Website Owners: Are you making this common mistake with PPC?

A common misconception among website owners is that if they're paying for PPC, they should be getting more sales. And if that's not happening, then the PPC is at fault. 

In this article I'll explain why (most of the time) that isn't the case. I'll also offer up some advice on how website owners can get the most out of their PPC investment.  

But first, let's backtrack for a moment:

What is PPC?

PPC (Pay Per Click) is a form of indirect advertising that allows advertisers to pay only when their advert is clicked by an online user.

The reason I bolded the word "indirect" is because that's the critical part of PPC that often gets misunderstood. 

What is indirect advertising?

As the name suggests, indirect advertising is advertising that makes people aware of a product or service by indirect means, such as sponsorship, product placement or online advertising.

What does all this have to do with PPC?

Well the basic goal of PPC is to encourage people to become interested in finding out more about something and clicking to find out.

But (and it’s a huge but), there's still another critical step after that:

You, or more accurately, your website still needs to convert those interested people into customers.

Let's visualise this on the high street for a second.

A shop on the high street normally has a sign above the door that gives an indication of who the business is and what they sell. They may also have special offers, or examples of their products displayed in the window.

Once a customer enters the shop and begins browsing, the signage has effectively done its job correctly. It’s now the responsibility of the shops interior, products and staff to encourage that customer into making a purchase.

Well, that's pretty much how a PPC advert works.

So let’s take this example back to the internet

Your monthly PPC report is telling you that you’ve had 50 clicks over the last 30 days.

That means 50 people liked your PPC advert so much, they chose not to click on your competitor’s adverts, or the 10 free organic search results.

Congratulations, your PPC advert has done its job correctly!

But why no sales you ask?

Well let’s go back to that shop on the high street

A shop just caught your attention with a great big neon sign, cool looking window displays and plenty of special offers.

You head inside with high expectations, but you're hit with instant disappointment. You just can’t seem to find anything, the staff are rude and the prices are astronomical.

Chances are that you'd rapidly change your mind about this shop and take your business elsewhere right?

Well the same logic applies to websites.

Why would you stick around on a website that's slow to load, poorly laid out or just doesn’t get to the point?

So, how do you solve the issue?

For starters you need to investigate the page on the other side of those 50 clicks and ask yourself questions like:

1. Is your website an eyesore?

Be honest, does your website look like it was made in the 90’s by a neighbour that "makes websites and can get you free cable"? If so then maybe it's time for a refresh, starting with the page you are sending people to via PPC.

2. Is the page slow to load?

If so, use a free page speed testing tool to figure out why. Then speak to your website designer to get things fixed. As a general rule, most websites should load in 5 seconds or less.

3. Are you sending people to the right page?

If your PPC advert is promoting "boiler repairs in Leeds" but you send people to a page that doesn't focus on that service and area in the content, you might be turning people off. 

You should be sending people to a dedicated landing page for boiler repairs in Leeds, with answers to common questions (such as prices), and easy ways for them to get in touch.

4. What sets you apart from your competitors?

You need to give your potential customers a reason not to click back on their browser. For example, if your PPC advert referred to a discount, make sure the details of that discount are clearly explained on the landing page. 

5. Are you holding the attention of your visitors?

The average attention span of an online user is 8 seconds. Does the content on your page summarise the value of what you are offering in 8 seconds or less? Or do people have to read through lots of waffle about how long you've been in business, and how awesome you are, etc?

6. Are you offering any proof?

If you are claiming to be the best in the business then where are your customer testimonials? Where are the links to your glowing reviews on Trust Pilot and Google Reviews?

7. Do you have a call to action?

You need to tell people what to do. It doesn’t need to be complicated, just a simple “Give us a call today on…..” will do fine. If you don’t tell people what to do next they might decide to leave instead.

8. Have you thought about mobile visitors?

Over 50% of web traffic takes place on mobiles. What percentage of people are using mobile phones to visit your landing page? And how does your landing page look on a mobile phone?

So what is the key takeaway here?

• If your PPC campaign is delivering clicks then your PPC campaign is doing its job correctly.
• The responsibility of what happens after those clicks rests entirely with you and your website.
• Remember, the goal is to earn more in sales from your PPC driven traffic than it costs to buy that traffic.
• The sooner you can identify any barriers to converting clicks into customers, the sooner you can start enjoying the benefits of a profitable PPC campaign.
• If your PPC advert isn't delivering any clicks then you may need to re-think your adverts and their targeting.