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Getting More Out of Your PPC Advertising

Most marketing people know, the main element in any Internet marketing strategy is a good website. But what good is your website if nobody visits it? How do you build traffic to your website? How do you get more people to click on your website pages?

One sure way is to engage in some level of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Simply put, PPC advertising (or, cost-per-click, as some call it) uses online “banner” ads to entice web surfers to click on the ad, which then takes them to the advertiser’s website. So, as a PPC advertiser, you’re not paying for “position,” you’re paying for “clicks.”

“Position” on a search page is accomplished through search engine optimization (SEO) or search engine marketing (SEM), a much more sophisticated marketing play and topic for another blog.

PPC is more straight-forward. PPC equates to activity – clicks – not impressions or views, but actual clicks on an ad to visit your website or contact form. To put it into metrics, you divide the amount you paid for the ad by the number of clicks you registered through the ad and arrive at your cost per click. Plain and simple.

Some websites charge you a flat fee based on a rate card to advertise. In this case, you agree to pay a certain total amount and, based on the rate per click you purchase, when the number of clicks you receive adds up to the total you’ve paid for, you’re ad buy is fulfilled.

Others charge by a bid system, usually auctioning off keywords or ad locations on a website or web network. Whoever bids the highest amount for the position, then pays for each click based on the amount bid. High activity keywords or locations, obviously fetch a higher bid price, so there can be a bit of finesse to the bidding process.

The main thing to remember is that a click is a click, but a conversion – when someone clicks and then requests more information, fills out a contact form, completes a purchase, places an order, etc. – is golden. Calculate your cost per conversion to weigh what websites, locations, ad groups, keywords or topics are yielding the most for your PPC investment. Then, adjust your PPC buys accordingly.

And remember, a low number of events is not going to portray the truth when you begin weighing your PPC value. In other words, five clicks a week is not enough to support good judgment. When you get to 100 clicks a week and up, you start to gain critical mass and numbers start making sense.

Using these tips, you can then begin testing different scenarios to develop a Quality Score. That is, what ad positions, keywords, topics, etc. provide the best cost per click relevant to your Internet marketing mission? Google AdWords and Microsoft adCenter, for instance, post Quality Scores for accounts, ad groups, keywords, landing pages and other advertising segments. A 10 is considered tops on a scale of 1-10. But, just because a keyword scores a 10 on its own, may not mean that is will score a 10 in any specific ad group, for instance, where competing topics may trump that golden keyword. You will need to track and measure the variables on your own to get a clearer picture. And that’s where having a professional marketing consultant can help.

Einstein’s Eyes has been assisting Internet marketers in PPC campaigns for over 10 years. If you’d like to learn more or launch a PPC campaign to see how you can positively impact traffic at your website, contact sales@einsteinseyes.com or call 972-997-8200.

What It Takes To Build A Profitable Ecommerce Website

In theory, it’s quite simple. Make more money. That’s the goal of any ecommerce website. In practice, however, it’s one of the more difficult endeavors in website development, and therefore not recommended for the weekend, do-it-yourself website designer. Even professional designers can find themselves in the proverbial deep rough before too long, as the considerations involved in building an effective ecommerce website are both myriad and multilayered.

For starters, any successful ecommerce web design must first answer a number of business-related questions. What is your product purchasing process? Are you selling physical properties? Or is your product downloadable? Is it customized? Will it require a quote prior to approval? Or is it a straight purchase? What are your price points? Are discounts offered? What about promotional codes? Can the product be purchased using a credit card or PayPal account? Or will it require loan approval? On the back end, what are your bank requirements? Will you be integrating with QuickBooks-type software or a custom enterprise system? What are the tax, shipping and handling implications? Just getting the process nailed down can be difficult enough.

The product itself may present other complications. For instance, how do you describe your product? Are photos necessary to present the goods, or is it an intangible service, requiring professional copywriting to help paint the picture? Maybe video content is the answer. If that’s the case, a completely different set of tools must be brought to bear to create an appropriate online shopping experience. Some products call for 360° imagery. Some may best be presented in a slideshow format. Still others may require an online sales person to assist via live chat.

The idea is to sell more. Period. If your product comes with multiple options, you must have an effective way of presenting the choices. For instance, a simple shower stall may have six different sets of hardware, 12 types of glass, eight different metals, and a variety of installation kits, not to mention sizes and technical specs.

The more products you offer, the more pages you’ll need to consider – and the more complex your ecommerce web design will be. Every page of an ecommerce website must play well together to maximize sales. And, with so many social media options out there to build your website traffic and share your message with targeted online communities, the art of ecommerce design spills quickly over the boundaries of your isolated website and into the far corners of the Internet itself.

Whatever the scope of your project, the goal is to help your visitors comfortably navigate the purchasing process, from shopping cart to completed order. That’s not an easy task even for the best of us. But, when it’s done well, it should result in a smooth, satisfying shopping experience for your online customer.

Over the years, Einstein’s Eyes has created many successful ecommerce websites for clients large and small. Let us help you develop an ecommerce website that works. For more information, call 972-997-8200 or email sales@einsteinseyes.com.

WordPress’ Worry

WordPress had been having some troubles with hackers recently because of a minor vulnerability in their security. This loophole allowed attackers access to WordPress blogs, database information, and password hashes. At Einstein’s Eyes, our hosting clients also encountered this problem; we have troubleshot the issue to the vulnerability in WordPress’ systems. Several other users also noticed the break security and WordPress has now resolved the issue in the new version, WordPress 3.5.1. If you still have problems with your account, however, please contact us at Einstein’s Eyes and we’ll work to resolve your issue.

Enhanced Campaigns: Google’s Next Big Move

In February, the Google giant released news of enhanced campaigns—a newer, better, easier way of advertising across the technological dimensions. Before, to show ads through mobile devices, tablets, or desktops, you would need to set up different campaigns to efficiently optimize Google Adwords. Now, after the implementation of enhanced campaigns, you can reach potential customers with the right ads based on their location, time of day, device type, and other contextual factors. This is all done without the cluttering of multiple campaigns.

For example, before, a pizza company would need a separate ad campaign for people on desktops—these ads will link them to the ordering online landing page—and a separate campaign for people on smart-phones—these ads will have a call-to-order option extension with the mobile ads. After, however, with one single campaign, you can set reach out to people at home and on the go with the correct ads, site link, apps, or extensions.

Also, you can set up bids for your ads across devices, locations, and time of day all within the same campaign. The downside to this is that you can no longer have a mobile-only campaign. Because of the way the new bidding multiplier is set up where bid is set at the campaign level, mobile keywords will show up in desktop keywords and vice versa., thus mixing the mobile and desktop campaigns.

These new changes are ultimately meant to make the PPC process easier for PPC marketers, and to keep up with the multi-device world. Think that the new enhanced campaigns will hurt your already existing campaigns? Don’t worry, you’ll have until June of 2013 before the enhanced campaigns become mandatory across all campaigns. Before then, research up on the topic to make sure you understand the pros and cons of enhanced campaigns. Then you can decide if you would like to switch over early or wait until the June deadline. Keep in mind, however, once you switch over, you CANNOT switch back! So before you make the decision, talk with us at Einstein’s Eyes and our support staff will help you optimize your PPC experience.

Who’s Designing Your Website?

To borrow a Forrest Gump-ism, choosing an independent web designer is a lot like plucking a bon-bon from a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. And quite often, you end up with a nut.

Here’s a picture that comes to mind:

You need a website, and your spouse’s second cousin from Arkansas, who just graduated from a technical art institute hidden somewhere in the Ozarks, is available at a dirt-cheap rate. You don’t want to “overpay” for your website. You just want something clean and functional. So, considering the kid is working to build his portfolio, you decide to throw him a bone and invite him in to discuss your project.

The day of the meeting, you have all of your project team members assembled at the appropriately slated meeting time when, after 45 minutes of waiting, you finally call the kid and discover he’s decided to sleep in. “Dude, I’m soooo sorry. I can be there in about an hour!”

Sorry. Well. Okay. Everyone deserves a second chance. So, you reschedule the meeting.

The day of the second meeting, you call the kid two hours in advance to ensure he’s up and ready to go. Your people are assembled again and, after about 15 minutes of dramatic silence, the kid finally shows up. Late. Wearing a backwards ball cap, a tee-shirt emblazoned with the message, “It’s not a party until the kielbasa comes out,” the most ragged, high-water cargo pants you’ve ever seen and about six days of scraggly facial hair to go with his greasy, unwashed dreadlocks (hence, the ball cap)! The aroma of “wet dog” follows him to his seat.

Of course, he has nothing to write with, so you supply a pen and paper. Your team goes over the objectives for the site. The kid asks a few surprisingly good questions, such as, “do you need a CMS to handle your own updates?” and “do you have an FTP site to review the work?” But he doesn’t take notes. Midway through the meeting, his phone goes off. He takes the call. You discern from his side of the conversation, his roommate is locked out. He assures him he’ll be “back in a few” and the meeting resumes.

The final agreement is that you’ll see something “in about two weeks.” Then, he asks for his check. You end up negotiating a one-third down payment on the spot, and he waits in your lobby until the check is cut. After he leaves, his sour aroma lingers in the reception area for another hour and a half.

Two weeks come and go without a phone call or email. You finally track him down. He’s in Port Aransas on the beach with his girlfriend. “Dude, I’m sooooo sorry. I forgot to tell you. I’m on vacation!”

Don’t laugh. This composite portrait was based on actual encounters I’ve had with independent web designers over the years. Sure, I’ve had some good ones in between, but my point is this: If you want a professionally designed website, get a professional web design company to do the work. Your deadlines will be met. Your site will operate as promised. The work will be completed on time, in budget. And you won’t look bad in front of your peers, customers or competition. And, oh yeah, your lobby will be left smelling clean and fresh.

For a positive, professional experience in website design, think Einstein’s Eyes. Email sales@einsteinseyes.com to discuss your project today, and we’ll be there. On time. Ready for business.

Uncle Ray’s Fried Turkeys

As the holidays draw near, it’s time to think about what you’re going to serve at that big family meal. Well, we here at Einstein’s Eyes have the perfect solution: a fried turkey from Uncle Ray’s. They’ve got a unique recipe that can’t be beat, and we had fun putting together a new Ecommerce site for them. And don’t worry if you don’t know what to serve with one of their turkeys; they’ve got recipes for sides on the site.

Is Open Source Really A Better Web Development Technology?

When I first started in the website development business more than 11 years ago, programming options essentially revolved around Microsoft Windows. I worked on a Windows ’98 machine and performed my testing on a Personal Web Server (PSW). My first database was built in Microsoft Access. For a spare-bedroom operation, all was well with the world…until my business began to grow.

By February of 2002, Einstein’s Eyes had evolved into full-fledged web hosting company, and I was now purchasing hardware on which to grow my modest Windows empire. However, as I continued to set up more sites and add more users, I noticed a lot more Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP (LAMP) Open Source clients, and my eyes were opened.

Open Source was spawned in government laboratories during the 1960s and has developed steadily over time. Its toolbox is much more flexible than Windows, especially in the areas of web development, domain administration, security and email. Where Microsoft offers upgrades to accomplish the same results, added costs are always involved, and usually on a per user basis. Open Source solutions, on the other hand, are entirely free – and they don’t require configuring from scratch.

For instance, to send an email from a website using Open Source, a simple PHP script is all I need. With Microsoft, I’d have to buy a script, or work with an installed object that isn’t really transparent. Microsoft’s pre-written scripts are always protected, rendering them inflexible, whereas Open Source scripts are widely available and supported by a passionate, avid community of programmers always ready to share insights and expertise. What a refreshing difference!

In my opinion, Open Source technology is clearly the better technological solution, especially for the money. As a business owner, I can make more on an Open Source solution, even as I lower my cost to customers. It was win-win all the way around.

So, after a few years of living in both worlds, I shut down our Microsoft capabilities and migrated wholeheartedly into the Open Source world. Apparently, I am not alone. By domain count, Open Source servers outnumber Windows servers 2-to-1. IBM, Cisco, HP, Oracle and Sun all use Open Source technology. A quick review of the busiest e-commerce, forum and auction sites on the Internet reveals that Open Source, not Microsoft, is behind the curtains. With Open Source, I can:

  • Create sites economically, without incurring overhead.

  • Tap into a knowledgeable and eager support community, ready to share.

  • Find an ample talent pool of programmers familiar with the technology.

  • Build websites that are stable, reliable and scalable.

  • Manage email flexibly, securely and with greater control.

Best yet, my customers save money and improve support, thanks to the popularity of Open Source.

If you are in the process of building a website, changing hosting companies or upgrading your current Internet assets, consider the merits of Open Source, and contact us for insights. My email is joe@einsteinseyes.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Is Open Source Really A Better Web Development Technology?

10 Hidden Ways a Website Can Help Your Business

n the beginning, there was Web 1.0, typified by static information presented on websites posted across the Internet. Then came Web 2.0, a more interactive, social experience, wherein people in communities could exchange ideas and conduct business.

As web designers, application developers and Internet users collectively move toward “Web 3.0,” websites are becoming more intelligent, intuitive and ubiquitous. A website appropriately designed to take advantage of the latest technologies will offer you a host of business benefits – including these 10 commonly overlooked advantages:

  1. Competitive Differentiator: With all the bells and whistles available in modern website design, no two company websites are ever alike. A well-designed website will take advantage of this, presenting a unique branding experience that appeals to the type of clientele you desire for your business.
  2. Perceived Brand Value: Companies that have a well-designed, modern website are perceived as more reliable and trustworthy. Not only do potential customers sense it, potential investors do, as well. That can make big difference if you’re thinking about selling your business any time soon.
  3. Automates First Contact: By using contact forms, you can create uniform ways of collecting visitor information, leading to more efficient follow-up. You can also use the data collected to form other Internet strategies.
  4. Set Appointments and Qualify Leads: Website widgets can be added to assist in calendar management and appointment setting. For smaller companies, this convenience can also project an image of a much larger organization.
  5. Build Market Intelligence: Website analytics can be a valuable business planning tool, providing insights into many customer interaction characteristics, including geography, pricing, product preferences and more.
  6. Convenient Company Archive: By saving company blogs, news, site versions and other hosted content, your website can become a valuable storehouse of company information, easily accessible and secure.
  7. Cheapest Communications Tool: Compared to traditional marketing tactics, such as paid advertising and printed materials, your website is absolutely the lowest-cost communications tool in your marketing arsenal.
  8. Common Announcement Platform: As you announce company activities, events and offerings through your website, your Internet presence becomes a 24/7/365 beacon for everything happening in your organization.
  9. Easiest Point-of-Reference: Customers and prospects looking for you won’t go to a phone book or a card file to find you. They will Google your name. Your website is the most important point-of-reference for anyone seeking your company. It pays to have a website optimized for search purposes.
  10. Home Base for All Marketing: Every marketing piece you create should direct your audience to visit your website. Your website is your company’s main marketing anchor; it’s the most important part of your marketing program.

If you feel as though your company website is not taking advantage of some of the benefits a more forward-looking website might afford, talk to Einstein’s Eyes. Our web developers are always looking ahead to the next wave of Internet effectiveness. Let us help you get the most out of your Internet investment.

Are Do-It-Yourself Website Systems Really a Good Value?

If you run a small-to-medium sized business, and you’re thinking about creating a company website using one of the many automated website builder tools that are available online these days, think twice before you buy. Automated website design tools, also known as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), often come with strings attached. They may be cheap and easy-to-use, but they can also pin you into corners you can’t get out of easily once you’re in the system.

Loss of control

For starters, you don’t own the code. That means, once you’re website is up, you can’t port it, modify it or add anything to it – unless you pay extra for the limited upgrade options they may or may not offer. What’s more, your search marketing options are pretty much nil. Flash, proprietary coding and other limitations will keep you from ever cracking the top Google results pages, leaving your business as dead in the water as a printed copy of the latest Yellow Pages.

Why discount your future? A SaaS solution effectively sets you up for a build-from-scratch makeover project later, which will likely cost you everything you would have spent (and more) had you built your own website using a professional developer such as Einstein’s Eyes.

Lack of support

Online website design tools are made for mass production. The cookie-cutter templates you work with are fine, until something breaks. Then, good luck getting help. You will either have to suffer through an FAQ goose-chase, fill out a trouble ticket and wait for days, or worse, get stuck in a voice messaging maze that may never lead to a real human being.

For a glimpse of the headaches you’ll likely encounter working with a SaaS “help desk,” read this string posted on one of the more popular website provider’s support forums:

http://support.godaddy.com/groups/website-tonight/forum/topic/formatting-problems-in-website-tonight/

Ouch. That’s gotta hurt! When you use a pro, someone you know (such as Einstein’s Eyes), you’ll be treated directly, professionally and personally.

Hidden cost

Lastly, that low monthly fee you pay is a barebones arrangement. Hidden fees for added capabilities can often ratchet up your tab, well beyond what you thought you’d be paying, and suddenly, the case for low-balling your site goes bust.

Consider a recent consumer complaint on RipoffReport.com. A leading financial software company, offering hosted web services free for 30 days, could not post the consumer’s website within the 30-day trial window. Regardless, the software company continued making monthly withdrawals on his credit card, while trouble tickets, excuses and delays dragged the fiasco on for months. The consumer finally stopped the withdrawals, but the company refused to issue a refund. The website was never posted; the consumer never got his money back.

While some SaaS web spinners can be excellent for beginners or folks who don’t mind surrendering control over their content, take caution. Talk to Einstein’s Eyes before you sign up, and see if we can’t package a better value for you.

5 Keys to Managing a Successful Website Project

At Einstein’s Eyes, we’ve helped hundreds of clients work through website projects, ranging from basic updates and rebrands, to start-up launches and total makeovers. In our experience, there are two ways to do the job: the expensive way and the smart way.

First, the expensive way. This method typically involves no planning, no input, no thinking, false starts and lots and lots of revisions. You don’t want to go the expensive route. Trust us on this.

The smart way to manage a website project is to build it virtually in advance; that is, design your project on paper, thoroughly lining up the resources and inputs you’ll need to complete the project quickly and efficiently once the clock starts ticking. This usually requires a little more introspection and internal time investment. But, the outcome will be a far more satisfying and less expensive. Here are the five key components we see as essential to ensuring a successful website project.

  1. Define the scope of your project. What will be included in the work? Who is the audience? Review competitive sites and decide how best to position your business offering. Is there a marketing strategy to consider? What is your message? How do you want your site to be perceived? What do you want your visitors to think or do as a result of visiting your site? What technology will offer the best bang for the buck and provide you with the greatest upside?
  2. Set goals. What do you want to accomplish? By when? Do you want to sell products? Provide information? Boost your image? Build traffic? Support a business process? Start with the end in mind by putting your objectives in black and white.
  3. Assemble the content. This may include photos, videos, printed and digital materials used for background reference, existing web content, downloadable material (i.e., whitepapers, case studies, price sheets, catalogs, etc.), contact information, team bios, testimonials and legal disclaimers. If you have it all together on the front end, you eliminate delays in process and better control the output.
  4. Establish a workflow. Talk with your web design team about the step-by-step process, including functional responsibilities (design, programming, copywriting, input sources/content owners, etc.), the site navigation plan, design options, how and when content will be posted, the review process and who will approve the final work leading to launch. The more scripted the workflow, the more efficient your web project will be.
  5. Set a budget and timeline. Be upfront and realistic about what you want to spend on your website project – and live within your means. Adding elements after a project is approved can be expensive. By planning ahead, you can often build in economies of scale and add value to the final product. Set reasonable deadlines for all project milestones leading to launch, communicate progress and hold responsible parties accountable for their critical action dates. Delays not only waste time and money, they also create competitive lag time, which can be a killer for any business.

If you are considering an important web project in the next 90 days, start the process with a call to Einstein’s Eyes. We will be happy to help you focus your thinking up front, saving you significant dollars as you achieve a more satisfying result.

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