If you are considering the best way to use Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ad campaigns to market and increase sales for your local business, there are a few things to think about before making that decision.
The most critical is understanding how to strategize your campaign so that it differentiates between mobile and desktop users.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
It matters because consumers’ mindsets are different.
They look for different things at different times for various reasons from their mobile device or desktop. Therefore, the way they search on a mobile device may differ from how they search on a desktop.
THE MOBILE CONSUMER MINDSET
Mobile search is massive and growing faster than we can imagine, and that’s because consumers search their devices from anywhere at any time, morning, noon, or night, sitting in a restaurant, a car, on the beach, at the mall, or even stranded in bad weather.
Mobile searchers have different expectations than desktop searchers and are seeking location-relevant information immediately, which may include hours of operation, menus, contact information, weather conditions, and location of service. It might even be something they saw on TV or heard on the radio.
Whatever motivated the search, whether it’s urgent or something they were doing at the moment, mobile searchers seek quick answers and have little time or patience.
Consider the following situation when outside temperatures are sweltering between 95 and 100 degrees:
A consumer is out shopping Saturday morning for the Sunday brunch taking place at their apartment tomorrow and gets a call that the air conditioner and refrigerator have stopped working. In this scenario, there is an immediate need for information and 24-hour HVAC and refrigerator repair technicians. The consumer can acquire this information quickly from their mobile device by doing a local search for 24-hour technicians in the area.
THE DESKTOP CONSUMER MINDSET
Although a larger screen makes it easier to view content and to fit several CTA links on the page, the number of searches made from desktops is not nearly as high as those made via mobile devices.
Why?
Because not all desktop searches include local intent and in most cases, there is no urgency for information.
Nonetheless, the motivation for desktop searches is entirely different from mobile searches, as is the research process due to time and location.
Desktop searches are often more detailed and complex than mobile searches and able to return lots of search results to more open-ended queries.
So, consider the following situation when outside temperatures are, again, sweltering between 95 and 100 degrees:
The consumer lives in an apartment, and the air conditioner is rattling and behaving a little finicky. From their desktop, they perform a search for an HVAC company that can repair the problem, should the air conditioner break down altogether. In this scenario, there is time to research, compare companies, fill out contact forms, and wait for a reply.
Overall, therein lies the differences between mobile and desktop searches.
BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL PPC AD CAMPAIGN
Businesses must understand these differences before planning a marketing campaign. That is why contextual targeting built into an effective PPC ad campaign is necessary and should differentiate between mobile users versus desktop users.
In other words, a business should make sure its ads show up in relateable locations by targeting keywords/phrases that are relevant to their business.
For example, if your business is cupcakes, you wouldn’t position your ads to show up on a blog for hair products or tennis shoes by targeting these keywords. Instead, you would have them show up on blogs and websites that sell or discuss products relevant to cupcakes by targeting keywords such as bakeware, baking classes, desserts, parties. You get the picture.
This way, you increase the chances of users clicking on your ad and avoid disrupting a user’s hair shopping experience by having unrelated ads pop up at an inopportune time.
A successful PPC ad campaign should involve targeting the right keywords, using the right bid strategies and mobile metrics accordingly.
When you consider that most searches for small and local companies happen through the use of mobile devices, having awareness and being able to analyze user data for time and location will prove a crucial piece of the puzzle when determining the motivation behind the search.
And further, it will dictate the terms and strategies you set for your PPC ad campaign empowering you to get the most engagement with your ad.
A good strategy can also be a lasting strategy if appropriately implemented. Dialed In Web has a qualified team of professionals to help take your business to the next level.
Contact us for more information on how we can assist with helping increase your conversion rate, growing your leads, and compiling a PPC ad approach that works for both desktop and mobile searchers alike.
