It is affectionately known in the industry as the Google Idiot Tax and applies to people who have set up their own account and don’t know what they are doing. Google is doing itself a disservice in this regard, as those who experience such failure are often then skeptical about the value of utilising AdWords.”
Wechsler says generally people go to the Google Search website to make a decision, but they go to the Google Display Network (for example, The Sydney Morning Herald website) or on to Facebook with no intention of making a decision. Advertisements on those platforms are an interruption to browsing behaviour and therefore need to be crafted differently.
“For example, no one goes on to to Facebook when looking to buy a new car,” she says.
“Most of the time, AdWords on the Search Network is the perfect starting point for many businesses. This is primarily because it is the perfect testing ground for people who are actively searching. You can test different headlines and marketing messaging in the ads by observing the click-through rates on different ads.
“Once people click on the ads, you can then see how well your website performs in converting visitors into leads/buyers through analytics and heat mapping.
“Once this process has been refined and optimised, we pursue other online marketing strategies, such as Facebook advertising, remarketing, as well as content marketing, which feeds in perfectly with SEO.”
This point is perhaps a key: small businesses shouldn’t rely on just one aspect of the marketing mix to promote their business. Too many small businesses are not using all the marketing tools available to them.