A lot of Shrewbsury businesses we meet are investing in Pay Per Click. Good. Be that facebook ads or Google AdWords, it's all easy to set up, easy to tweak and - most importantly - easy to measure.
But I've noticed some people putting the cart before the horse. They're spending money on PPC but not thinking what that PPC is driving people to.
A link - whether it's an organic front page listing on Google, a facebook ad or Google AdWords - is there to drive people to your website. Or a specific page on your website. But what if your website's not up to scratch? (You'll need a good local web designer, for a start.)
It's like driving your Ferrari around Shrewsbury all day, wowing all the passers by, and then someone gives it a test spin and it's actually got the engine of a Robin Reliant. No sale.
A website needs to have a clear call-to-action. Buy here. Register here. Free trial here. OK, there are pure information sites and that's fine; no one's expecting to make a sale. But if you do want people to buy from you, you need to get people to the site then convert as many as possible into actual sales. You want them to buy, call or email, no?
PPC can drive the traffic, a clear site design will do the rest. There's no point spending money on PPC unless your site does what it's supposed to. (If it's brand awareness you're after and are happy just to get your name in front of people, PPC can still be a good choice depending on your budgets. It doesn't always have to be about the sale.) Yet the main strength of PPC should be to sell.
It might sound like common sense, but that's all marketing is really. SEO, PPC, other advertising... they're all road signs pointing to a nice hotel. If you then get to that hotel and the towels are dirty and the receptionist is sat picking his nose, you'll simply turn around and stay somewhere else.
Until next time.
