Creating an online store is extremely hard work – even if you limit yourself to running it in a dropshipping model. However, despite everything, even the best designed and made online store will not become visible to search engines or recognizable among customers overnight. You need advertising for this to happen. There are no shortcuts here. It is worth emphasizing immediately that the effects of e-shop promotion are best visible in the long term and you often need to be patient. But this patience pays off – especially if the campaign is conducted in a thoughtful and consistent manner.

Where is the best place to advertise an online store?

Are you wondering how to approach the topic of online store advertising? First of all: before you act, plan what you will do. Especially that in the virtual world there is a lot of tools waiting for you that can be used to advertise an online store. However, if you rashly invest in advertising, without first specifying the basics, you may find that instead of gaining … you will only lose the funds spent on the campaign.

How to avoid it? Specify precisely the assumptions of the campaign before proceeding to the selection of channels through which the promotion will be conducted, as well as the content of messages that are to “go out into the world”.

What exactly needs to be specified before advertising?

A. What is the target group of your customers?
Who are you addressing your offer to? Are they recipients in a specific age range? A specific gender? With specific interests and lifestyle? Or maybe you want to reach a very wide group of customers? The more precisely you define your target, the easier it will be for you to plan communication and the better you will invest your funds. For this purpose:

– create personas representing the target audience of your products – give them symbolic names and surnames, specify their approximate age, needs, interests, expectations and possible objections, and even add sample photos,
– think about how the products you want to sell are supposed to solve their everyday problems,
– think what type of communication style will be appropriate in the advertisement – is it more “official” and neutral, or maybe “laid back” and bold?

B. brand DNA
Do you know what and to whom you want to sell? You still need to define what image your brand will have. What associations should the recipient build? What is it supposed to be associated with? With prestige? Or maybe with low prices and fast delivery? With high-quality products? Or maybe with “exotic” goods unavailable in USA in a stationary way? This will translate into both the manner of advertising and selected communication channels.

C. Objectives of the advertising campaign
What will be the aim of the conducted promotional campaign? If you are just starting your business in the e-commerce industry, first of all, you need to make potential customers aware that you exist on the market, and in the next step to build their trust. Only then will the campaign move towards promoting specific products and lead directly to the conversion. Most often you have to go through all these stages in order to gradually start to expand your portfolio of clients – not the one-time ones, but those who will come back again and again and recommend your services to friends.

So start by identifying a key campaign premise. Once that’s done, it’s time to define your specific goals. This can be, for example, an increase in traffic on the store’s website, obtaining sales leads, or strengthening the sale of a specific product. What course of action you choose will depend on what tools and channels will be used during the campaign.

D. Budget
How much money can you spend on an advertising campaign? Remember: it is not worth limiting expenses for promotion, because it is … very apparent savings. Why? Take a moment to consider where are you buying? In stores whose offers are readily available and visible in the palm of your hand, right? This visibility will not build itself! If you don’t tell the world about your store, nobody will hear about it and find it.
Nevertheless, there is no such thing as an unlimited advertising budget. It is worth knowing in advance how much money can be invested in the implementation of a specific campaign.

How to promote an online store?

Do you already know why you will advertise your e-shop, who do you want to contact and for how much? Now it’s time to choose the tools with which you will conduct the campaign. The decision is not easy at all because – as we mentioned – the number of options is really solid. Important hint: you don’t need to use all the available options during one campaign. Choose those that will match the assumptions of the promotional campaign or choose those that, with a limited budget, can potentially turn out to be the most sensible.

How? For example, a very large online store, which cares about huge ranges, may think about advertising using ATL channels, e.g. press, radio, and even television. However, this is a solution primarily for the largest players on the e-commerce market. Those who operate on a slightly narrower scale will focus on promotion mainly on the Internet.

So where to promote? The basic rule that is always worth having “at the back of your head” is: be where your customers are. Where? Here is an overview of the tools that are good to consider.

The advertising system provided by the Mountain View giant is the absolute basis of Internet advertising. Why? Simply put: because we all use Google, and the platform offers extremely wide opportunities to promote ourselves. What more can you reach for?

Sponsored Links
Where are the recipients looking for the products they want to buy? They very often start their hunt by entering a search term into the Google search engine, and then… they click on the first search results. However, sponsored links appear above them. The presence of your store in this section will increase the chances that its offer will be checked in the first place. Customers rarely distinguish an ad from organic results, and even so, these ads are very well targeted, and advertisers want the person who clicked on them to make a purchase. If the ad is set wrong, they will just blow your budget.

Google Shopping
In recent years, Google has improved its advertising tools and today one of the most interesting proposals for e-commerce is a “carousel” of products displayed in the search results – with photos and product prices. Such a mini catalog with promoted stores’ offers increases the probability that the recipient will click on your ad and then make a purchase!

Outdoor advertising
Google Ads is also advertisements displayed on various external portals – in the form of banners. This format, discredited some time ago, if only due to the fact that many internet users blocked banner ads, is now back in favor. For two reasons. First of all, more and more websites are introducing technological solutions to prevent ad blocking or asking their users to display them (it works!). Second, remarketing ads are widely used and are much more effective. What’s the thing? In remarketing campaigns, the recipient on the banners sees personalized ads that show, for example, the products he has previously viewed. Such constant reminders can be very persuasive!

Google Ads tools – as long as the campaign is run by a specialist with appropriate qualifications – can bring very good short-term and long-term results. Although the configuration of the campaign is seemingly very simple, in fact, specialists should watch over its course – they will make sure that every dollar invested in the promotion earns itself and brings the expected ROI. In the case of Paraphrase-Online.com, campaign optimization is entrusted not only to a specialist, but also to our self-learning algorithms that introduce even thousands of changes a day. This campaign optimization ensures that you invest resources in the time and place most appropriate for it.

Social media

If e-commerce advertising on social media is of course Facebook first. The portal founded by Mark Zuckerberg has today become a source of information, entertainment and inspiration. That is why it is worth being here and promoting your e-shop. How?

First, use the full potential of free solutions. So, first of all, run a fanpage of your e-shop. Regular, engaging posts will allow you to build a specific audience that will grow over time.

But that’s not all. On Facebook, you can use a wide variety of advertising tools. There are, among others:
– post promotion – so that they are displayed in the news feed of people from your target group,
– classic banner advertising,
– advertising in the form of a carousel of products – redirecting directly to the e-store,
– video advertisement, displayed during the presentation of film materials on the portal.

It is mainly these tools that the online store will use. Like Google, Facebook also allows you to set the purpose of the campaign and conveniently configure other details. It’s also easy to track the results your message is getting. Regular monitoring of the results allows you to implement any corrections in the campaign or draw conclusions for the future. Depending on the industry, remarketing on Facebook can also turn out to be very effective and it is worth to complement the activities carried out with Google Ads at least in the basic scope.

Remember that advertising an e-shop on social media is not necessarily just Facebook. Depending on the profile of your business, you can also reach your potential customers, e.g. on Instagram (especially in lifestyle industries), and even on LinkedIn (especially if you sell products intended more for business customers). Where is the best place to advertise an online store using social media? This question will be answered by e.g. an internet marketing specialist.

YouTube

Is YouTube a good promotion channel for an online store? In many cases, yes. And how to promote yourself in this medium? One of the options is to publish video ads that will be displayed during videos watched by users. However, it should be remembered that here you need to focus on short, several-second messages – especially since visitors to the portal most often “click” ads whenever possible.

But that’s not all. An increasingly common solution used by online stores is the so-called influencer marketing. In a nutshell, it is about starting cooperation with the creator running a popular YouTube channel and placing the store’s brand in its material. For example, online stores with cosmetics operate in this model. Collaboration can take many forms. An influencer can:
– mention in the material about the current promotion in a given e-store,
– recommend purchases on the site,
– offer your recipients a special discount code obtained in the affiliate program,
– link products used in the published video and available on the e-shop website.

A skilfully and unobtrusive campaign can result in a quick and significant increase in traffic in the e-store. However, it should be remembered that in order for such effects to last long-term, cooperation with influencers should be repeated regularly.

Another option offered by YouTube is … running a video channel through the store itself. What could happen to him? In the case of an e-shop, specific industry guides will work best. Valuable films will reach a wider audience, thanks to which they will work in the field of image and sales.

Are the places where it is best to promote the online store the only channels you can use? No! There is also a whole range of inbound marketing and PR tools that are worth paying attention to. One thing is certain: the campaign strategy should be developed and implemented wisely, preferably under the supervision of specialists. Then it takes place in an orderly, not chaotic manner, and above all – translates into the desired conversion.

We left the positioning of online stores for the very end. In the long term, it is usually the cheapest method of acquiring new customers. However, among all forms of advertising, it is also the most “investment” nature. By investing funds today, you can feel it only in 3 or e.g. 6 months. Therefore – even though most people do not set up stores to operate, for example, only for a year – most of them decide to position themselves only after some time. It cannot be clearly stated that this is a mistake. Every investor wants to achieve returns as quickly as possible and can do it with e.g. Google Ads. However, if at the beginning you have a slightly larger budget for advertising, then it is definitely worth conducting your marketing in two ways and in addition to what is “now”, think about what “later”. The sense of investment in positioning – in relation to your budget and needs, will also help you determine the specialist – in this case, the positioner.

Regardless of whether you run a clothing store, an automotive parts store, a gardening equipment store, a health food store, you have one specific goal – for example, getting customers and increasing sales. An online store advertisement comes in handy, thanks to which you can reach a wide audience. This is the beginning of the road, but you are not far from success.

Online store advertising – possibilities

Wondering what online advertising options you have? Internet marketing is a very broad concept, thanks to which you will choose solutions adequate to your needs and expectations. Importantly, online store advertising should not focus on just one tool at all. To increase your chances of success, it is worth acting on many levels. Many forms of online advertising complement each other perfectly, thanks to which a larger group of potential customers can get to know you.

– Google Ads
This is a paid online store advertisement that gives quick results. Therefore, it will be great when you are just starting a business and your brand is not yet known.

As part of Google Ads, you can use, among others from sponsored links. They are displayed in the search engine – above the organic results – after entering specific keywords. After clicking the user is redirected to your store. This is a very effective method of advertising because for the average user Google Ads do not differ from organic results. It is also worth adding that they are well-matched to the client’s queries and thus get what he expects.

Another option is given to banner campaigns, which are implemented with the participation of portals cooperating with Google Ads. The banner is displayed on the given website – after clicking on the graphic the user is redirected to the online store.

The third option is Google Shopping – a tool with which you can promote specific products in the search engine. The user entering the product name receives the results in a special box – a link to the product appears along with the name of the store, price and photo.

– Advertising on Facebook
Statistics show that most people use at least one social networking site. Facebook is the most popular and, among other things, you should mark your presence there.

One of the forms of advertising is your own fanpage, through which you can establish long-term relationships with customers and engage in dialogue with them. It is also a good way to build brand awareness.

The fanpage itself is not enough – especially if the store takes its first steps. Facebook campaigns come in handy to help you adapt to your needs. The form of advertising can be, for example, sponsored posts appearing on the board of potential customers or in Messenger. There are a lot of advertising formats on Facebook, from static to carousels and movies.

– Content marketing
Content marketing is not direct advertising. It is a series of activities on the Internet that primarily allow you to increase brand awareness, build an image of an expert or gain leads.

These activities can be carried out in many ways, however, the publication of thematic articles on external websites and the publication of articles on a company blog plays a major role. These are content activities that we know widely, but there are many more and they can also be much more sophisticated. Let store actions serve as an example. A simple loyalty mechanism (stickers = reward) was turned into a content self-play. Such action provides a lot of sought after content. Thus, a powerful envelope of content is created around the programs.

Online store advertising – why is it worth it?

The need to incur financial expenses for advertising on the Internet raises many questions – including those related to profitability. Although it’s hard to get a clear answer, one thing is certain: online store advertising has many advantages and is extremely measurable. So you can make budget transfers to the most promising channels in real time!

– Wide range
Internet advertising is distinguished by a very wide range. It allows you to reach hundreds of thousands of recipients – not only in your country, but also in the world. This is especially important if you are considering selling products also abroad. A wider reach means reaching more users with more potential customers among them.

– Unlimited access to the offer
Unlimited access to online stores means that an online store ad does not have to be displayed at certain times. It reaches the recipient virtually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

– Precise targeting
Online store advertising – regardless of the tool chosen – allows you to precisely identify the target group and then reach it. This increases the chances of the recipient carrying out a specific action, e.g. placing an order, subscribing to the newsletter.

– Speed of campaign launch
An online advertising campaign can be launched very quickly. What’s more, it is possible to reach a wide audience as soon as the campaign starts. This works great for online stores starting out, which – in the case of offline advertising – would have to wait much longer for results.

– Affordable costs
Traditional forms of advertising can cost a lot – unlike online advertising. It is much cheaper, which allows you to achieve your business goals with a lot less money. Thanks to this, every online store has a chance to appear on the web – regardless of its scale.

– High flexibility
Online store advertising is characterized by great flexibility. You can modify the parameters of individual campaigns – so that they bring the expected results. And all this without having to increase advertising expenditure.

– Possibility of constant monitoring of effects
Internet advertising is fully measurable. It is possible to systematically monitor effects using various tools. Thanks to this – if a given form of promotion does not meet expectations – it can be modified or completely eliminated.

Online advertising of an online store is a profitable investment. Compared to other forms of advertising, it provides the best ratio of campaign costs to results.

Google Shopping – what’s that?

The Google Shopping platform, and more specifically the Product Listing Ads (PLA) service, i.e. product ads that began to appear on the right of the search results. The photo, store name and price were displayed, and after clicking the selected ad the user was redirected to the product page. This service could be compared to a price comparison site, which was now available in Google search. Currently, the user has access to the entire Google Shopping tab, and there are definitely more products in the ads. You can filter or sort them by price.

A condition of implementing product advertising is conducting a shopping campaign in Google Ads. The promotion is targeted based on the attributes from the data file in the Merchant Center, and the photos are added to the advertisement from the prepared database. Product advertising is paid on a CPC (Cost Per Click) basis, i.e. when the user clicks on it.

Product advertising – for whom?

This type of advertising is designed for online stores from almost every industry. Thanks to it, it is possible to promote not only physical but also intangible products, such as software. It is worth remembering that, as in the case of other Google Ads campaigns, advertising of alcohol or medicines is prohibited here. A full list of prohibited content can be found on the Google support website.

Shopping campaign benefits

A properly configured shopping campaign is currently one of the most effective methods of generating sales for online stores. Thanks to the graphic form, it stands out from the background of text ads and, as a result, is attractive to Internet users. Viewing a photo and product prices from the search engine level significantly saves time searching the range in stores – the advertisement is always up-to-date, so it displays only available products.

The Google Shopping campaign allows reaching users who are already at the final stage of the purchasing process, because by entering a specific product name in the search engine they count on finding places where they will be able to buy it. The advertisement directs them directly to the product card, which contains the details of the offer and from which they can complete the purchase.

Integration with Google Merchant Center allows you to launch dynamic remarketing, which by displaying product data on banners reminds users of products that have recently been viewed in the advertiser’s store.

Google Shopping – Not For Everyone?

The Google Shopping campaign convinces online store owners for many reasons. It seems particularly attractive mainly because it allows you to present the product in the photo from the search engine. The statistics of our campaigns also show that the results achieved by these campaigns, as well as the confidence of online stores in this advertisement, are increasing.

However, before you decide to launch your Google Shopping campaign, there are a few important things to consider.

The first important issue is price competition. If you are not the only distributor of the product, check whether the price you offer is attractive compared to other online stores, and if it is higher, you can explain it somehow. However, the price is displayed right next to the product in the Google Shopping advertisement and gives you the opportunity to compare, without having to look at the pages of individual stores. If the customer enters the specific product name they are looking for in the search engine, naturally, the offer with the lower price will arouse the most interest.

The second important thing is the inability to match your audience to your ad using keywords. In the case of a shopping campaign, Google decides when and for which Internet queries the ad will be displayed. Before launching the campaign, it is necessary to send a file with information about products – their names, prices, individual parameters, etc. Based on this information, Google selects from among our products and products of other stores belonging to the same category the one that will be advertised. Therefore, the Advertiser has no influence on which queries of Internet users his product will be displayed (only after it is displayed in response to a query entered in the search engine is able to see it), as well as in the environment of which products it will be displayed.

And the last important issue is the problem of displaying products from different shelves side by side. If the customer enters the search query: leather men’s shoes, the results may include both designer shoes from the designer and those from a regular chain store. The visible at first glance difference will of course be the price, which in product ads has the most significant impact on customers’ purchasing decisions. Therefore, if you offer unique products, you must be aware that in the case of Google Shopping campaigns, their value may not be noticed and they will be compared with mass products.

Considering the above, you certainly understand how IMPORTANT ISSUE is the optimization and proper management of the product file from which Google derives information about products. You should not be afraid of all this – a properly built product file, combined with a budget sensible for a given campaign, will succeed.

Google Shopping – summary

A properly created and constantly optimized product advertisement will bring satisfying results to both small stores and large stores with an extensive range. Finally, the Paraphrase-Online.com team would like to mention a slightly different but related issue. If you use product advertising, your products are displayed via CSS – i.e. price comparison websites. Not so long ago, the only comparison website that had access to the Google advertising environment was the Google comparison site.