So you’d like to start running PPC campaigns? That’s great news! However, before venturing into the world of PPC there are some important things you first should know.
Whilst there are countless guides and articles on the technical specifics of PPC platforms, it’s always helpful to take note of more contextual elements regarding PPC campaigns. It’s not always the technical aspects which are the most difficult to get your head around!
So here’s 5 things we think you should know before you start running PPC campaigns.
1. It's 'Pay to Play'
All too often there is a misconception that PPC campaigns are guaranteed to produce conversions, and when this doesn’t happen, people are left thinking that they are required to pay for the engagement their ads generated. This is not the case.
If you launch a campaign, you are obligated to cover any costs that campaign occurs, regardless as to whether or not you generate conversions. Performance is never guaranteed, but what is guaranteed is that you have entered into an agreement to be financially responsible for any costs incurred from running your campaigns.
This also still stands if you have launched a campaign ‘accidentally’, have used incorrect targeting methods or haven’t selected the right settings.
2. It’s Not as Cheap as It Once Was
Gone are the days where you can get a 1p Click. In fact, the average CPC of Search Campaigns in Google Ads is £2.10 (WordStream, May 2023)!
Costs are always dependent on supply and demand, and as more and more businesses utilise PPC platforms to advertise, the costs are inevitably going to increase. This means that if you’ve been running PPC campaigns in a while, then the affordability of the ‘good old days’ may be a thing of the past.
Take a look at tools such as the Google Ads Keyword Planner to give you a better idea of what CPC you’ll be looking at paying. Better to be aware beforehand than to be shocked once your campaigns start running!
3. The Post-Click Experience is Crucial
Regardless of how much effort is put into driving relevant traffic to your website, or how intent that traffic might be on converting, if the ‘post-click’ experience is poor they are unlikely to convert.
The ‘post-click experience’ refers to everything that happens once someone has clicked on your ad and landed on your website, from the content on the landing page to the path to conversion. If the post-click experience fails to meet expectations, then your target audience is unlikely to want to engage with your business any further. Instead they will move on and look to a competitor for the experience they are expecting. Unfortunately by that point you would have already paid for that click and missed out on that opportunity to make a persuasive first impression.
Therefore it is crucial that you thoroughly review your website, landing page content and path to conversion before deciding to pay to drive traffic to your site. Be honest with yourself and if possible, seek an unbiased opinion, on the ease of navigation, the quality of your content and whether you are sufficiently demonstrating that you are a legitimate business providing a genuine product/service which can solve the problems of the individual.
4. Success Is Never Guaranteed, nor Will It Be Instant
When compared to other sources such as SEO and organic social, PPC can be seen as a more ‘speedy’ strategy. However, that does not mean that success is guaranteed, nor that it will come instantly. It takes time, patience and effort to ensure your PPC campaigns are running effectively and efficiently, which means that it may take some time to see the type of result you were expecting.
Once your campaigns are launched they will go through a learning phase, not only for the Automated Bid Strategy but also for yourself, or whoever is managing the account. Targeting, keywords, setting, ad copy… will all need to be monitored and optimised accordingly, before you will be able to see optimal performance.
This part of the running PPC campaigns can not be rushed. If you don’t have sufficient and reliable data available, you won’t be able to make the right amends and changes to improve performance.
5. Great PPC Can’t Save a Poor Product
You can have a perfect PPC campaign, a user-friendly conversion path and the most well designed website in the world, but if your product/service is not appealing to your target audience then they are simply not going to convert.
It can be difficult to reflect on how competitive and interesting your product/service is, but it is important that you do so before running PPC campaigns. Some questions to ask yourself include:
- Is your product/service in the best state possible to be competitive in the market? Does your product/service need work to make it more current and better deliver what your target audience expects?
For example: Your software doesn’t include a reporting feature, but that is something which has become standard for a software of your type. - How does your product/service compare to your competitors?
For example: Your competitors offer free delivery on all orders, but you only offer free delivery on orders over £100. - How does your pricing compare to your competitors?
For example: Can someone purchase the exact same cable cheaper elsewhere?
Also take some time to research your industry and trends around your product/service, to see how interest and intent may have changed over the past 12-18 months.
Then it’s time to have an honest discussion with yourself as to whether or not you are offering a high-quality product/service, which delivers exactly what your target audience wants/needs and does so at a competitive price. If not, then take some time to work on improving your product/service, so that once you start running ads you can be confident in what you are advertising.
Looking for advice on running PPC campaigns and not sure where to start? Give us a shout at Victress for a chat.
