Even if you haven’t already tried Google remarketing, you probably already have a fairly strong opinion about its value. That’s because few corporations get the amount of press, or generate the amount of coverage, that Google does. And few organizations can create the kind of impact that they can simply by tweaking their advertising platform.

Regardless of those opinions, however, Google remarketing carries some especially heavy implications for e-commerce sites and online retailers. If things work well, it could have the potential to double sales of a lot of products simply by giving buyers another look. And if they don’t… well, let’s just say that all of those ads could easily get expensive very quickly.
For that reason, here are three strong Google remarketing tips for e-commerce retailers:

1. Think long and hard about your takeaway message. Most owners of online stores are already seasoned pros when it comes to writing pay-per-click ads. Remarketing offers are a little bit different, however, since you’re trying to get customers to come back to your site, not just click through the first time. So, instead of stressing low price or fast service, you might try emphasizing the benefits that differentiate you from your competitors, or things (like a one-time sale) that build urgency into the customer’s mind.

2. Be more selective with the keywords you choose. It’s one thing to waste a handful of clicks appealing to the wrong kinds of buyers, and another thing to burn through thousands of impressions that weren’t ever going to generate any revenue for you. Pay close attention to the keywords you’re choosing, and especially which ones are ultimately converting. Because the costs associated with Google remarketing could be higher, you’ll want to be more targeted and specific in your ads.

3. Watch the bottom line closely. Speaking of high costs, they are only worth it if you are also making higher numbers of sales through your online store. While it’s true that it’s incredibly easy to waste money on online advertising anyway, that’s especially true with Google remarketing. Keep a close eye on those impressions and costs, and make sure that things aren’t taking an unprofitable turn. Or better yet, start out with a small percentage of your budget to test the program and make tweaks before you go all-in. You don’t need more places to spend money, unless they’re leading to better opportunities.
Want help making the most of Google remarketing and other online advertising opportunities? Contact our team today for a free consultation.

By David A. West  Join me on Google+

Like bell bottom jeans, articles and web pages with ridiculously high percentages of keywords and search phrases were once the “in” way to promote websites and businesses online. They’ve since gone out of fashion, of course, but like any style faux pas, you still find designers and marketers clinging to them from time to time.

Keep the Junk Content Away From Your Site: There are a lot of reasons not to rely on junk content to promote your site, of course, not the least of which being that it no longer works. Google and the other major search engines long ago added details to their algorithms to essentially screen out (and sometimes even ban) websites that seem to be trying to game the system. It’s essentially the same thing as trying to spam the search engine spiders, and so now that kind of content is simply ignored.

Even if it weren’t, customers don’t like pages that are mechanical and repetitive, or those that sound like they were written by someone who has a very loose grasp on the English language. Your customers just don’t have the time to slog through page after page of junk to find what you are trying to offer, and so stuffing low-quality content on your pages simply annoys them as well.

One More Reason to Use High-Quality Content: If those reasons weren’t enough to deter you, however, we would like to add one more important (and ever-increasing) reason to skip the junk articles: Like a tattoo, they may permanently mark your business website forever. Pages on the web are being indexed, scanned, and recorded at an amazing rate. Just as many are finding with their social media accounts, there isn’t really such a thing as posting content to the Internet and then removing it later… the more you try to take it off of your site or profile, the more you practically guarantee that someone’s going to hold on to it and bring it up later.

This matters a great deal because you don’t want to have content on your site that can be used against you in the future. It’s bad enough if what you have is lacking grammatically, or doesn’t express your point of view very well. If it’s downright incorrect, fraudulent, or stolen from another site, however, you could have problems that are going to stick with you for a very long time.

There was a time when having a lot of poorly written content on your site that held the right keywords could help you get more traffic… at least in the short term. Take care to avoid such tactics these days, though, because they could come back to haunt you for years to come.

By David A. West  Join me on Google+

Like those inkblot images that psychologists are so fond of, social media marketing can mean entirely different things to different organizations. For some, it’s a way to new revenue and customers; for others, it’s a way to spread things like reviews, customer service information, and referrals from satisfied buyers.

Despite these differences in strategy and approach, however, there are some general rules we can point to for social media marketing success. In fact, we can pick out tips and ideas that have worked for all kinds of businesses across different industries and areas, and then see where they apply. There is still some room for variation, of course, but it only makes sense to plan and execute your campaigns based on proven and trusted ideas.

With that in mind, here are three rules for social media marketing success in 2012:

1. Pick core messages and themes to center on. While your social profiles are never going to read like a book, going from start to finish, there should be some central themes and ideas that come up time and time again. That doesn’t just help customers to know what to expect from you on sites like Facebook and Twitter, but also to get a sense of where your competitive strengths lie. Spend some time brainstorming themes that are important to you and your customers, and then make sure they pop up regularly in your updates and content.

2. Put yourself on a social media marketing diet. That means following some strict rules about the amount of time you spend on social networking sites. Too much time probably means you aren’t paying enough attention to the rest of your business, and could be missing out on other, more profitable opportunities. Spending too little time on social media, conversely, might be a sign that you’re missing out on this important marketing trend.

3. Pay more attention to responses. It’s great to broadcast information and ideas, but make sure you aren’t so busy sending updates out that you lose track of the feedback you’re getting from customers. By paying attention to the topics, themes, and ideas that start the most discussions, or generate the highest numbers of responses, you can tap into the things that your buyers are thinking about. That’s valuable insight, on social media or elsewhere.

Follow these three rules, and you’ll have a lot easier time keying in on the social media marketing strategy that’s right for your company. Or better yet, why not schedule a free consultation with us and get started on putting together a social media marketing plan that gives your bottom line a boost?

By David A. West  Join me on Google+