Posted by: Michael Carney in Google
Keen to get some last-minute Christmas traffic heading to your website? Perhaps the answer lies in judicious use of advertising tools such as Google AdWords.
We scanned the seasonal horizon to see if we could pick up some last-minute tips from the Jolly Red Guy. He was a little busy, but we came across some useful advice from one of his little Elfers, Arlene Helbert (AdWords Optimisation Specialist). She actually gave this advice last year, but we didn’t use it then — so now’s the time. Arlene suggests that you should:
- Plan ahead & allocate sufficient [AdWords] budget to capture the sudden increase in traffic [as consumers desperately search for some last-minute magic, perhaps even a Zhu Zhu or two].
- Ensure all your products are covered to capture maximum traffic [i.e. choose keywords that lure customers to all your best-selling items].
- Be prepared to increase your maximum CPCs [Cost Per Clicks] at a time of increased AdWords auction intensity. [Your competitors will be willing to pay more to squeeze those last few dollars out of consumers. You need to decide if you're willing to match them.]
- Have seasonal keywords & ad texts ready [cause nothing quite says "ho ho ho hum" like stale adcopy left over from Thanksgiving].
Some more specific advice building on the key recommendations above:
- Start Early [Oops -- maybe next year]: Ensure content campaigns are running well before Christmas to capture the attention of consumers browsing their favorite sites.
- Build Ad Group Themes: Build content campaigns with general keywords. Form a theme & combine synonyms & product ranges.
- Direct, Complementary & Audience Ad Groups: Create tightly themed ad groups. Think of the types of sites where you’d like your ads to appear, for example targeting those looking for the specific product you sell such as ‘flowers’, the audience that will be looking for ‘flowers’ i.e. boyfriends as well as complementary websites related to your product for example ‘chocolate’ & ‘gift sites’.
- Include Seasonal Ad text: Remember to include Christmas specific ad text, special offers & delivery times & to test out different variations of your ad text.
- Use Images: Images are a powerful way of reaching & interacting with users especially for products with a visual unique selling proposition, for example luxury goods.
- Ad Formats: Use Google’s different ad formats (image, Gadget Ads*) to connect with different types of consumers in different ways.
*What are Google Gadget Ads?
Gadget ads enable advertisers and agencies to engage audiences on the Internet’s largest ad network with a rich and interactive new ad format. Think of gadget ads as mini versions of your website in any AdSense ad size.
Okay, time to get those raindeer humming. Just a few more sleeps till Christmas.
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Tags: AdWords, Christmas 2009, Google, last-minute, traffic
Those green shoots that some optimistic observers were reporting?
Seems they weren’t the tips of Christmas trees.
If you were hoping for festive largesse from your friends, co-workers or customers, sorry, not this holiday season. And if you’re in the gift-selling business, times are still going to be tight.
The latest Holiday Forecast Consumer Behavior Report from PriceGrabber.com finds that this holiday season consumers will NOT be buying Christmas goodies for:
- Acquaintances, 57%
- Co-workers, 53%
- Service providers (eg parking attendant, housekeeper), 44%
- Extended family (sorry auntie), 42%
- Friends, 31%
Other Holiday Trends from the PriceGrabber.com survey of 2,018 online consumers, conducted from Sept. 24, 2009 to Oct. 12, 2009:
- Consumers are using more money-saving techniques
More than ever, comparison shopping is on the forefront of consumers’ minds, with 70 percent of consumers doing more research and comparison shopping online, compared with 38 percent last year. And fifty percent of consumers are planning to shop at discount or outlet stores this year, while only 43 percent did so last year.
- Consumers are cutting back
Fifty-three percent of consumers are planning to spend less than they did last year. Of the consumers who are planning to spend less this year, 48 percent reveal that one of the reasons that they are spending less is due to an increase in prices (necessities, gas, etc.), 45 percent cite lack of confidence in the economy, and 38 percent indicate making less money as a reason for spending less.
- Shopping starts earlier to ease the impact of holiday spending
In past years, Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) has been the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. This year, consumers are planning to start their holiday shopping long before Black Friday, with 22 percent of consumers starting their holiday shopping in October and 29 percent starting in November.
- Gift lists are trimmed down to manage budgets
When it comes to holiday spending this year, 36 percent of consumers expect to spend between $100 and $499, 28 percent plan to spend $500 to $999, and 30 percent anticipate a holiday spend of $1,000 or more.
More on Green Shoots and Holiday Trends in our November newsletter.
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Tags: Christmas, Christmas 2009, comparison shopping, consumer behavior, forecast, gifts, holiday spending, holidays, lack of confidence
