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<\/p>\nBuilding an effective eCommerce advertising strategy is no simple task. The issue is that despite the billions of online shoppers, competition is fierce for eCommerce stores.<\/p>\n
Where should you start? Social media, Google ads, email?\u00a0The truth is that eCommerce is pay to play.<\/p>\n
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If you want to succeed, you need to include paid advertising as a significant part of your eCommerce marketing strategy.<\/p>\n
This guide will walk you through the most popular eCommerce advertising platforms and help you determine which strategies will work for you.<\/p>\n
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The eCommerce world has revolutionized how we shop.<\/p>\n
Whether you need groceries, a wedding dress, or a replacement piece for your 20-year-old stove, you can find it online.<\/p>\n
In fact, by 2021, nearly 65% of the world will have purchased at least one item online.<\/p>\n
![\"eCommerce](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image6-1.png\")
Source<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n If you own an eCommerce site or are considering starting one, this is excellent news!\u00a0The more people who shop online, the better, right?<\/p>\n So why\u00a0you came here to learn how to make sales for your eCommerce business?<\/p>\n The best ad in the world won\u2019t do you any good if your website is uncrawlable by search engines or customers can\u2019t figure out how to check out.<\/p>\n It is also essential to make sure you\u2019ve got a lock on search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing \u2014 marketing strategies that support your advertising efforts.<\/p>\n So, before we dig into how to build a successful eCommerce advertising strategy, there are a few things we need to cover.<\/p>\n Who is your target audience?\u00a0Not just age and income (though you do need to know that stuff, too), but what matters to them?\u00a0What motivates them? What problems do they need to solve?<\/p>\n Before you start talking about budgets and ad copy and A\/B testing, you need to create a buyer persona<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n Doing this will help you create ads that resonate with your audience by speaking directly to their needs, wants, and pain points.<\/p>\n An excellent place to start is your Facebook audience insights or your Google Analytics account audience report.<\/p>\n Facebook provides a ton of demographic information as well as the interests of your audience.<\/strong><\/p>\n Google\u2019s Audience report<\/a> also gives you information about where your audience comes from, what parts of your site they engage with, and whether they are converting.<\/p>\n This report can be filtered in a ton of ways to see, for example, what audiences are bouncing from your website.<\/p>\n Before you start paying to drive traffic to your online store, you need to make sure your website can support the traffic and convert those customers once they land.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what you need to check before you do any advertising:<\/p>\n Use Google\u2019s Mobile-friendly testing tool<\/a> to ensure customers can easily navigate your site on mobile. More than half<\/a> of all online traffic occurs on mobile devices, so this is critical to eCommerce success.<\/p>\n More than half <\/a>of buyers will abandon a purchase if their preferred payment option is not available.<\/p>\n Cart abandonment can cost you thousands of dollars in lost sales. Keep the sales process super simple and make it easy for customers to give you money!<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve got these things covered, you are ready to start building a strong eCommerce marketing and advertising strategy.<\/p>\n As of April 2019, Facebook had more than 2 billion monthly active users. In addition to a broad user base, the average conversion rate for Facebook ads is 9.21%<\/a>, which is much higher than most Google ads.<\/p>\n If you want to reach the broadest possible audience and get the most band for your advertising buck, Facebook is an obvious choice.<\/p>\n As you can see from the chart below, Facebook reaches folks all over the world, including the US, Canada, Europe, and the rest of the world.<\/p>\n Source\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n There are two things you need to know before creating a Facebook ad: your objective and the type of ad you want to create.<\/strong> The objective is the goal of your ad includes awareness, consideration, and conversions.<\/p>\n The different Facebook ad types include: <\/strong><\/p>\n And last but not least, there is Facebook retargeting<\/a>,<\/strong> which allows you to retarget people who have viewed your website, liked a post, or taken another action with dynamic ads.<\/p>\n Sounds complicated, I know.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to get started:<\/strong><\/p>\n Otherwise, give your campaign a name and an objective.<\/p>\n I highly recommend using AdEspresso\u2019s advanced split test functionality<\/a> so you can see what type of ads are effective.<\/strong><\/p>\n Anyone running Facebook Ads should absolutely, without a doubt, have the pixel installed.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t, do yourself a favor, click on the image below and add this incredible resource to your bookmark list. Now!<\/p>\n Click here, or on the image above<\/a>, to learn How to Master the Facebook Pixel Like a Pro (in 2020 and beyond)<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n And if you really want to skyrocket your business results (and your personal Success as top digital marketers), you can\u2019t miss this exclusive FREE Masterclass<\/a> with AdEspresso Head of Education Paul Fairbrother<\/strong> (AKA The Prince of Facebook Ads).<\/p>\n Instagram is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms right now \u2014 and 72% of Instagram users<\/a> say they have purchased through the social platform.<\/p>\n With more than 1 billion monthly users<\/a>, a wide range of niche communities, and high engagement<\/a>, Instagram should definitely be part of your eCommerce marketing strategy.<\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n But there is one major issue with Instagram \u2014 you can\u2019t share links wherever you want like you can on Facebook.<\/p>\n Luckily, Instagram Ads do let users share links \u2014 and even check out right in the platform.<\/p>\n Consider using Instagram shopping<\/a>, which allows you to tag products in photos so folks can tap to buy right in their Instagram feed. There is a small processing fee.<\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n Here\u2019s an example of an Instagram shopping post from Williams Sonoma.<\/p>\n Note that the tags don\u2019t show up until users tap the photo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There are two ways to create Instagram ads: Using Facebook ads manager<\/a> or directly on Instagram<\/strong>. Either way, you will need to make sure you have an Instagram business profile<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to paid ads, you have a few options on Instagram:<\/p>\n Similar to a boosted post on Facebook, these ads are photos that show up in users\u2019 feeds.<\/p>\n These show up directly in users\u2019 feeds and can include links to your store. Here is an example from Pipefy, a project management tool:<\/p>\n Ads that appear in the Story feature, located at the top of users\u2019 feed.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what they look like:<\/p>\n Similar to photo ads, but video.<\/p>\n Instagram\u2019s answer to YouTube that allows much longer videos (up to 60 minutes).<\/p>\n These multiple photo ads can show off multiple colors and styles of similar products or be used to highlight your best selling products.<\/p>\n You can use a hashtag tool<\/a> or see what tags your competitors are using.<\/p>\n Need a bit more help with your Instagram eCommerce strategy?<\/p>\n Instagram eCommerce Sales Strategy: 5 Steps (+ 2 Bonus Tricks) To Success<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Check out the guide above for a more detailed dive into Instagram marketing for eCommerce<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n When it comes to online advertising, Google is one of the most popular platforms out there. But is it the right for your eCommerce business?<\/p>\n Like any other advertising strategy, Google Ads comes with some pros and cons.\u00a0 Here are a few things to consider:<\/p>\n If you are in eCommerce, there\u2019s a darn good chance that Google ads are a highly effective way for you to advertise and sell your eCommerce products.<\/p>\n Before you dive in, make sure you understand the different types of Google ads.<\/p>\n These are ads that show up at the top of the search results when Google users type in a specific phrase, for example, \u201cwomen\u2019s bathing suits.\u201d<\/p>\n These spots are competitive, but also very effective because your ad shows up above organic search results.<\/p>\n The average conversion rate for these types of ads is around 4%<\/a>, but that can vary significantly based on what terms you are targeting.<\/p>\n Aim to show up for terms with a high buyer intent \u2014 such as \u201cbuy women\u2019s bathing suit\u201d versus \u201cbathing suit styles.\u201d<\/p>\n Display ads show up on websites in Google\u2019s Display network. These are banner ads or ads in the sidebar of your favorite websites.<\/p>\n For example, this Instapage ad on CNN.com:<\/p>\n Source\u00a0<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n Display ads tend to have a much lower conversion rate, but they are also cheaper.<\/p>\n Use these ads (along with retargeting) to raise brand awareness.<\/p>\n Google Shopping ads focus on increasing actual purchases, not just traffic or brand awareness.<\/p>\n These ads show up in Google\u2019s shopping tab, Google images, next to search results, and on partner sites, if you enable that feature.<\/p>\n Shopping ads include an image, pricing, and other information:<\/p>\n Google shopping ads can be highly effective at driving sales, especially if your item is lower-priced, higher ratings, or includes add ons like free shipping.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the thing \u2014 98% of the folks who visit your website will never come back<\/a> \u2014 unless you can draw them back in.<\/p>\n Retargeting allows you to recapture that traffic by sending them highly targeted ads on a variety of websites across the web. This Google ads retargeting guide<\/a> will walk you through how to recapture and convert lost traffic.<\/p>\n Google offers automated bidding features<\/a> that let you set specific parameters and then take over the heavy lifting of changing bids. It is incredibly effective for both new and experienced eCommerce store owners.<\/p>\n Start by creating a Google account, adding analytics to your website, then activate your Google Ads account<\/a>. Then, watch this video and discover how using AdEspresso makes everything easier<\/a>.<\/p>\n Google Ads Campaign Creation<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n Liked the video?<\/p>\nTwo Things To Check Before Starting\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#1 – Get to Know Your Target Audience\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"google](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image7.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"eCommerce](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/google-analytics-Audiences-report-.png\")
<\/p>\n#2 Make Sure Your eCommerce Website is Optimized\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Check you\u2019re mobile-friendly:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Offer multiple payment options<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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KISS (Keep It Super Simple)<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
eCommerce Advertising With <\/strong>Facebook Ads<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nFacebook Ad Best Practices for <\/strong>eCommerce Businesses<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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You know what to do, right? \u21aa\ufe0fCLICK HERE<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a> \u21a9\ufe0f<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
eCommerce Advertising with <\/strong>Instagram Ads <\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"eCommerce](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image10.png\")
\nPro Tip: Use Instagram Shopping\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"eCommerce](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image5-1.png\")
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Photo ads:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Sponsored Ads<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"instagram](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image1-1.png\")
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Instagram story ads:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"instagram](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image8.png\")
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Video ads:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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IGTV ads:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Carousel ads: <\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nInstagram Ad Best Practices for eCommerce Businesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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![\"eCommerce](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/the-best-instagram-ad-strategy-for-e-commerce-2019-1024x536.jpg\")
<\/a>eCommerce Advertising with\u00a0<\/strong>Google Ads<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Pros of Google Ads for Ecommerce:<\/h4>\n
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Cons of Google Ads for Ecommerce:<\/h4>\n
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Google Search Ads\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"google](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image3-1.png\")
<\/p>\nGoogle Display Ads\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"eCommerce](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image2.png\")
Google Shopping Ads<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/image4.png\")
<\/p>\n\nGoogle Ads\u00a0Best Practices for eCommerce Businesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Use Retargeting in Google Ads for the Best Results <\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Leverage marketing automation:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Learn how to get started with Google Ads<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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