How to generate sales via Ecommerce PPC Ads
In order to increase online sales, most eCommerce businesses will turn to pay-per-click advertising. But how do you generate sales via eCommerce PPC ads? In this article, we’ll share our tips, advice and best practice to help you run PPC campaigns that actually convert.
Accept that not every ad will convert
Following a funnel system will help you track your campaign success over a longer period of time
Like many forms of marketing, sometimes you have to accept that not every PPC ad you run will convert. Instead, you have to think about your sales funnel and build an advertising campaign that brings customers into various stages of that funnel.
At the most basic level, we would recommend splitting your advertising campaign into Top of Funnel (ToFu), Middle of Funnel (MoFu) and Bottom of Funnel (BoFu).
Your top of funnel audience is going to be one that is cold – they don’t know about your business. If you try to sell to them, you will not generate sales via ecommerce PPC ads. Instead, you will waste your budget showing ads to an audience that isn’t ready to buy from you.
For a ToFu audience, you want to build awareness and introduce them to your brand. You want to engage them in your ads so that you can retarget them and move them along to the next stage of the funnel.
That stage is the middle of the funnel. This audience is engaged with your brand, but perhaps hasn’t ordered from you before or not for a long time. You want to show them the benefits of your brand or product by using social proof, short videos and carousel ads.
The final stage is the bottom of the funnel, where an engaged audience is ready to purchase. This is where you are going to generate sales via eCommerce PPC ads. For the most part, you’re going to want to use retargeting ads here (more on that in a minute). We’d recommend retargeting users from MoFu ads and from website activity.
Retargeting is the best way to generate sales via eCommerce PPC ads
Retargeting ads are a proven success with eCommerce conversions
If you’re wondering why you’re constantly seeing ads from websites you’ve visited or products you’ve left in your cart, it’s because you’re being retargeting with ads. Advertisers know that returning visitors are the most likely to generate sales. It really is that simple.
A study showed that people who see retargeted ads are up to 70% more likely to convert.
We’d recommend running a variety of retargeting ads. Start with retargeting of abandoned carts. Retargeting cart abandoners can increase the conversion rate up to 26%.
You can then expand your retargeting by showing ads to users that have previously purchased, visited certain products recently or engaged with other ads (for example MoFu ads).
Consider where to run your PPC advertising campaigns
Research is key when it comes to planning your PPC campaigns, trial and error can help you find the most successful platform
While we wish we could tell you there was a one size fits all solution to generate sales via ecommerce PPC ads, every business is different.
Every business has different products or services, a different target audience and a different budget. That means that what works for company A won’t necessarily work for company B.
The two main platforms when it comes to PPC Advertising are Facebook and Google. There are also other options to consider; including Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn.
It’s important to assess the pros and cons of advertising on each platform to find the right one for you.
For example, if you’re a B2B company, TikTok probably isn’t the right platform for you. To be honest, Facebook probably isn’t the right platform either. You have to consider the audience and what they use the platform for.
Google is probably the correct platform for this business. It captures users as they are in-market, searching for a product or service just like yours.
So don’t waste your time and budget on platforms that just aren’t right for your business.
Ecommerce businesses should strongly consider Google Shopping Ads
Google ads target those customers who are already searching for your product
Google Shopping Ads put your product in front of your target audience while they’re searching for you. The key difference compared to Google Search Ads – and while Google Shopping Ads work so well to generate sales via eCommerce PPC ads – is that they are visual and showcase your products and information.
A recent article disclosed that Google Shopping Ads generate 26% higher conversion rates and have a 23% lower cost-per-click than text ads.
In order to set up a Google Shopping campaign, you need to create a Google Merchant Centre account and set up a product feed. Google will then do the leg work in matching your products to search terms. It’s a much easier process to manage than Google Search Ads.
Target high converting keywords
The key to success is to identifyt hose high converting keywords – or money keywords
The first step for any Google Search Ads campaign is to do your keyword research. You want to get an idea of the search volume your keywords will generate in order to identify the potential market for your ads.
To take your campaign to the next level and to really generate sales via ecommerce PPC ads, you’ll want to identify high converting keywords – or money keywords.
You can use Google’s Keyword Planner to find new keyword ideas and to identify keywords that show purchase intent. These are the keywords that are most likely to convert.
Summary
Remember there’s no single solution to generate sales via eCommerce PPC ads. Instead, you have to assess your business and target audience, find the right platform to advertise on and structure your campaign to show the right ads to the right people at the right time.