As I write this, I'm indulging in a very large pumpkin muffin. It will quite possibly be my lunch for today even though I know it's just a quick fix of food and not the type that could sustain me for more than a few hours.
Our lives are filled with quick fixes of one type or another. Many advertising tactics feed into the need to satisfy the human nature for a quick fix. In the website and e-commerce realm, we often use the phrase "instant gratification" to explain how easy it is to place an order or download an information document. As a business owner, you need to recognize which of your products and services feed the need for instant gratification and use that in your online paid advertising.
Acquiring customers through instant gratification is not sustainable for business. Groupon had a short lived business model to satisfy those quick fixes, but most businesses didn't know how to succeed with their Groupon discount offer. This long term attempt to serve a quick fix has apparently lead to Groupon's demise.
Over the last 3 weeks, I've explained how to boost your Facebook posts effectively to target specific demographics of people. You can also use Google AdWords or AdWords Express to target specific keywords and phrases that people search for in Google. The effectiveness of your ads will only be as good as how well you match the ad to someone's right-just-now craving for a quick fix.
My own craving for an oversized pumpkin muffin was initiated by the jack-o-lantern on my back steps right now. A simple visual stimulation led to a specific action and satisfaction of my own quick fix. Surely I will forget about this tomorrow, or maybe I won't because I'll still walk by that jack-o-lantern a few more times before it gets moved to the compost heap. Will I be tempted to eat another pumpkin muffin next time? Probably not. Will I remember how yummy this one was? Surely I will, but I've had my fix and won't need another for a while.
Similarly, your own online ads will appear to the same people a few times until you discontinue them. Hopefully, you'll get some clicks on your ad the first time someone sees it. Will your website provide a quick fix to satisfy their needs, or will they just casually look around and view you as nothing more than a curious distraction?
Time and time again, I've watched as a lot of money was poured into paid online ad campaigns in the hopes of gaining new long term customers,. Yet the results yielded nothing more than bargain hunters looking for a quick fix at a low price. To capture attention, many online ads are focused on discounts and promotional specials, which is the basis for Groupon. It's those special offers that bring out the one-time buyers and price conscious bottom feeders.
Even though online advertising is an important method of reaching potential new customers, exclusively relying on it won't help you build a sustainable business. For long term sustainable growth, you need organic traffic to your website, but that organic traffic won't come unless you also have content on your website.
We all search on Google when we need answers. Clicks to Google AdWords ads occur more when people need those quick fixes and just want to see a specific answer, whereas clicks to organic results happen when someone is willing to spend the time to find the right answer for their specific purpose.
With all my talk about a pumpkin muffin, you might be motivated to go to the nearest bakery, Dunkin Donuts, or supermarket to get one. Will you shop around for the best one? Doubtful, especially since no one will give you a taste test. On the other hand, if I wanted the best pumpkin muffin, I could search online for a recipe and bake it myself.
It doesn't matter if you are selling jewelry or baking supplies for the perfect pumpkin muffin, those who are more committed to their search process need as much information as possible to make the right buying decision. That information takes the form of website content, which can be a combination of photos, written information, and diagrams.
Customers needing instant gratification will click an ad that (hopefully) leads them to a product catalog. On the other hand, those who want to carefully consider their purchase will dig into more detailed information, like product reviews, blog posts, and even how environmentally friendly your jewelry is.
It's so easy to put together a paid ad and survive off of the sales generated by it. Building your website with the right content takes time, effort, and a lot of faith that it will work. It does work, but it takes a while.
Since starting this 2015 Holiday Run-Up I've explained a lot about social media posting, building product information, and online adverting through Facebook. It's easy to get caught up in the fancy social networks and trying online ads, but none of that work is as important as building the foundational content on your website.
You'll need to put a lot of online effort into building and implementing a successful holiday season. Come January 1, 2016, all of your holiday social activity will be just a memory, but a website fortified with blogs and product information will still be active for years to come.
No matter how good your online paid ads are, the effort you spend on your website will always yield a greater long term return on investment.
