Google TV: A New Frontier in Television Advertising?
A couple of days ago at the 2010 Google I/O conference, Google announced the impending launch of Google TV. This (possibly) game changing platform will work to bring the web and traditional TV closer together than they have ever been before.
Google TV – Watch The Overview
There are a multitude of topics and issues that could be discussed in relation to the announcement of Google TV. As a keen Google advertiser myself, however, I would like to concentrate on just one – the shift in thinking that may occur amongst advertisers if Google’s ambition to combine the internet with traditional television is successful.
Although many other companies have attempted to marry these two beasts in the past (Apple TV, Boxee, TiVo etc), none have yet achieved the ‘Holy Grail’ result – widespread adoption of and acceptance of tv/internet integration. Although to most advertisers, this integration has always been the obvious next step in television advertising, until now, there hasn’t really been a platform on offer that smoothly integrates the television and internet into one, seamless media experience.
Enter Google into the equation and the traditional television advertising landscape begins to look a little different. Google, who already have a wildly successful online advertising platform in Google AdWords, will no doubt be looking at integrating their AdWords system into Google TV. Even at this point in time, Google already have a Google TV interface within their AdWords console which allows advertisers to upload TV ads to be viewed by current Google TV owners.
But consider some other future possibilities for a moment…
If Google TV is a success, we may see a new generation of direct response advertising in traditional TV ads.
Imagine a Domino’s TV ad which allows you to click on an AdWords coupon that then takes you to a HD ordering page designed specifically for TVs.
Or an ad for a new song or movie that takes the user directly to a website where they can buy and download that media onto their television.
What is most exciting about this fundamental shift in the way television advertising may soon be provided is that it will now allow a once passive medium to become an extremely active, engaging and (even more) powerful advertising tool.
Only time will tell if Google’s new television platform will gain widespread acceptance but, for now, as a Google Advertiser, I can only sit and think giddily about the future possibilities for online advertising through television.
What do you think about Google TV and the future of TV advertising? Feel free to comment and discuss!
Popularity: 37%
Read MoreInternational eCommerce AdWords Campaigns – Part 2
So here it is, the long awaited part 2 of my guide to successful International eCommerce AdWords Campaigns.
In the last post, we explored how to convert international visitors into paying customers.
Now that you’ve got that sorted, let’s look at how to drive quality traffic to your site.
Although there are number of ways to direct international traffic to your website (international search engine optimisation, offline marketing and international public relations to name a few), Google AdWords remains one of the most effective and efficient mediums with regards to testing the validity of new markets.
AdWords allows businesses to very quickly dip their toes into the waters of just about every market in the world at very little cost. Furthermore, businesses can just as quickly pull out of these markets if said waters start to get a little rough.
The next four steps in this guide will therefore concentrate on how to successfully set up an international Google AdWords campaign for the purpose of generating international traffic.
Eeni Meeni Minee Moe
- Choose your markets based on website and market trends. Have you noticed sales coming through any countries in particular in Google Analytics?
- Test only 1-2 markets at a time.
- Take cultural considerations into mind. For example, if you are exporting wine, how does your new market perceive alcohol?
- Take exporting issues into consideration. How will your product be taxed?
I’ll have what they’re having
- Use the Google Ad Preview tool to test if and how your competitors are advertising in your chosen market/s.
- How will you create a magnetic advertising message that will break through the clutter in this new market?
- What lessons can you learn from your competitors in this market place?
Tis’ the season?
- Do you have a seasonal product? If so, figure out what season your market is in.
- Remember that your time scheduling will also need to be altered in an international market if your ads aren’t set to run at all times.
Watch Your Language!
- Consider whether you should be advertising in multiple languages. Be careful however as multiple languages can sometimes bring in double the traffic on broad terms. If this is the case, you may have trouble deciphering which negatives to add to your campaigns!
Even though AdWords will work very effectively to kick start your international traffic, it’s important to make sure you’ve got the whole OIMP sorted!
Popularity: 11%
Read MoreInternational eCommerce AdWords Campaigns – Part 1
So you’re looking to expand your e-commerce website into an International market?
Your domestic traffic is through the roof and your conversion rates have remained reliable and stable for a prolonged period of time.
But how are you going to move forward?
There are two integral questions you need to ask yourself when attempting to solve the Online International Market Puzzle (OIMP!):
- How am I going to convert International traffic? and
- How am I going to generate International traffic to my website?
Sounds simple… doesn’t it?
Let’s start with the first part of the OIMP equation – converting International traffic.
For most domestic e-commerce websites, some simple conversion optimisation and usability changes need to be considered before any International marketing begins in order to accommodate foreign visitors. There are a number of points to consider when upgrading to an International e-commerce website.
There’s no place like home page
First impressions count. Have you ever heard the term ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’? Well forget that. On the web, your home page or landing page generally only have 8 seconds to capture your audience’s interest before they decide whether or not they have landed in the right spot. It is therefore imperative that you customise your home page or landing pages for International markets. Some ways to do this are to:
- Recognise your user’s IP address and display content based on their geographic location. This might include a custom welcome message for French visitors or a special shipping sale for German customers etc.
- Maintain country recognition throughout visit. Remember to make sure that, if you have a customer from Germany on your website, you should always display currency in Euros, have an option for German language/site translation and only include information relevant to German visitors.
- Buy a domain name from the user’s country of origin in order to reduce proximity dissonance.
Make them feel safe
One method to gaining your customer’s trust within the first 8 seconds of their visit is to make them feel like they are in safe hands upon arrival. Although a custom, geo-targeted greeting may help the customer feel welcome, there are some other ways to help make the consumer feel safe on your site.
- Mention the security credentials of your site.
- Use a number of well known payment methods and options.
- Make sure your visitors know and understand that you have shipped to their country before and that you can guarantee quick, safe, and reliable delivery of your product or service.
- Mention your local shipping partner for that country. If you can secure well known local shipping partners, this will help to establish trust between you and your international audiences.
- Let your customers know about any additional fees or taxes that may not be included in the price of your product or service (for example VAT fees, shipping insurance and import/export taxes).
- Be sure to include all of these extra fees in your overall total price so there are no surprises for the users down the track.
Check out your Checkout
One of the biggest conversion barriers in international markets is your checkout. Here are some questions you should ask yourself when implementing a checkout system for international customers.
- Would you feel safe or comfortable using this checkout if you were an international buyer at an American store?
- Have you provided international assurances during the checkout process? Once again, you need to let your audience know that you’ve done this before! Assure them that they will always be able to contact you and that they will also be able to get a quick response from your company.
- Have you included a package tracking option?
- Have you sent a confirmation e-mail receipt when your customers order is purchased and dispatched?
- Have you added all shipping costs to the order total?
Where in the world?
- It might go without saying, but if you are targeting a non-english speaking country, it would be preferable if you could have your site translated into your target countries language!
- Even in countries that do natively speak English, ensure that local terminology and spelling is used. (eg: don’t use American spelling if you’re selling to the UK)
- You should also make sure you have altered your checkout fields to suit the country you are targeting. (e.g. Hong Kong has no post code so this field should not be mandatory in a Hong Kong checkout form)
Leave Your Boat Ashore!
- Don’t revert to your country of origin’s domain or pages after the user clicks off your home page. Stay in the country you are targeting.
- It is important to maintain a smooth, customised and personalised browsing experience for each international customer in order to generate optimum results.
- Remember to leave out information which is Australian centric information which is not relevant to your international customers.
Now that you’ve got your website converting, the next step is to send quality traffic. Coming soon will be part 2, how to design an AdWords campaign for International markets.
Popularity: 15%
Read MoreApplying the Four P’s of Marketing to AdWords
Ok everybody. Time to dust off that old marketing textbook you’re using to prop up your computer – we’re going back to basics!
If you turn to one of the first chapters you will find a tried and true path to AdWords marketing success. The 4 P’s of Marketing.
The 4 P’s of Marketing (Product, Price, Place and Promotion) should be one of this first ad creation strategies a search engine marketer turns to when building any new AdWords’ campaign. These four elements – which are the cornerstone of nearly all first year marketing textbooks – are of paramount importance in the search engine marketing sphere.
Here’s why.
Search engine marketing is a curious beast. Many bright eyed, bushy tailed newly graduated marketers who find themselves in a search engine marketing position often neglect these core marketing principles and attempt to develop over creative, over complicated and ultimately unattractive search advertising.
However, when creating ads for search engines, marketers need to put results ahead of creative ambitions. By keeping the 4 P’s in mind at all times, a marketer will discover very quickly that utilising some or all of these four elements in their ads – while adhering to strict advertising character limits – will automatically cut the fat off any over-ambitious advertising copy.
This is critical to AdWords success as, through employing this ad creation strategy, one can instantaneously increase any ad’s probability of quickly solving their audience’s perceived problem.
AdWords Solves Problems Quickly
Google is fast becoming the number one go-to source for problem solution amongst consumers. This is great news for advertisers as search engines create a veritable feeding ground of qualified, purchase ready individuals ready to have their problems solved by intuitive, relevant and magnetic advertising. Purchase ready consumers on Google are generally looking to find the quickest and most attractive solution to their perceived problem. So solve their problems quickly and creatively with your ads!
Integrating the 4 P’s
The trick with Search Marketing is to create ads that possess an even balance of creativity and detail about the advertised product/service. If you put yourself in the shoes of a purchase ready consumer on Google, you will begin to understand the importance of utilising the 4P’s in your ads.
For example…
Let’s say you are searching to buy a new acoustic guitar and the following two ads appear:
As you can see, although the first ad in this scenario uses a (somewhat) creative emotional appeal, the second ad would likely generate a much higher CTR as it gives users more than one reason to click.
Let’s break it down.
Assuming the search term was ‘acoustic guitar sydney’, the ad above touches on all four of the 4 P’s:
Product: Acoustic Guitar
Price: From $499
Place: Sydney
Promotion: Huge Acoustic Guitar Sale
The lesson here is to take some time out to evaluate some of your current ads to see whether they are working hard to solve your target audience’s problem. If they aren’t try rebuilding some of your ads with the product, price, place and/or promotion details integrated into your copy.
Or, if you don’t have the time or patience to do it yourself, talk to a specialist AdWords’ firm like Reload.
Popularity: 33%
Read MoreOptimising AdWords for Australia Day
When managing an AdWords account, foresight is imperative.
Understanding upcoming seasonal events and trends and how they relate to the product or service you are selling is a vital skill for any AdWords marketer.
Consider this; you own a lawn mowing business and are currently advertising online. At the moment you are only running generic ads, yet you are still getting a steady amount of enquiries through your website.
Although it is fantastic that you have optimised your campaigns to the point where they are generating a stable revenue stream for you, now is not the time to rest on your laurels.
Google AdWords campaigns require continual optimisation and maintenance in order to maximise any opportunities that may be missed with a ‘set and forget’ style of AdWords management.
For an example of how your mowing business might leverage itself off some major holidays and events during the year, you might consider running ads like:
You can also create new keyword lists, adjust your daily budgets, create new landing pages for your ads or utilise a variety of other common AdWords techniques in order to help you capture some of the increased traffic and online spending that occurs during these periods.
The trick however, is not just to simply capture the extra traffic, but to harness the ‘spirit’ of the event, holiday or season in your strategies.
Remember: Sell the sizzle, not the steak.
Popularity: 20%
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