I had a great meeting recently with an old colleague, Scott Frangos of WebDirexion. During the discussion an organizing idea began to emerge; a marketing concept that has multiple layers of value for us at Thomas Creek Concepts, WebDirexion, and of course our mutual clients. We met at a restaurant that was at one time called Pier 101. About 30 years ago Scott and I both worked in that restaurant. Thus the working title for this idea.

A problem that I have been trying to address for a long time is how to bring expert and experienced AdWords management to the smallest clients. It is a problem of scale, the management fees most small end users of AdWords can afford do not support the market value represented by experienced AdWords management. As a result many small businesses have to rely on automated tools like AdWords Express, or barely managed cookie cutter services provided by “big media” resellers.

In order to make services at a proportionate fee viable I suggested to Scott that we look at other ways for our agencies to get value out of small accounts, other than looking at the straight fee collected vs time put into the individual account. Such layered value might be – documenting the “proposition pier” project, thus creating great content for both of our company sites, and/or – identifying the smaller clients that are in the best position to become larger ones.

So, here is the basic package.

AdWords ad buy of approximately $10 a day – or $300 a month – however you want to look at it. In addition, a “management fee” of $100 a month will be charged. What makes this fee different than most management fees is that it will be divided between Thomas Creek Concepts for the hands on AdWords management, and WebDirexion for hands on Reporting, Analytics, and Pay-Per-Click related Website work. If the prospect does not have a website – WebDirexion can build one for a separate fee.

There will be a certain percentage of clients for which the basic package will meet their needs. But for many, the initial $400 package will be something of a trial. Hopefully the trial is a successful one, and the marketing relationship grows accordingly. In fact, this is the crux of the value proposition that will make or break the viability of this experiment in bringing experienced skills to small business internet marketing and advertising. If a certain percentage of the base clientele DO NOT grow into larger clients this model is not sustainable.

This is very much a work in progress and will evolve as we learn. If you want to get in early, now is your chance!

Contact Us – and let’s talk about how The Proposition Pier can establish a safe harbor from which to launch your online marketing endeavours.

1. Put the number in the ad text.

This is the easiest way to ensure that whenever your ad is shown, the user will see your phone number. Yes, you lose some characters which could be used to convey your message to customers, but at least you know the number will be in the ad.

2. Standard call extensions.

Standard call extensions allow you show your phone number in addition to all 70 characters of ad text, on devices capable of making a phone call. There is no guarantee that your ad will rank high enough to show the call extension, or that even with a high adrank a call extension will be the extension served (if you are using multiple ad extensions). You do get click-to-call click data within the interface, which can be very helpful. However, standard call extensions do not report any call data, such as duration, missed or received, area code of the caller, etc.

3. Google voice call extensions.

Google voice enabled call extensions offer by far the most data, control, and opportunity to show a call extension. The problem: Google voice numbers are not your phone number, they are randomly generated numbers owned by Google. If you have made a large investment in your number, perhaps a Google voice extension is not for you. You do get the most call data available, including missed/received, duration, and caller area code.

There are pro’s and con’s of each option, but nothing’s perfect. An imperfect increase in phone calls to your business is still an increase in phone calls to your business!

If you want to make absolutely certain the number, and quality of phone calls coming from AdWords, there’s one crucial step that must be taken: Use a (at least one) unique phone number for AdWords advertising ONLY. If branding your business number (ex. 1-866-JUNKWAY) is the goal, then having an adwords only number is not going to happen. You will never be certain how many calls are coming from AdWords, even if the customer tells you “I got your number from Google”. Google what? Places account listing, organic or paid results, a third party site they found through a Google search?

Maybe you don’t know exactly which campaigns, adgroups, keywords, and ads generate the most phone calls, but if the more you spend, the more you make – Keep it up!

Senator Jeff Merkley was the first to respond, twice even. His first response came days after my initial email, I received it  on January 7, 2011.

“Dear Thomas,

Thank you for contacting me to share your views about the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act (S. 968), legislation that would provide new authority for U.S. officials to shut down foreign websites that sell counterfeit products.

I have heard from many Oregonians on both sides of this issue – those who support providing U.S. agencies with greater authority to shut down websites, and those who are worried that the legislation could result in Internet censorship. Thanks to your letter and the letters of fellow Oregonians, I have asked my staff to take a closer look into this legislation.

On May 26, the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am not a member, passed this bill out of committee.  Please know that I will continue to follow its progress and will keep your views in mind should the full Senate take up this legislation.  Again, I have made note of your points and appreciate your input.

I hope you will continue to send your observations and thoughts my way.”

At the time, the bill was still in committee, which as the senator points out, not being on the committee meant he had little to no influence over the bill at that point. However, this line really irked my tater: “I have heard from many Oregonians on both sides of this issue…” I’m not buying that one bit! Undoubtedly, there were many millions of Americans on the “anti” side of this issue, and a few old money, big business entertainment industry tycoons, who spend millions in lobbying dollars on the “pro” side of the issue.

We are all IT people, our businesses depend on the internet, and we know the business potential. It is not our fault that the old money industries refuse to invest in the future, and instead, only choose to focus on the next quarter. None of the middle managers who got to where they are today in “traditional” media want their companies to evolve, and make a profit in the new environment. It’s beyond their depth, and after all, they have to look out for #1. I had hoped the junior senator, not yet completely corrupted by Washington politics would understand this. However, he continues to hedge his political bets by claiming there is an equal disposition for or against internet censorship among his constituents.

The second email came a few days later on January 31, 2011.

“Dear Thomas,

Thank you for your earlier message about the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

I have heard from tens of thousands of Oregonians on this legislation, which aims to provide new authority for U.S. officials to shut down foreign websites that offer counterfeit products. I very much appreciate the outpouring of input on this issue and I wanted to let you know that after carefully analyzing the legislation, I decided to oppose SOPA and PIPA.  Please click the image below to view a video explanation of my reasons opposing SOPA and PIPA.

I hope you will continue to send your observations and thoughts my way.”

This was less tater irking, yet felt even more impersonal to me. There is a link to a you tube response included. He states that he did decide to oppose the bill, and acknowledges the effect email, Facebook, and Twitter can have on influencing congress. However, he still promoted the “both sides” talking point. Sure, it’s just politics, but feels disingenuous to me.

Senator Wyden’s response took much longer to receive. It wasn’t until March 16, 2012 that I received a response. However, I did find the Sr. senators response much more personal, and informative:

If you are like me, you live in an apartment.. or maybe a flat? Do you have roommates, or flatmates? That all depends – on whether you speak English, or American. On both sides of the pond, we take our language very seriously. We Americans think the Brits don’t speak English, the Queen’s subjects know otherwise. So who is correct? Why, the customer of course…

As we have continued to expand into international advertising in multiple languages for our clients, I have learned an important lesson… NEVER ASSUME.

Here’s a look at the top five traffic generating English speaking countries.

The total goal count seems like about what you would expect. America has the largest population with internet access, but India has the largest total population (with internet use on the rise).

US: 71,198

India:  24,325

UK: 16,949

Canada: 13,757

Australia: 11,901

However, let’s assume only goal 3 has any value.

US: 169

India: 0

UK: 24

Canada: 47

Australia: 80

Again, the US is the most valuable market, but what’s interesting is that Australia is the second most valuable market. It takes six times as many visits in the US to make twice as much revenue. With PPC advertising, that traffic can get expensive. This is another reason why first, you need to have a conversion strategy in place, and know the value of those conversions. Spend your PPC dollars in the most valuable marketplace, and use the marketing data you gain to improve overall revenue. Since keyword data from Google organic visits is now an unknown, use your AdWords budget to help do your keyword research.

Americans, Canadians, Australians, and even the English themselves, seem to be very forgiving of our colonial misrepresentations of the Queen’s English. The term download for example, seems to be universally accepted as an English term. Is this an American term? If the technological PC/internet revolution in the English speaking world had begun in Wales instead of California, would we English speakers universally use the same term to describe such an action?  We Americans have the advantage in our shared language, when it comes to defining the lexicon associated with technology. Expanding your reach internationally through PPC advertising is easy (in comparison), if only using the English language.

International audiences accept the American dialect, due to the saturation of our dialect on the web, but some countries more so than others. Canadians are our neighbors, the Canadian audience is very accepting of doing business with their neighbors, and our dialects are not much different. Australians are not only accepting of our accent, but seem to trust the American market, more so than any other English speaking country. This is assuming direct return, not long term engagement. Over time, as the per capita buying buying power of Indian consumers improves, the revenue will as well. Even with no short term revenue being generated, the size of the audience should not be completely ignored. European nations however, seem to not be as trusting of the American marketplace. Could it be that we colonials are just speaking a different language?

Not speaking Spanish myself, I rely on the search terms report, and keyword data (using Google Translate) to try and gain a better understanding of what language the target market is speaking. I have found the subtle differences in the lexicon between countries to be far more profound  with Spanish, than the English language.

According to Google translate, descargar is the Spanish translation of download. In Mexico this does seem to be the case, it is the most common search term modifier used, with the highest CTR. However, this is not the case in Spain. Although descargar generates the most impressions, bajar is the translation of download which has the highest CTR.

Download is a universal term for the English language ads, and keywords, that dramatically increases click through and conversion rates for the example English campaign. However, that term does not directly translate to Spanish. There is a difference between the Queen’s Spanish, and the colonial dialects. As you try and expand your reach to new countries, and new languages, pay attention to what your customers are telling you. American may translate across the English language, but Spanish varies greatly by country. Try to establish which countries generate the most profit, then focus your website and SEO efforts on using the particular dialect the most profitable users find the most engaging.

It takes time to build a new audience in a new language, but with all the tools at your disposal, it’s easier now than ever before. Yes, you still have to have someone who speaks the language answer the phones, but not necessarily to write ad copy, or manage keywords. With click-to-call only, you don’t even need translated website content, if phone calls generate the majority of your conversions. Consider all the tools at your disposal, the world is your oyster…:)

AdWords – Nobody beats Google when it comes to overall traffic. There are far more Google users worldwide than Bing users.

AdCenter – Although there are fewer Bing users, those users tend to be more engaged with the site content than Google users.

Let’s first take a look at the organic traffic data, for a three month range from Dec, 2011 – Feb, 2012.

The combined Bing/Yahoo organic traffic is not even close to the Google traffic numbers, only 17%. The initial engagement metrics are a little better for Bing/Yahoo than Google, however the goal completion numbers present are far greater contrast.

Over a 2% higher conversion rate for Yahoo traffic, and over a 4% higher conversion rate for Bing traffic, as compared to Google.

The circumstances surrounding the PPC traffic will vary based on account structure, bids, budget, etc. However, for this example, there is no more or less emphasis on SEO for Google or Bing/Yahoo traffic for the site, so the organic data is a “cleaner” apples to apples comparison of the differences in user behavior.

Obviously Google is still the higher traffic and higher overall profit generating source. But, you can’t just ignore the higher conversion rates, and overall engagement of Bing/Yahoo users. Although, sometimes I wish I could…

When it comes to using the two interfaces, AdWords is by far, a much more intuitive, and user friendly interface, with more tools and features. Especially when it comes to content advertising and display ads. Given the extreme difference in overall traffic, AdCenter just cannot yield the same benefits, for the same effort as AdWords. However, on a smaller scale, the effort you do put into AdCenter may actually return a higher ROI. It is very much a difference between profit margin, and overall profit. Ignore either program in favor of the other at your own peril! There are distinct benefits to each, and require a slightly different approach to maximize those benefits. Over time, using any and all advertising tools and programs at your disposal to craft an effective advertising strategy, is the best approach to grow your business, and protect your brand.

However, there is a lot more you could do to help expand the reach of your business, and I think I could help! When I conduct a live search on Google to find your business, using the keyword ‘auto battery and electric’, here is what I see at the top of the page:

See how the first listing at the top of the page is for a company in Tulsa, OK? That is an example of Search Engine Optimization. They have put so much effort and expense into SEO, that here in Portland, they still rank#1 on Google search engine results, even though you have two locations in the Portland area with the same name. Your web developer can certainly help you in this area, but it’s a long (sometimes very expensive) process, and there’s no guarantee you can ever “outrank” the other company. They could have years worth of SEO optimization, that may lead to you always playing catch-up. As you invest in your brand, they will continue to as well.

Take a look at the next two results. Yes, these are for your company, but they are not results for your site. You don’t have any real control over citysearch or Yahoo reviews. Have you read those reviews? Are you happy with the content that is present there?

The Google places/maps local organic listing is in the 4th position. The review stars are higher, and the content is better. However, you still don’t have any control over those reviews. So, how do you ensure you brand a positive image of your business, over all other results? Advertising!

Here is some basic information about the Google AdWords advertising program, and here is an example of what I can do with that program for a local auto repair client.

Obviously, my website design abilities are exceptionally limited. Your web designer should be able to (very easily) create a blog page, which is what you are reading now. Once the template is set-up, there’s a lot I could do to help you reach your target market, just by blogging. Combine an advertising strategy with continually updated topical content, and you can quickly and effectively build an audience.

Do you have a newsletter? Any mailers or other more conventional customer retention strategies in place? I may not be the greatest writer in the world, but that is another area where I could help you grow and expand your business, in house, with little to no investment in time from you. Think about it, wouldn’t you rather be fishing?

As a small business owner, you wear enough hats already. It takes time to learn about all this internet stuff. I have been learning and working in this industry (part, or full time) for six years now, and I’ve barely scratched the surface. It’s a full time job in and of itself, unless of course, you have someone around who has already put in that full time effort, and can provide these resources on only a part-time basis. Who else have you known for over a decade, that has worked with you and your current employees, in this industry, while gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to do for your business what no other current employee could? Who else can help you grow your business to a level never before seen, and will clean the shop, and scrub the toilets?

SEO is important, it is certainly an investment you should consider making in your business. However, it takes a lot of work, time, and the results are not guaranteed. When Google comes out with it’s next update (which it always will), what guarantee do you have that what “worked” for your organic rankings before, is still going to “work” now? All the website development, link building, and carefully crafted strategy is all for not, if the algorithm de-values those signals in favor of something new. Regardless of algorithm updates, one thing remains constant, money spends. It is in Google’s best interest to maintain advertising revenue, regardless of the current search algorithm. Advertising provides consistency, and consistency is crucial for small business.

Let’s consider a specific example:

While conducting a non-personalized live search in Portland, Or. for the keyword search term ‘auto repair’, the results are very interesting. Our client, Tom Dwyer Automotive Services, inc. Shows an ad for their business in the top position of the page.

Notice how the rest of the ads in the top and side positions are for large national chains, or specialized service shops. Which of the top of the page businesses “specialize” in full service auto repair, for all brands, and provide personalized services based in the local community? The top organic listings are at the bottom of the fold, and again are for a national chain, or a DIY information site. How do you brand your local small business in this environment, and compete with the big guys – You advertise!

The organic listings for the company are another matter entirely. You have to scroll down below the fold of the first page to actually find local full service general repair facilities.

The local results are perhaps the most relevant results for your query, but they are pushed down the page. You still see advertisements next to the local organic results. Even though you “rank” on Google without paying for advertising, advertisers still are competing with your brand. How does Google determine the local organic listings? It does not appear having the most, or the highest rated reviews is the only factor. Certainly, that’s part of the equation, but there also has to be a continued investment in Search Engine Optimization. Again, if the algorithm changes, the organic results will change as well, and you will have no guarantee that your local business will show anywhere on the first page.

Unless, you protect your brand with an investment in advertising.

A combined approach, using multiple media formats, including television or radio advertising, is the best long term strategy to really grow and expand your business. Once a potential customer hears or sees your ad, in this day and age, what is the primary method of engagement? Is a customer more likely to remember the phone number and immediately call, or are they more likely to conduct a search for your business on the web?

With Google incorporating customer reviews from multiple sources for local search results, no matter how compelling your initial message, your online presence is crucial to keeping that potential customer engaged through the buying cycle. What are other customers saying about your business? How does the business owner respond, or not, to negative reviews? As the business owner you don’t have control over which reviews are shown or not, but you do have control over the content of your website. If you can engage the potential customer with an ad, on the top of the page, before they may explore any potential negative reviews associated with the local organic listings, you have a chance to out-flank any potential negativity associated with your business.

Take a look at how Tom Dwyer Automotive re-enforces positive client feedback within the site. Client video testimonials, on air radio personalities personal endorsements, a vast collection of online client reviews from multiple sources, and in shop client feedback surveys. There will always be some unhappy customers, you can’t please everyone, and we all know that. By curating so many positive feedback sources, it puts one or two negative reviews in perspective. Whose perspective would you trust – A one time customer who had a negative experience because of unknown circumstances, or someone who has been a client for over a decade, and has received excellent service and advice throughout the various stages in their life?

Use multiple advertising formats to craft a message, and expand brand awareness. Then continue to use all the tools at your disposal to maintain the prospective customers engagement with your brand, throughout the buying cycle.

The format is a bit different now, but there are many new tools and options available. You can now +1 posts that you found exceptionally helpful, improving the visibility of those responses through personalized Google search.

There is also a new AdWords Wiki section with articles written by Top Contributors and Trusted Members, that provides insight and information from a personal, practical perspective.

What Is The Most Important Metric To View First Thing Every Day?

For many small business advertisers with very limited budgets, the most important metric  of your AdWords account to view everyday may very well be total cost. You know advertising with AdWords can have a great benefit, but unlimited money is not a luxury many of us have. It’s an ongoing process to try and get the best value for your advertising dollars, and can also be a bit of a  juggling act. Some days you may have to raise your bids and budget to maximize your exposure, some days you may have to reduce your bids and budgets to bring the costs in line. You won’t know where you stand today, this week,  or this month without keeping an eye on your budget.

Why Can Cost Be The Most Important Factor For Small Business?

The adwords system may accrue up to 30% more cost on any given day than your maximum daily budget. Depending on your  overall financial situation, a 30% increase in costs over several days or a week, could be an cause for great concern. Is that also the week payroll goes out, vendor bills come due, or a costly emergency pops up? Pausing all your advertising to temporarily reduce costs may drastically reduce sales, compounding the overall short term cash flow issue. If you check your budget and spend daily, you will be more likely to stay ahead of the game, and not have to stress over playing catch-up when you are already over budget.

When Should You Adjust Or Optimize Your Bids And Budgets?

While it’s important to know where you stand regarding your budget at least several times a week, it may be counter-productive to make too many changes, too quickly. If you’re 10% over budget, perhaps reduce your daily budget by %10 to keep costs inline, but think twice before drastically reducing your bid in the short term. Keep your impression share metrics in mind.

If you are losing more impression share due to budget than position, any reduction in budget will mean a decrease in overall traffic. Ads that show in a higher position typically have higher click through and conversion rates than ads that show in lower positions. Even if you lose some traffic, try to maintain as much relevant concerting traffic as you can with a reduced budget. You may get more clicks for the same daily budget in a lower position, but f those are not profitable clicks (lower conversion rate), you will continue to spiral further into the red. Why pay for “bad” traffic, no matter how much you get for your available budget?

Tips For Estimating What Your Daily Budget Should Be:

If you do have a conversion strategy in place, and a value formula, then you know whether or not your ad buy is profitable. The impression share metrics are crucial metrics to establishing how much more profit you could make, for how much more cost. If you are only reaching 50% of your potential impression share due to budget for a profitable campaign, how much more revenue could you earn by increasing the budget? There is a point of diminishing return, but typically that point is around the 90+% mark. If the more you spend the more you make, in the long run, try to find a way to move more resources into your advertising. Consider your ad buy an investment, not just a cost of doing business.

If you are reaching 100% of your available impression share with your current budget, but still losing a significant impression share due to rank, raising your bids alone may not be the most effective approach. Yes you are more likely to get clicks and conversions for ads which show in a higher position, but the point of diminishing return can be much more drastic when it comes to bids than budget. If your return per click is $.06, and your average cost per click is $.05, any increase in bid will erode your current profit margin.

The opposite can be true if you lower your bids too much. An average CPC of $.04 may reduce adrank to a point where you lose the more profitable position, to competitors with a higher overall ad rank. Spend more make more, spend less make less – as a rule – is not always true, but is always a possibility that should be considered. From the first thing in the morning, to the last thing at night, knowing where you stand regarding your costs and profits is the key to knowing what you should be spending on AdWords, at any given time.

What Is Click-To-Call Only?

Click to call can be a great tool, and couldn’t be easier to set-up. Click-to-call only insures that every click on your ad from a mobile device capable of making a phone call, results in a phone call being initiated by the user. This feature allows the website to be bypassed entirely, and calls to your business to be initiated directly from Google’s search results pages.

With “standard” call  extensions (Show my business phone number only on high end mobile phones) a click to call icon is always displayed (when eligible to show a call extension) whether you have selected click to call only or not. Click to call only prevents a user from clicking through to the website, when using a device capable of making a phone call. Only the call icon is click-able. You are charged for a “call” when someone clicks the click-to-call icon, and you are charged the same as you would be for a click through to the website.

Why Use Click-To-Call Only?

There is one over-riding requirement to use the click-to-call feature – Having a phone number, that you want customers to call.

If calls generate the majority of your conversions, it may be beneficial to make sure the campaigns are segmented by device, and the structure/strategy of those campaigns – including keywords and especially ad copy – is focused on optimizing for click to call calls.

When Should I Use Click-To-Call Only?

There is a distinction between click to call, and click to call only. When I decide whether to use one option or the other, I try to take the website format into account. If the site is formatted for mobile users (smart phones), and your conversion events can occur on or off the site, giving users the choice of clicking or calling seems like the right way to go. They may not yet be in the purchase stage of the buying cycle, and may only be looking for information on the site. Or, they could be looking to call the business directly, and make an immediate purchase. If your website is mobile friendly, why not give them a choice?

If your website is not mobile friendly, you may want to consider using the click-to-call only option. Users still may not intend to make a call, but if the website is not formatted for smart phones, they could immediately bounce from the site as well. At least if they call, and let the phone ring long enough for you to answer, you have some chance of engaging the customer.

Tips On Using Click-To-Call Only: