “47 PPC Stats to Empower Your Marketing Strategy in 2022”, Source: 47 PPC Stats to Empower Your Marketing Strategy in 2022 (techjury.net)
- “Cost Per Click (CPC),” Source: Cost Per Click (CPC) Definition (investopedia.com)
- “We Need To Talk About E-Commerce: Too Many Digital Brands Are Failing, And We Need New Tools To Help Keep Founders On Track”, Source: We Need To Talk About E-Commerce: Too Many Digital Brands Are Failing, And We Need New Tools To Help Keep Founders On Track (forbes.com)
- “How the Google Ads auction works,” Source: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6366577?hl=en
- “Top 5 Reasons Why Digital Marketing Isn’t Working For You (And How To Fix Them)”, Source: HYPERLINK “https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2018/05/25/top-5-reasons-why-digital-marketing-isnt-working-for-you-and-how-to-fix-them/?sh=65c69b2512ad”https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2018/05/25/top-5-reasons-why-digital-marketing-isnt-working-for-you-and-how-to-fix-them/?sh=65c69b2512ad
