In the agile and ever-changing digital world, E-Commerce store owners need to know how stand out from the crowd. In February 2017, the game changed when Google Shopping was unleashed in Singapore.
With 60% of Singapore’s population making at least one online purchase per year, the country is one of the world’s biggest markets for E-Commerce. Out of all these online shoppers, almost half of them compare prices and features of products before buying. Basically, if you’re selling to Singaporeans, you’re catering to a group of tech-savvy shoppers with high standards – and they know they have options.
Google Shopping is a streamlined, efficient service that puts your products right in front of potential customers who are actively searching for them. Sounds pretty convenient for the customers, right? Luckily for retailers, this revolutionary online shopping tool boosts your bottom line and gives your business an edge over the competition.
In today’s blog, we’ll loop you into how Google Shopping campaigns can overhaul your operations and drive more sales to your business. But first, let’s start with the basics!
How Does It Work?
Have you ever searched something on Google and found a line of products up the top? Basically, Google Shopping is how you get your products featured in that section – as well as in the search engine’s “Shopping” tab, of course!
Being a Google product, Shopping is powered by two of their platforms: Merchant Center and Google Ads. Merchant Center is where you store all your product data to make available on Google Shopping, which is referred to as setting up a data feed.
Google Ads, formerly known as AdWords, is where your Shopping campaign lives. There, you’ll nominate which keywords your products will show up for when entered in searches. To show up in the Shopping tab, your product feed and site are considered as well as keyword bids.
These multiple ranking factors make Shopping a more holistic style of campaign, comparable to SEO. Google Shopping is priced on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis, meaning you only pay when people click your ads. This is perfect for E-Commerce store owners, because it means you only pay for results!
But what exactly separates Google Shopping from any other Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign?
Go Straight To The Top
With Google Shopping, your products get a lift straight to the top. Google Shopping ads feature in the “prime real estate” of search engine result pages (SERPs). This refers to that sweet spot above the top organic search results and paid text ads.
Shopping equalises the playing field. This puts smaller businesses in an advantageous position to compete with big industry players. Considering how many factors are at play in Shopping campaigns, you can’t just bid your way to the top. The only ‘shortcut’ to the search engine limelight is a healthy, campaign with holistic focus!
Shopping ads’ prime positioning is just one part of what makes Shopping ads such a consumer-magnet: Their informationally rich format draws in highly qualified clicks like nothing else.
Captivate Your Customers
People are visual creatures – and Google knows exactly how to tap into that aspect of human nature for the good of your profit margins!
Imagine you’re searching for red women’s heels. After typing in the search query, you’re presented with results like those depicted above. Would you rather sift through the text results, or would your eyes naturally dart to the images? If you put yourself in the customer’s shoes (no pun intended), you’ll gravitate towards the visually-oriented shopping ads.
Research indicates that Shopping Ads now represent approximately 74% of paid ad clicks on Google. More than just a pretty picture, Google Shopping ads are genuinely engaging. From price to delivery details, all the need-to-know info is right there. This makes for the ultimate in captivating, streamlined shopping experiences.
Enjoy Copious Conversions
We’ve saved the best ’til last. The single most compelling benefit to running a Google Shopping campaign is the outstanding conversion rate. Simply put, clicks on Google Shopping ads predominantly come from visitors who are already looking to buy.
Clicks with intent, combined with the ads’ engaging nature are a big part of why Shopping ads have a 30% higher conversion rate on desktop than comparable text ads. That percentage is way too big to ignore!
And the icing on the cake? Google Shopping ads have a 23% lower cost-per-click compared to text ads. Talk about return on investment! With higher profit margins, effective engagement and such a pleasing, convenient format, what have you got to lose?
Google Shopping delivers real results. If you’re thinking about how to diversify your digital marketing strategy in creative ways that actually drive sales, check out our previous post for 6 Unexpected Tips To Boost Your E-Commerce Sales On Instagram.
