Amazon Product Ads – What are they and are they worth it?
If you know anything about Google Product Listing Ads, then you pretty much have a good idea of what Amazon Product Ads are. Amazon Product Ads run on the same principal as Google’s ad service, though obviously within Amazon and with some slight variances.
What happens is you, as a business, must register for Product Ads, which will require you to create a Seller Central account. Using either Yahoo! Store sync, or FTP, you upload your products (via Product Ads, Google Base, or Yahoo! Store file formats).
Amazon then creates ads for your products by using the same information from within your uploaded files. Then, you set a budget (cost-per-click fee), and just like that, your ads will go live.
Who will see my Amazon Product Ads, and where?
Much like Google, with Amazon, your ads will be seen by people searching for items like yours, and related to yours. Your ads will potentially be seen in a variety of places, including in the Detail Page section, Search and Browse section, Buy Box section, or as a Tower Ad. Obviously the higher you set your budget (meaning setting higher bids on your pay-per-click budget) the better placement you’ll earn.
You only pay your per-click fee if users click on your ad. When they do click on your ad, they’re taken directly to your website. If a shopper buys from you via Amazon, they become a part of your customer base, giving you the ability to reach out to past customers to encourage future shopping. This is a significant plus for Amazon.
Why should I choose Amazon over Google?
This is a loaded question. In the end, the answer is you shouldn’t have to choose. For starters, let’s look at some hard data. In Q4 of 2012, Google Shopping’s cost per click average was $0.31 vs. Amazon’s $0.41. On top of that, Google’s PLA was atop the list for traffic generation, acquiring 60% more traffic than the next guy in line – Pricegrabber (Amazon placed fifth).
With those numbers you might say to yourself, “There’s no reason to even go with Amazon.” But that kind of thinking will land you and your online sales in a world of trouble. Amazon continues to be a place for online shopping for millions of people across the world. In fact, Amazon shoppers tend to be more motivated, and further along the buy cycle (as in, less focused on search and more focused on buy). By foregoing any significant presence on Amazon, you’re crippling your online sales considerably.
So, what do you do?
Creating a well-balanced online marketing strategy is your best bet. You don’t want to put all of your eggs into one basket, nor do you want to spread yourself too thin. There’s a balance at play here. Does this sound too time-consuming or confusing? It can be, which is why OperationROI makes it a priority to create the right online portfolio for your business. Find out how we can help you make the most out of Amazon Product Ads by calling us at 1-888-277-5429 or by filling out our contact form.
