Image provided by FreeDigitalPhotos.netGoogle AdWords has become a dominant force in marketing for e-commerce businesses. However, the service is so large that it often takes an enormous effort to target an audience. Between the amounts of people purchasing AdWords spaces and the number of users searching Google every minute, the cost per visit to an e-commerce website via AdWords can cost you hundreds of dollars.
Then there are companies such as Trada that specialize in optimizing AdWords campaigns, bringing down the cost per click, and targeting audiences. Regardless of whether you write your own AdWords or hire a third party service provider to do it for you, you will likely end up spending thousands of dollars per month to run an effective Google AdWords campaign.
As a merchant service provider, Instabill strives to provide its merchants with the tools to succeed. While Google AdWords is a leader in advertisements, there are other options for online marketing. If you have the budget for additional marketing outlets, Instabill suggests that you take advantage of the tools available to your business. Below are a handful of effective online marketing tools that can help your e-commerce business grow.
Exhibiting at Tradeshows
Every industry has multiple tradeshows, conferences, exhibitions, and forums each year. Websites such as BizTradeshows.com provide listings of industry-specific events worldwide. For a fee (prices vary per show), you can attend and present your business at these events. This will enable you to expand your professional network as well as market your business to consumers and businesses.
However, it is vital to prepare yourself with marketing material that will leave a lasting impression on those you encounter. Promote your attendance through your business blog or an events section on your website—this will allow your existing clients to know that you will be present at the tradeshow. While you are at the tradeshow, make sure you gather as many names and email addresses as possible. This is not a popularity contest, but your goal is to generate as many new leads as you can.
Email Marketing Campaigns
If you could compose an email marketing campaign that would reach everyone who has visited your website or storefront establishment, how would you design it? Would you send out a weekly or monthly newsletter? Would you design an email marketing campaign around new items? How about promotional sale items? Having an email signup form on all of your website pages has become an industry standard.
Email services such as Campaign Monitor will allow you to track your email marketing campaigns down to the last click. They will also provide you with powerful estimates for your return on investment. With an email service, you can send thousands of emails for pennies per email. Just remember that email marketing campaigns typically yield a 1% to 5% return, so make sure your email list is large and your content is compelling.
Banner and Video Advertising
Since you likely conduct research to determine the type of people (age, gender, salary, buying preferences) who purchase your goods or services, you can create a persuasive banner advertisement. Once you have the graphics and copy in place, the next obstacle becomes where and how to publish your banner ad.
If you have a small budget, you can work with an advertisement reseller such as BlogAds.com. This website will allow you to pick the size of your banner, the theme of the blog (i.e. industry), the number of guaranteed impressions for the duration of your ad, and the length of time you want your ad to run.
On the other hand, if you have a little more money to spend and you want to run a video advertisement, you will want to use a service such as Advertising.com. Not only will Advertising.com let you select your audience, but it will also let you select the time of day and location when your video ad airs. This service provider gives you the ability to target your ads by site as well as sections on most popular websites. You can have your video advertisement up and running for as little as $100, but the service can cost you thousands the more you customize it.
Optimize AdWords Campaigns with Remarketing
The final online marketing tool I would like to discuss incorporates Google AdWords. Remarketing allows you to reach people who previously visited your website by showing them your AdWords ads on other websites that are part of the Google Display Network.
When a visitor leaves your website without making a purchase, remarketing will help you reconnect with the lost customer while he or she browses other sites. You can create a Google AdWords campaign that will display a compelling message to encourage them to return to your site and complete a purchase. This technique is labeled remarketing for the obvious fact that your marketing advertisement is reappearing on the same person's screen.
It is simple to add a remarketing code to all of the pages on your website. Then when a shopper comes to your site, the code will add the shopper to your remarketing list.
Visit the Instabill Blog for More Tips
If you would like to read about more helpful business tips, come back and visit the Instabill Blog. We write about search engine optimization, what credit cards you should accept on your website, and how to optimize your site for speed. To learn about getting an Instabill merchant account, call 1-800-318-2713 or contact us online today.
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