salePPC campaigns can be big traffic drivers to a website; however, what makes that eventual click into a conversion is making sure that the content on the website is targeted to the user. This means that whatever the user was looking for when they clicked to a website, the content and information needs to be there. Having relevant information increases trust in a website and can increase user loyalty (e.g. unique return traffic and page views). For instance, if an ad is offering Free Shipping, then users expect to get free shipping once they click into the website.

However, even though users may find exactly what the PPC ad promised, it doesn’t mean that they are guaranteed to complete a sale. For whatever reason, they may leave the website without completing the final conversion step (whether that is purchasing a product, filling out a contact form, or signing up for an email newsletter). This is why company marketers need to set up a remarketing strategy, especially when it comes to PPC. The great thing about PPC is that many programs allow for additional tracking and remarketing opportunities, such as ads on websites hosting Google Network ads from companies whose websites the user has visited in the past. These banner and image ads are based on cookies via the Google Search Network or via other portals and attempt to drive previous traffic back to a company’s website, completing the conversion and bringing it all full-circle.

Remarketing PPC Clicks Into Conversions

Traffic from a PPC campaign is usually comprised of users who are looking for a specific product or service. They were enticed by what the PPC ad is offering and are looking to purchase it. Because of this, PPC clicks are usually easier to translate into conversions (of course, this does depend on the company’s industry or business). Many PPC target links go directly to a product page where a user can quickly put the item in their shopping cart.

However, if a user abandons a product page or shopping cart, using remarketing can help remind them of what they have looked at on the website in the past. Pamela Lund from Blueglass states, “For instance, if you are retargeting people who looked at a pair of jeans but didn’t add them to their shopping carts, you could retarget them with an ad featuring the jeans and bring them to the product detail page for those jeans when they click on the ad.” A company could also offer an additional discount or free shipping as an incentive to complete the sale/conversion.

Keeping Track of All Leads

keyboardGoogle Adwords allows for tracking of all leads from their ads. This allows for better remarketing by organizing and treating all leads as a crucial part of a CRM. As Craig Schinn from MediaPost states, “…shift from thinking of remarketing as a media tactic to thinking about it as a customer relationship management function. Remarketing offers both the marketer and the consumer choices similar to other direct channels.” By offering additional channels and opportunities to purchase an item or contact a company, the marketer and the consumer have a better chance of connecting and developing a business-customer relationship.

Every lead that doesn’t automatically convert into a sale on their first visit doesn’t mean they are lost as a potential revenue source. By using all types of remarketing channels available (such as cookie following, additional discounts, and banner ads), marketers have a better chance of not only gaining a new customer, but also learning what type of marketing tactic convinced them to go ahead and complete the conversion action. This valuable marketing insight can help businesses better tighten up their initial advertising and marketing efforts to provide higher initial ROI and instances of first visit conversions.

Image Attributions

Sale Tag: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1284253

Keyboard: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1280072

Kelsey Jones

Kelsey Jones

Founder/Chief Marketing Consultant at Six Stories
Kelsey Jones helps clients around the world grow their social media, content, and search marketing presence. She enjoys writing and consuming all kinds of content, both in digital and tattered paperback form.
Kelsey Jones
Kelsey Jones