• PPC... You put an ad online, internet users click it and they buy your product.  It's that simple, or is it?
• Clicks are a way to measure user interest and attention. It is used to generate high-quality customer traffic to websites which may ultimately drive an increase in sales. 
• While there are many advantages of PPC advertising, there are also some cons and elements of uncertainty surrounding PPC.
• We look at how PPC works and whether it's worth the investment. 

Now is the best time to grow your business and the worldwide web is the way to go! In today's digital age, you can advertise your product in so many ways and platforms.

You can bring your business to the world in literally one click. You put an ad online, internet users click it and they buy your product. 

It's that simple, or is it?

There are many digital marketing models out there. It can be complicated and even a daunting task to choose what works for your business. So it's only natural, necessary even, to look for options and question new marketing investments to ensure future return.

This article provides you with information that you can use to determine whether you should do away with pay per click advertising or if it's well worth the investment.

What Is Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising?

Pay Per Click or PPC is an internet marketing model in which advertisers pay a fee each time their ads are clicked. Clicks are a way to measure user interest and attention. It is used to generate high-quality customer traffic to websites which may ultimately drive an increase in sales. 

This model was initially done in search engine companies such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. Now, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter use this too. Even public or private content websites have also adopted pay per click as one of their advertising models.

Many see this as one of the best ways to market your products online. It has definitely become as one of the major players in the advertising industry.

How Does PPC Advertising Work?

When a user does a search of keywords online, ads related to the keywords are displayed in the search results. When a user clicks on these ads, it will lead to websites where the products of the advertisers are offered. Each time these ads are clicked, the advertisers pay a fee to search engine companies, social networking sites and website publishers.

The most popular type of Pay Per Click Advertising is the Bid-Based PPC. This is basically like an auction. It allows a number of advertisers to bid against each other for priority placement in the search engines results page. The search engine companies will choose a set of winners based on a number of factors to appear in their valuable ad space.

The premise is that the higher the placement of the ads, the more likely that the users will get to click them. 

Here are some of the major factors that search engine uses to determine the best ads for users.

• Amount Advertisers Bid: Just like in any auction, the highest bid gets the product.  An advertiser who bids the highest amount for keywords gets the top spot in the search engine results.
• The Relevance of Ad to keywords: If the ad includes the actual keywords that the user typed in, it is more likely that the ad contains the exact product that the user wants.
• Website landing page: The search engine reviews the content of the website landing page to ensure that it is relevant to the keyword and ad.  This ensures that the advertisers don't bid on keywords, then create a relevant ad and then lead users to a website that is totally irrelevant.

Now the question is will PPC work for your business?  Let's look at the pros and cons so you can weigh your options.

What Are the Advantages of PPC Advertising?

The main advantages of PPC advertising are:

1. Increased target customer base
2. Cost-effective
3. It provides full control 

1. Increased Target Customer Base

PPC can help connect with users online who are actively looking for services that you offer.  It allows you to generate leads and focus on potential customers when they are actually searching and looking to buy.  So it's not like going from door to door and selling your product in the hopes that there's an off-chance that somebody wants to purchase it.   This is a highly effective way to bring users to your website.  It is laser targeted. Use the right ad, get the right customer.

2. Cost-Effective

Since PPC focuses on a targeted audience, you are doing away with paying for advertisements that may land in the eyes of people who are not interested.  You only pay for clicks.  This means that the user is actually interested in your business each time they click.

3. It Provides Full Control

If you are someone who wants to monitor your online marketing, the PPC is the ideal method for you.  You can decide to run your ads initially for 100 clicks and when you don't get a response, you can change the tagline or whatever issue you are encountering. Since it's a fast way of generating results, you can track the return in real-time.

What Are the Disadvantages of PPC Advertising?

The disadvantages of PPC advertising are:

1. It's Not Free
2. Ads Disappear When Campaign Ends
3. It Does Not Guarantee A Sales Conversion

1. It's Not Free

Many business owners don't use PPC because it is not free.  Remember, every click has a cost.  There are other online marketing methods that you can use without any fees associated.  They may take some time to generate results but some companies stick with them because they know they have the option to advertise for free.

2. Ads Disappear When Campaign Ends

PPC ads stop appearing when you stop paying.  Thus, when your ads get discontinued, the traffic directed to your website and the potential sales that go along with it disappear too.   If you're short on advertising budget, it will be a challenge to keep a PPC campaign.

3. Does Not Guarantee A Sales Conversion

PPC may target users who are already interested to buy but that does not guarantee that they will, not from just you, at least.  The search engines choose winners from the bidding and they will place their ads in priority placement.  Your ad may be on the top spot but there are others below it and the users can still them.

Conclusion

PPC advertising is so popular because it works when you run the right campaign. At the start, initially give yourself a small budget. Take it slowly and monitor the results meticulously.  Know your numbers.  This will ensure that you can address the issues you may have as you go along.  This can also help you face any future challenges head-on.

As in most of the steps taken in any business, PPChas an element of uncertainty. If you do ample and effective research, create an attractive ad and sell the right product, it can improve your sales conversion rates tremendously.  It's a combination of all these factors that make your business a success. 

So look at the pros and cons, the current market and your personal situation to see if Pay Per Click Advertising really is worth it.

To discuss if PPC advertising could work for your business, please contact me directly.