Countless case studies have historically revealed most marketing initiatives have short term focus and use expensive PPC (Pay Per Click) campaigns as a means of driving unqualified traffic just to get the numbers up for management.
Such cases (TYAFTYAF) have been documented by marketing institutions like Zona Research, Jupiter, Forrester Research and the Gartner Group. Spend frenzy on PPC activity may draw more traffic but will it create a higher click through to conversion result? We say no. Forrester is still sticking by their guns saying 84% to 85% of the B2B and B2C rely on the organic listings over PPC.
Putting Marketing Cost in Perspective
Network Solutions is quite correct when it takes you through a spend calculator setting the spend threshold at $250.00 per month with a limit of $5000.00. They know as well as the aforementioned research companies that only an organic campaign will deliver higher click through results. Network Solutions also knows it can’t give the level of attention that only a focused SEO group can. So they cleverly mix and serve a captive and thirsty audience a little Kool-Aid. Being that we live in an instant gratification world - companies fall prey and drink from the PPC fountain hoping for change and results. That’s as scientific as throwing a plate of spaghetti on the wall to see how much will stick. Agreed?
Broad-brush Non-Targeted Waste
PPC campaigns if handled incorrectly can be compared to broad-brush non-targeted advertising which is no different than billboard advertising or coupon mailers everyone throws away. Stamps on thrash couldn’t be a more accurate analogy and billboard advertising for those of you who''ve tried knows first hand the expense. All of which can''t be accurately measured like a solid website.
Using PPC Sparingly and Watch For Rabbit Holes
PPC has its place in online marketing to be sure however; most marketers or users don’t know their markets well enough to calculate the rate of return or use a very unkind and complex tool. Unfortunately, Google does do a great job in guiding you down multiple rabbit holes that leaves you with an exhausted daily budget and added frustration in return; right? If you are launching a new product, then a combination of limited PPC and organic marketing is the way to go. PPC is perfect for getting rid of overstock items or excess inventory during Christmas or holiday events but be careful!
You better understand your target demographic and geographic areas or you"ll be throwing the spaghetti.
WEBPRO has seen its fair share of mangled budgets and have worked successfully in repairing, redesigning and launching websites for over 22 years. Even with our credibility in the marketplace, it is still a challenge to convince companies that the trust factor is higher with organic listings and why they need to recalibrate and traverse their marketing strategies.
Assumption is the Mother of all Web Marketing Mistakes
Why would any company spend a healthy monthly budget on PPC in an attempt to bring prospective customers to a chaotic and confusing website? Don’t be fooled in believing you have the wonder product or service if your site looks like everyone else’s or navigation and accessibility presents challenges to viewing. The only thing you will achieve is a high bounce rate. Keep in mind, compliance also means that iPads, iPhones, Android Tablets, MAC and Windows which all support different browsers (such as Opera, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Google Chrome) need to be considered prior to go live.
Final Thoughts
You'd be wise to think about building a long-term organic foundation with a reputable SEO partner rather than a wasteful PPC deck of cards platform for your business. It makes no difference if you’re business is local, regional or national. There are many layers and ingredients to building a solid marketing structure to achieve a higher placement. Then your concerns for creating actionable items or trigger points for the customer once they have arrived is yet another matter. There are many items that must be considered from placement to customer engagement that defines the whole web marketing process.
All we can say for certain is that templates are sloppy shortcuts and unseasoned designers, developers, cheap hosting companies, slow DNS and old servers will cripple your efforts in the end.
Wishing everyone a good search.