Is Pay per click right for my business?
In this blog I will look to answer the question "is pay per click right for my business?"
Pay per click advertising is something most small business owners consider as some point or another. The idea of being able to drive relevant traffic that is already primed to buy sounds too good to be true.
The problem is everybody does think that and this is one case where the internet has not given the small business owner the same playing field as the big boys and for one reason...budget.
Pay per click or PPC as its often referred to as can without doubt a doubt drive leads and sales. Here comes the but, it is not something that you just chuck money at and wait for the sales to come driving in. The reason the big boys have an advantage is they can throw more money at this and unfortunately this is a game where more money makes a difference.
In very simple terms play per click works by paying to be listed on the very top, and on the right hand side based on a specific keyword. For example if you sold holidays you would want to appear as an advert when someone searches for certain keywords or phrases. The more specific the better. This is because the more broad the term the higher the price. The way Google determines who appears on the top and on the top of the right hand side is by how much you are prepared to pay, the more money the higher your listing.
If you are prepared to do the testing and see what works for your business it can pay dividends. Testing will involve testing different keywords and phrases and seeing what works for you. You will also need to understand what is your average cost per lead or sale. Understanding your numbers is very important so you understand how much you can afford to spend on obtaining a lead or sale using PPC. Understand that your testing may not yield a profit, this is more about seeing what works and what generates the most leads or sales. Your test budget will probably need to be at least a couple of hundred pounds.
It does not end there though, keeping an eye on your PPC campaigns is vital. You do not want to be spending money on campaigns that are not working. Understanding how to set budgets in your PPC setup and knowing when to switch them off.
For most small business owners If you do not have much of a budget I am not sure PPC is for you. If you have the budget but not the skill set then I would advise working with a PPC agency. They will take a fee but these guys and gals really know what they are doing and the with the right agency the fee is well spent.
So is PPC right for you? Have you had some real success with PPC?
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Author- Speaker - Consultant. Passionate about all things digital.