You’re searching on Google for a new shield and see the following ads show up:
Looking for Shiny New Shields? – The Bazaar Has Got You Covered
www.hyrulecastletownmarket.com/shields/awesomeness
Take Control of Life. Fight Fire with an Impenetrable Slab of Metal Awesomeness.
Shop Armor Enhancing Shields – 25% Discount & Free Shipping
www.theshop.leagueoflegends.com/defense/custom-shields
Wide Range of Custom Shields. Magic Resistant, Increases Farming Ability & More!
Which ad do you click on first?
If you’re an avid Legend of Zelda fan, you might have chosen the first ad… However, if you’re like most ecommerce shoppers, you would have gone with the second. A lot of times in the ad creation process, we misunderstand the appropriate time to use certain types of messaging as well as the ad’s purpose in general.
In this blog post, we’d like to lay out 2 common misconceptions about online ads and how to apply a better advertising strategy and set better expectations moving forward.
Misconception #1: If I implement less common ad messaging, I’ll attract more attention to my ad.
While we at Motoza are huge fans of A/B testing different ad messages, the absolute most important thing to keep in mind is your audience.
Take the example above. From the perspective of a new prospect, these are two ecommerce sites that sell shields. Although the messaging in the first ad sounds pretty badass, I have no idea what else they offer. Additionally, I, as an online shopper, I am typically attracted to a deal maybe use something like ‘sale’ to make it more clear first. According to studies, consumers are four to five times more likely to make a purchase if they see that a company is offering free shipping. This serves as a testament to how promotions/discounts affect the online shopper’s decision.
For the ecommerce world, there’s a reason why many of the ads look similar. It’s because showcasing your promotions is effective when attracting the strongest glance of intention from a consumer. The key to making an attractive ad is to understand the best practices for your specific audience and apply it to your advertising while also integrating details that make you different from your competitors (such as the range of uses your shields offer or how they can be custom-made).
Misconception #2: I can expect my ad copy do the selling.
PPC advertising is considered one of the fastest ways of bringing in sales compared to alternatives, such as SEO or traditional marketing. While this statement holds a lot of credit, it’s not to say that the pace of success for one company will be the same for another.
For example, many businesses pride themselves in their personalized customer service and the quality of their relationship building process. This is what differentiates them from their competitors, who, let’s say, are focused more on highlighting their low prices. If a potential customer is simply looking for the lower price, the conversion rate of the competitor’s ads would probably be higher. If a potential customer is looking for quality customer support, the retention rate and/or repeat business rate of the first business is likely higher. However, there are additional steps involved with sealing a deal for businesses like these.
Let’s imagine being the potential customer. I’d want to know what exactly makes this business’s services so valuable to me.? Do I like what the brand stands for? Would I enjoy and appreciate the representatives that I’d be in contact with?
Now let’s think about how many characters Google allows you to type in your ad copy… Not a lot of room to convey a meaningful message!
This is where landing pages come into play. Here, businesses can create compelling content to back up the information that their ad on Google presented. If a higher close rate requires voice to voice contact, the landing page can be strategically structured to push users into making a phone call, versus just submitting a form. The strategy behind actually closing a deal is much more complex than simply posting a text ad. The ad’s purpose is to showcase the best your business has to offer its target audience.
Realistically speaking, we only spend a couple seconds reading the text ads on Google. It’s irrational to expect the ad to sell your audience. Also, the consumer doesn’t pay for the click. That’s why it’s crucial to take full advantage of what you show in your ads. Ads serve as both a barrier to ward off bad leads upfront and a gateway to attract interest from the right target audience.
