Online advertising is one of the most powerful tools for any business setting up shop on the internet, but how exactly can you leverage this strategy to take your business a few levels higher?
With all the different platforms, approaches, and tactics, it can seem like there’s no way to know what’s best for your business’s needs.
In this guide to eCommerce advertising, we’ll break down the various forms of online advertising and how they can help grow your eCommerce business.
What is eCommerce Advertising?
Think of it as an ad used to drive sales or generate leads. However, with recent developments in technology, traditional channels such as TV commercials, print ads, and billboards have been replaced by digital counterparts such as email marketing, SEO/SEM/PPC advertising, and social media campaigns.
Today’s consumers are more targeted than ever before. To effectively reach its target audience, you need an integrated approach that employs several different platforms across different mediums for your brand or business.
Benefits of eCommerce Advertising
Although we see ads for products all around us every day, many people still don’t realize that their favorite stores advertise their products on purpose.
- Ads help brands grow awareness of their products.
- Ads can increase sales by directing customers to a store’s website or mobile app, where they can make purchases at any time without having to leave their homes or offices.
- Online ads are easy to track, so brands can see how many people saw an ad and converted into paying customers.
- Online ads help brands save money on overhead costs associated with brick-and-mortar stores like rent, utilities, payroll for employees working in-store, etc.
- It is easier than ever for small businesses to advertise online using social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, which have massive audiences.
What to Consider When Choosing an eCommerce Advertising Medium
A successful marketing strategy can significantly increase your brand’s reach, profitability, and presence in today’s fast-paced business environment. However, there are a lot of eCommerce advertising mediums to choose from these days. Selecting which one is right for you can be an arduous process so here’s a guide outlining what you should consider when choosing which mediums are best for your business goals.
1. How Much Are You Willing to Spend?
There are a lot of different eCommerce advertising mediums out there, each with its price tag attached. It would help to consider how much you’re willing to spend on your marketing efforts before deciding which mediums are suitable for you.
If you don’t have a budget for advertising, it might be best to start small until you have more information about what works best for your business. Once you know what works, it will be easier to scale up to reach more customers.
2. How Long Do You Want Your Campaign To Run?
Depending on your business goals, you might want your advertising campaign to run for a long or short time. For example, suppose you’re trying to increase brand awareness. In that case, you might want to run an ad that is more expensive for a more extended period to reach as many people as possible over an extended period.
However, if you’re trying to drive traffic to your website to boost sales, running a shorter-term (and cheaper) ad could be beneficial. It all depends on what your business goals are.
3. What Kind Of Traffic Are You Looking To Generate?
You must consider what kind of traffic you want to be generated by your eCommerce advertising medium before choosing which one(s) are right for you. For example, if you’re trying to increase brand awareness, it might be beneficial to run an ad on a social media platform like Facebook or Instagram.
But if you want to drive sales directly from your ad, running an ad on a news site might be more effective since these sites tend to have higher conversion rates than social media platforms. Again, it all depends on what your business goals are.
4. What Type Of Brand Are You Trying To Build?
Depending on what type of brand you’re trying to build, you might want your advertising medium(s) to be more or less focused on selling products. For example, suppose you’re trying to make a luxury brand. In that case, it might be beneficial for your ads to focus more on building trust with potential customers to get them interested in purchasing high-end products from your company.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to sell more affordable products (like clothing), running an ad that focuses more on price could be effective. Again, it depends on what kind of brand you’re trying to build.
5. How Much Control Do You Want Over Your Campaign?
Some advertising mediums allow you to have more control over your campaign than others. For instance, if you’re looking for a more hands-on approach. It might be beneficial for you to run an ad on a social media platform like Facebook or Instagram. These platforms allow you to target specific demographics and customize your ads according to particular interests.
The Crucial Mediums and Platforms You Should Know
Knowing which medium works best for your business can translate into a significant ROI (return on investment). Let’s look at some of these crucial mediums and platforms you should know as an eCommerce advertiser.
Search Advertising
Search ads are keywords that merchants bid on. If a user types a keyword related to your products or services, your search ad will appear. Think of it as an online version of word-of-mouth advertising. Generally, you’ll pay more for terms that have more competition, so choose your words wisely.
However, if you are paying too much for clicks (meaning not enough people click on your ad), consider broadening your keyword list to include less competitive terms. When users click through, they’re much more likely to convert into customers because they were looking for something specific in their original search query. Also, keep in mind that most platforms prefer local businesses over national ones when displaying search results.
Display Advertising
Despite being surpassed by search in many ways, display advertising is still essential for online marketing. It’s a great way to get people who already know what they want. In our case, customers interested in buying products click on your site. There are a variety of platforms you can use for display advertising (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), but it’s worth it to investigate AdRoll.
Amazon Advertising
Amazon Ads offers you a chance to target your potential customer base directly. With Amazon advertising, you can ensure that people interested in your product or service will see your ad. Plus, it’s straightforward to create ads on Amazon, with just a few steps necessary. If you already have an Amazon account, you are ready to go. Creating an ad is as simple as choosing keywords and writing a short description of your product or service. Select how much money you want to spend per day and what days of the week your ad should run.
Social Advertising
Social media advertising is one of the most powerful platforms for online marketing. It is cheaper than traditional channels like TV ads; it’s also more effective in converting potential buyers into actual customers. Plus, social networks are highly engaged with their users. They strongly influence what people think about brands, products, and services. It makes them a great place to advertise your business or product.
Ad Network Spotlight
Cost-per-click (CPC) ads are essential in most PPC campaigns. Find out what makes Google Adwords an effective platform for eCommerce advertising and when it’s best to use other platforms like Microsoft adCenter. Consider remarketing options and methods that can help you track down lost customers who’ve visited your site but have yet to purchase from you. Review how to target your audience based on keywords, location, and time of day.
Once you’ve learned about these features, please find out how to set up a campaign using them effectively in practice with step-by-step instructions. Review successful examples from some of today’s top retailers to see how they incorporate these techniques into their digital marketing strategies.
Retargeting Advertising
Retargeting is a precious advertising platform if you’re selling through a website. It works by connecting your website visitors’ cookies—which follow them from site to site—to your Facebook ads. When you run an ad, people who have visited your store will start seeing targeted ads for that product or service in their News Feed.
Affiliate Advertising / P2P Affiliates
Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to advertise your products. It’s a form of performance-based advertising where you offer an affiliate a percentage of every sale that they can generate for you. In addition, they also get a new commission every time they bring in a new customer. If you have an existing audience familiar with your brand or niche, affiliate marketing is worth looking into.
The Bottom Line
Online ads are a significant component of any online business. With so many different options, it can be challenging to know where to focus your efforts. Fortunately, with some research and planning, you can choose an advertising strategy that is cost-effective and effective for your company or brand.
And don’t forget to check your ROI to make sure you’re getting the results you want from your online advertising efforts. If you don’t see positive results from your ad campaigns, it might be time to try something new.
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