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Advertising Resource Center |
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What Happened? Troubleshooting Poor Response from Ad Campaigns
Too many small business owners today run ad campaigns that get little to no results, and they have no idea why. When you have the knowledge to troubleshoot the poor responses, you also have the knowledge to make the needed changes so that - next time - your sales improve! Let's take a look at the breakdown of an ad campaign, and how to determine what went wrong. Response vs. Results It's important to understand the difference between response rate and results. When a customer takes the action you want him/her to take (i.e., clicking to your site, calling your 800 number, etc.), then you've achieved "response." This does NOT mean you've made a sale. The response rate of your ad campaign can be high without ever selling one product or service. "Results," on the other hand, are the sales you make in conjunction with the response rate. When a customer takes the action you want him/her to take AND buys your product/service, then you've achieved results. No Response When you get little to no response, chances are that one of two things happened. One - your ad was poorly written and didn't generate enough interest to excite the customer to take action; or two - the ad didn't reach your preferred target customer. How do you determine which one is the culprit? Test! Use the same ad, but place it in a different ezine or on a different Web site. If response rate improves, you know the ad is most likely fine, but the audience exposure was off. If the response rate does not improve, it's probably best to rewrite the headline, the ad, or both. Response But No Results If you run an ezine ad, banner ad, etc., and get responses without making any sales, the most probable theory is that your supporting ad copy or offer is not doing its job. Ezine ads, banner ads, and the like will never make a sale on their own. The customer is almost always going to be directed to click back to your Web site. If the copy/design of your ad is working, but no sales are being made, take a good look at the copy or design of your site. Chances are that *it* could be costing you sales. Again, testing is the key. Change a headline, add links that direct to "more information" pages, and so on. Run the ad again, and see if your results improve. You'll notice that in either case, testing is the recommended course of action. So many small business owners get in a hurry and neglect to test their ads. While it may seem costly to run an ad, change an ad, and run it again - the truth is that running unproven ads all across the 'Net without gaining any return on investment (ROI) is a huge waste of money. Yes, it does take a good deal of time. Yes, it can cost additional money. However, once you've taken the time to test an ad, and the copy on the supporting Web site that customers will be directed to, you'll be in a much better position to ensure consistent sales from your campaigns. Copyright 2004 Diane Hughes About The Author Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane
MORE RESOURCES: Three money managers who called the turn in March 2009 see big gains ahead; a fourth dissents Individual investors have largely stayed on the sidelines of the current rally. What will lure them back? The yearlong rally in the U.S. market has pushed the number of stocks showing unusually sharp daily gains to the highest level at least since 1994, a sign that more gains may come, according to Concept Capital. Higher- than-estimated inflation in China spurred speculation the nation will be forced to raise interest rates Shares of the following companies are having unusual moves in U.S. trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses. Prices are as of 11 a.m. in New York. The dollar rose against its Canadian counterpart and South Africa’s rand after a report on U.S. trade indicated the global economic recovery may be slowing, reducing demand for the currencies of commodity- producing nations. Wall Street analyst opinions on stocks making headlines in Thursday's market Investors should avoid Spain’s bonds as the euro region's highest levels of joblessness stifle the country’s ability to cut its budget deficit, according to Invesco Ltd. and Merrill Lynch What Wall Street economists and strategists had to say about key developments on Mar. 11 GMAC Inc., the auto and home lender rescued by the U.S. government, may have overpaid its top executives after receiving taxpayer funds, according to a report by the panel overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka listened to Andres and Esteban Contreras tell how Andres moved back home to help with rent and medical care after their father lost his job and their mother had her hours cut. Lloyds Banking Group Plc, Britain’s biggest home-loan lender, will allow customers to increase mortgage repayments without penalty, as the bank seeks to cut its 1.03 trillion-pound ($1.55 trillion) balance sheet. Bain Capital LLC’s Sensata Technologies Holding NV sold $569 million of shares at the low end of its price range in the biggest U.S. initial public offering this year. What Wall Street economists and strategists had to say about key developments on Mar. 10 Wall Street analyst opinions on stocks making headlines in Wednesday's market Ross Morrow, a professor at Iowa State University, talks about the possible impact of U.S. climate-change legislation on gasoline prices. Morrow also discusses the implications of higher prices for the U.S. economy. (Source: Bloomberg) Promotions and international sales let McDonald's wow investors while shares of Wendy's and Burger King languish amid a U.S. hunger for jobs Jim Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings, talks with Bloomberg's Betty Liu about Greece's fiscal woes. Rogers, speaking from Vienna, says a bankruptcy for Greece would benefit the euro. (This is an excerpt of the full interview. Source: Bloomberg) |
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