Overbidding For Top Positions
Bidding for the top position can be difficult during the holiday season. As the competition heats up, and traffic increases, it becomes very easy to overbid on a keyword in order to get that top spot while also neglecting other low cost per click opportunities. Remember to think strategically when budgeting your account. Base budget levels on statistical research and data and get creative with your advertising!
Underestimating Search Volume
Often times companies prepare for the holiday season by creating holiday themed ad-copy, but forget to adjust their budget in preparation for the surge in search volume. Adjust your budget and use this high traffic time to your advantage. Run an A/B test and get results at a much faster rate!
As we head full speed into the holiday season there's a few things to remember when constructing and monitoring your December PPC Campaigns.
Know Consumer Habits
We mean really know them! Before you go live with your PPC plans, determine not only when transactions deriving from PPC ads occur within your demographic, but also when the holiday shopping research begins! On average in the month of December, Monday & Tuesday account for over 60% of weekly research inquiries & cyber sales.
Learn to Love Mobile Mode
December is not the month to neglect your mobile search opportunities! Mobile purchasing is on the rise, but even more importantly many customers use their smartphones to validate in-store purchases by quickly comparing competitor prices and scanning customer ratings and reviews just before they buy.
Create Holiday Hype
There's more to Holiday PPC than just seasonal ad copy! Create holiday hype around your company with simple aesthetic changes such as a holiday color scheme for your website text (red & green borders and font), and using holiday themed images (think garland & twinkling lights).
Leverage The Holiday Fire
And we aren 't talking about roasting chestnuts! An important part of the holidays is that crunch-time hustle and bustle. Add to the excitement and remind customers of their remaining shopping days with a Holiday Countdown on your landing page! Help take the stress out of shopping by implementing some hassle-free shopping tools! Add a Gift Finder function to your website or offer gift card/e-gift purchases. Simple is wonderful when time is ticking!
Double Check Your Preparations!
Many companies think they've fully prepared for the holidays with their dedicated landing pages and special offer promotions, but the most important thing to remember is to double check these plans! Do the links match up? Are the dates of your promotion accurate? Is your shopping cart working correctly? All the holiday plans in the world can't increase sales if the customer is being directed to a 404 Error!