As an Online marketing agency, we get invited to various seminars around the country to talk about AdWords (PPC) and SEO. These are always an enjoyable affair and we get to listen to people’s experiences advertising online and the problems associated therewith. Without doubt, the most interesting part of the presentation is the question and answer session at the end.
Have you Given it a Go?
Now, most businesses know at least something about either/or AdWords and SEO; many have actually given it a go, but when asked how they got on with it we find there are several reasons why businesses have reverted back to more traditional methods of advertising. Some of these reasons are listed below,
1. “It just didn’t work for me”
2. “I tried it for a couple of weeks and got nowhere”
3. “I paid an agency a lot of money and got no more business”
4. “I’m not really sure how much I’m paying to Google and how much is going to the agency”
5. “The gentleman on the telephone assured me he could get me on page one of Google search results within two weeks, and he didn’t”
6. “I can never get hold of my account manager”
7. “I don’t get regular reports so I can’t see how my campaign is working”
8. “The agency I was using went into receivership/administration”
And so on and so forth. These are only a small example of the reasons we get thrown at us and it would seem that after one bad experience, online marketing is cast aside.
Take a Look
Let’s have a look at these statements and try and explain where these businesses went wrong.
1. Online marketing doesn’t work for everyone. There are so many variables such as size of budget, competitiveness in the market place as well as how efficient the agency is that they have engaged. Most of the time thought, the reason is the marketing just hasn’t been done right.
2. I’m sorry, but two weeks just isn’t enough time. Some people still think that they can engage an agency and the results will flow in immediately, very much like flicking on a light switch. It takes time, skill and ability to read data accurately, and not make sweeping changes throughout the account based on one day’s data which could amount to be extremely damaging.
3. If you are paying an agency, you should know exactly what they are doing on your account. To see what an agency has been working on, click the “View Change History” link in your AdWords account, you will see exactly what has been done on your account over a given period of time. This information along with SEO details should be provided to you on a monthly report. More of that later.
4. If you are paying a monthly fee to your agency and they take care of Google’s fee from that payment, how do you know exactly what your Ad Spend is? The answer is, you don’t. If the agency won’t give you access to your data, then the chances are that very little of your budget is going on Ad Spend.
5. This one crops up all the time. If you’re told this, run a mile; it just isn’t going to happen, in fact, Google themselves will tell you that. The agency that tells you this is either desperate for work or you’re talking to a salesman who knows nothing about the industry but desperately needs the sales commission.
6. No excuse for this, if your account manager is too busy to answer your phone call (it does happen), send an email. Usually, it’s much better to correspond this way as everything is then recorded in writing.
7. Any reputable agency will give you a monthly report to discuss how your campaign is progressing, make sure you insist on one, it’s your data.
8. This does happen, even with big companies. It’s always prudent to credit check the agency before you engage them particularly if it is a very large agency.
We Give Up!
The reason most people give up on online marketing is because of their own expectations. Very little will happen initially and you should consider your first few payments as an investment. After that and with a reputable transparent agency, you will see the strategy work. Listen to what your account manager is telling you and work with them, not against them.
Remember, if you are considering engaging an agency for Google AdWords, make sure they are a Google Partner, this way all the works they carry out on your behalf will be in accordance with Google Guidelines.
