INTRODUCTION
Retail e-commerce in the United States has been increasing steadily for the past several years, and sales are projected to reach close to $500 billion within the next five years.
While Google search ads and shopping ads can help capture customers looking for specific products, Google display ads can extend your reach by showing ads to people who are browsing online, watching YouTube videos, checking Gmail or using apps.
In fact, the Google Display Network reaches close to 95 percent of Internet users in the United States across more than 2 million websites.
Following are some tips on how you can use Google display ads to attract shoppers to your retail store or e-commerce shop.
HOW TO SET UP GOOGLE DISPLAY ADS
Google display ads are available for a variety of Google Ads objectives, including sales, leads, website traffic, product and brand consideration and brand awareness and reach.
Select your objective and choose “Display” to get started. Then choose from the following campaign subtypes (for sales, leads and website traffic objectives only):
- Standard display campaign. Retain control over your ads by selecting your settings and targeting parameters and creating your own ads.
- Smart display campaign. Use optimized bidding and targeting (determined by Google), and allow Google to create automated ads from building blocks you provide, like headlines, descriptions, logos and images.
- Gmail campaign (not covered in this article). Reach people with interactive ads as they browse their email. They will appear in the “Promotions” and “Social” tabs within the Gmail inbox.
At this point, you may choose to add your shop’s website to help Google customize your campaign setup. Click “Continue” when you are ready to start building your campaign.
Both standard and smart display campaigns allow you to name your campaign, add target locations, enter your preferred language and set bidding preferences and a daily budget.
Click “additional settings” to set start and end dates, conversion parameters and content exclusions (like opting out of sensitive content). Standard campaigns have additional options such as selecting a specific ad schedule or including/excluding devices.
Standard campaigns also allow you to select the audiences and content you’d like to target. For instance, browse detailed demographics, interests and habits that match your buyer personas or choose content topics (like Beauty & Fitness) that align with your brand. You also may remarket to customers who have previously interacted with your online shop. Smart campaigns will handle targeting for you.
Finally, set up responsive display ads by uploading images, logos or videos and adding headlines, descriptions, call-to-action text, custom colors and the destination URL. You also will have the option to upload your own creative in one of the supported formats and sizes.
Click “add to ad group” when you’re finished creating your ad. Then add more ads to your ad group or click “create campaign” to launch your Google display ad campaign.
BEST PRACTICES FOR GOOGLE DISPLAY ADS
Take some time to explore Google display ads to see what works best for your brand. You should create 3-4 ads per ad group that test out different templates, colors and content.
For instance, use high-quality videos (must have a YouTube URL) and single-image ads to see which format gets the best response from prospective customers. Avoid overlaid text, collages and excessive blank space to get the best results. Google’s rich media gallery has examples you can reference.
You also should use clear and compelling headlines and text to describe your product or shop in 80 characters or fewer. Use language that is easy to read and understand without being overly generic. Avoid using all-caps and click-bait messaging (e.g. “click here to learn more”).
Include special pricing, promotions and exclusive offers you have in your ads. This can give you an edge over the competition and incentivize shoppers to click your ad.
Finally, make sure your landing (destination) page matches your ad to provide shoppers with the best experience possible. For example, if you’re advertising a specific product or offer, your landing page should clearly display the corresponding information.
These efforts will help you optimize your campaigns moving forward. In addition, Google can automatically show you the best-performing ads so that you can build on what’s working for your store.