One of the attractive elements of launching an eCommerce PPC campaign is that basically anyone can do it. You don’t need to be a marketing wizard to set up a Google AdWords account and start running ads.
The thing is, in some particularly competitive industries, running an effective PPC campaign can be a lot easier than in others. In these competitive industries, it’s a lot easier to throw money away through PPC marketing than it is to earn it.
So, let’s take a look at some reasons why your ads might not be converting, or why they’re converting but ROAS is abysmally low.
You’re Targeting the Wrong Keywords
One of the main reasons PPC ads don’t convert is that they’re targeting the wrong keywords.
In every industry, there are keywords you should be targeting and those that you should not. The ones you really should not be targeting should be set as negative keywords. If you don’t set negative keywords, you’ll be paying more for impressions and clicks that will never convert.
But, among the keywords you should be targeting, you should bid aggressively on those that result in the greatest number of clicks and conversions. It will increase your CPC (cost per click) but it will also increase your overall revenue, and as long as revenue increases at a higher rate than spend, your ROAS will improve.
Weak Audience Targeting
Weak audience targeting is another glaring reason that many eCommerce PPC campaigns just don’t cut it.
Just as it’s critical to target keywords that are relevant to your target customers, it’s important to make sure your ads are displaying only for those in your target market to begin with.
To put it in layman’s terms: if you typically sell your products to men between the ages of 25-35 in the Northwest who are interested in outdoor sports, how much good will it do your campaign if most of your impressions are to older women on the East coast that are more into crochet than hiking?
Not very much, and that’s just a high-level snapshot, but there are all sorts of aspects of targeting that you should be running to continuously improve the performance of your ads.
Remember, to be effective, your ads should ideally display only in the right place, at the right time, to a user that has interest in whatever it is you sell.
Ad Copy Just Isn’t Cutting It
Another reason your ads might not be performing is weak ad copy. Granted, this is something you should only look at after your targeting, keyword strategy, and bidding have been settled, but it could also be the differentiating factor.
The truth is most marketers don’t give one quarter ounce of attention to ad copy, and put most of their resources into keyword research and strategy. That’s fair, even wise, because those things make more of a difference.
But with everyone else in your vertical running basically the same flat, “click-here-buy-now” ads, if you have juicy, humorous, or punny ad copy, your campaign may have the edge.
Something to think about.
On Working with Professionals for eCommerce PPC Services
If after having read this you’re becoming concerned that you don’t have the time, energy, or money to run an effective PPC campaign all on your own, you’re not alone.
Many entrepreneurs work with marketing specialists to provide them with eCommerce PPC services and manage their campaigns.
If your ad campaigns aren’t performing how you’d like, consider working with an eCommerce PPC management services provider. They might catch something in your ad group targeting or landing pages that needs to be fixed, and even if not, can develop a custom marketing strategy for your eCommerce business.