{"id":1555,"date":"2021-05-27T19:05:03","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T02:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/?p=1555"},"modified":"2025-11-23T21:35:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T05:35:31","slug":"4-effective-paid-advertising-techniques-for-ecommerce-retail-business-owners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/4-effective-paid-advertising-techniques-for-ecommerce-retail-business-owners\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Effective Paid Advertising Techniques for eCommerce &#038; Retail Business Owners"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Powerful paid advertising tactics, methods, and strategies you need to know.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1558\" src=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Agiliron-_-Mar-26-2021-_-Blog-Post-_-4-Proven-Paid-Advertising-Techniques-for-eCommerce-Retail-Business-Owners.png\" alt=\"Powerful paid advertising tactics, methods, and strategies you need to know\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Agiliron-_-Mar-26-2021-_-Blog-Post-_-4-Proven-Paid-Advertising-Techniques-for-eCommerce-Retail-Business-Owners.png 750w, https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Agiliron-_-Mar-26-2021-_-Blog-Post-_-4-Proven-Paid-Advertising-Techniques-for-eCommerce-Retail-Business-Owners-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Agiliron-_-Mar-26-2021-_-Blog-Post-_-4-Proven-Paid-Advertising-Techniques-for-eCommerce-Retail-Business-Owners-600x400.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a9NicoElNino via Canva.com<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you get it right, paid advertising offers a healthy return on investment (ROI). Many small business owners avoid investing in this form of advertising because of the term \u201cpaid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But you don\u2019t need to have an Amazon-like wallet to win with paid advertising. With the right approach, you can make a real impact with a modest budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re an eCommerce or retail business owner looking to grow your business in an increasingly competitive online market, you\u2019ve come to the right place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here, we\u2019ll explore four proven and practical paid advertising methods for eCommerce and retail success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Why you should invest in paid advertising<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First of all, website traffic earned through paid advertising campaigns, including pay-per-click (PPC), earns an average of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smallbizgenius.net\/by-the-numbers\/ppc-stats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">50% more conversions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than organic marketing strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to an excellent ROI and high conversion rate, adding paid advertising to your retail or eCommerce business\u2019s marketing campaign will expand your commercial reach, growing your audience in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some other key reasons you should invest in paid advertising:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>You can earn positive paid advertising results with a small budget.<\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>You can accurately target your audience and personalize your ads to earn more sales.<\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>You can engage mobile users with your ads while gaining performance data that will help you boost your marketing efforts.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>4 essential paid advertising techniques you need to know<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s clear that paid advertising offers plenty of business-boosting value. But how do you do it the right way? Here are four proven paid advertising techniques for eCommerce and retail businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Sign Up for Google Merchant Center<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While most online businesses use Google ads to appear in relevant paid searches, boost brand awareness, and earn more sales, many overlook the value of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/retail\/solutions\/merchant-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Merchant Center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Merchant Center is a one-stop-shop for Google advertising and allows you to work with essential company, consumer, and product data from one dashboard. Armed with a Google Merchant Center account, you can appear in regular paid search engine rankings, Shopping Ads, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/visual-search-will-change-marketing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">visual search listings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To sign up for a Google Merchant Center account and level up your paid advertising campaigns, you will need to provide information about your business, following the prompts during the registration process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the signup journey is straightforward, if Google believes any information provided is inaccurate or misrepresentative of your business, you will have to fix it before gaining access to the platform.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the most common issues flagged during Google Merchant Center registration:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your store\u2019s checkout journey being considered insecure, unsafe, or confusing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Missing business contact details or privacy policy information.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Misleading product information, including inaccurate inventories, outdated product pricing, and poor product descriptions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure you consider all of these areas before making your application, and you will gain access to the platform with minimal issues. Once you\u2019ve signed up to Google Merchant Center, you will have a wealth of accessible paid marketing tools at your disposal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ensure your website is easy to navigate and your content is engaging and accurate, which will increase your chances of enjoying Google Merchant Center success, take a look at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/15-actionable-ways-to-optimize-your-stores-pages-for-more-sales\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15 actionable ways to optimize your store\u2019s pages for more sales<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Use a balanced mix of paid keywords<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using a balanced mix of keywords is essential when you\u2019re creating paid advertising content, especially PPC ads.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Read: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not 100% familiar with PPC, check out our introductory <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/paid-marketing-strategies-to-grow-your-business\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">guide on paid advertising strategies to grow your business<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By taking a logistical approach to your paid advertising keyword research strategy, you will get the best results for your budget while improving your brand reputation with messaging that packs a punch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By creating 2-3 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/a-step-by-step-guide-to-creating-effective-buyer-personas-for-your-business\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">buyer personas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based on your model target customers, you will be able to establish your paid advertising goals based on your audiences\u2019 wants, needs, and pain points. From there, you can use your platform of choice (Google Ads, Google Merchant Center, Microsoft Advertising, etc.) to search for and buy the best keywords for your campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To earn a healthy ROI for your paid ad efforts across channels, you should focus on creating clusters (or small lists) of keywords (both relating to your target sector or industry and more specific, niche terms) based on:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>The awareness stage<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the awareness stage of the customer or buyer\u2019s journey, your goal is to build trust and get your name in front of the right people. To do this, you should focus on broad-match keywords (industry-wide, less niche terms) that offer value without coming off as too pushy or salesy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could create an ad that links to one of your \u201chow-to\u201d blog posts using broader keywords that promise information or practical guidance. If you sell sustainable lounge furniture, for instance, you might bid for search terms based on \u201chow to choose the right sustainable furniture\u201d or \u201chow to upcycle a chair.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doing so will position you as a trustworthy source of information while giving your readers the chance to interact with your brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>The consideration stage<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re targeting consumers that have already interacted with your brand or are strongly considering making a purchase, you should explore keyword opportunities that provide direct solutions to your target customers\u2019 problems or highlight specific products.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going back to our sustainable furniture example for a moment, your consideration stage ads would target keywords similar to \u201csustainable desk chairs,\u201d \u201cdesk chairs from recycled materials,\u201d or \u201ceco-friendly office furniture.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These types of ads could offer links to specific product pages, dedicated category pages that provide information about a specific product range, or landing pages featuring relevant deals or offers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By using your buyer personas as a working guide and carefully curating smaller lists of key terms based on these two major stages of the sales journey, you will ensure you use your ad budget wisely while maximizing the success of your ads.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Bonus tip: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To create effective landing page content for your paid ad and drive conversions, read our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/essential-ux-and-microcopy-writing-tips-to-drive-conversions-and-increase-sales\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">essential UX and microcopy writing tips to boost conversions and drive sales<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Get dynamic with social media story ads<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/99firms.com\/research\/instagram-stories-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">500 million social media users<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> actively engage with Instagram Stories every day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to using static paid social media ads, getting dynamic and creating narratives around your campaigns will increase conversions while helping you stand out from the crowd.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As humans, we resonate with stories. Create a strong visual narrative, and you will win big with your social media ads. Here is a video tutorial to help you get started with Instagram Story ads:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c4blc6SF-pI\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you\u2019re up to speed with Instagram Story ads, here are some practical tips that will maximize your success:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose a creative concept and select assets (video footage and images) that fit into a clearcut beginning, middle, and end.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Develop each story-based ad campaign with a specific theme or product focus, but prioritize the story over the sales push. Without an exciting or intriguing story, your audience will not stick around.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Write short, snappy, and conversational captions to complement your visuals. Make sure all captions weave together naturally while encouraging the viewer to engage with the next part of the story.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always use the recommended dimensions for your story ads to make them engaging and professional. Instagram\u2019s specs are: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a resolution of 1080 X 1920 pixels, an aspect ratio of 9:16, and a maximum of 4GB for videos.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Base your audience targeting on your ad\u2019s main goal as well as the demographic details from your paid ad buyer personas. You should also target \u201call devices\u201d unless you have a specific reason for creating an ad for mobile-only or desktop-only audiences.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always finish with a strong call to action (CTA) that guides the viewer to a product page, landing page, video, or blog post. You should also showcase your branding or brand strapline towards the end of your ad.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1557\" src=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Agiliron-_-Mar-26-2021-_-Blog-Post-_-4-Proven-Paid-Advertising-Techniques-for-eCommerce-Retail-Business-Owners-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Agiliron-_-Mar-26-2021-_-Blog-Post-_-4-Proven-Paid-Advertising-Techniques-for-eCommerce-Retail-Business-Owners-1.png 750w, https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Agiliron-_-Mar-26-2021-_-Blog-Post-_-4-Proven-Paid-Advertising-Techniques-for-eCommerce-Retail-Business-Owners-1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Agiliron-_-Mar-26-2021-_-Blog-Post-_-4-Proven-Paid-Advertising-Techniques-for-eCommerce-Retail-Business-Owners-1-600x400.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a9BestForBest via Canva.com<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Go native<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Native advertising is one of the newest branches of paid marketing\u2014and it should be a part of your ecommerce or retail business\u2019s marketing strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Native ads follow the natural flow of a user&#8217;s individual browsing experience, offering brands the chance to place themselves in front of a consumer when they are most engaged. Native-style ads are placed naturally in publications as informational sponsored content or relevant in-feed ads.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reason native ads are so effective is that they are unintrusive and complement the content the target customer is engaged with at the time. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ipglab.com\/2013\/06\/18\/ipg-lab-sharethrough-exploring-the-effectiveness-of-native-ads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">71% of shoppers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> say they personally identify with a brand after connecting with its native ads versus only 50% with display ads.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To reap the full rewards of native advertising, it\u2019s important to create highly targeted content that is compelling and engaging in equal measures. Like PPC and social media paid ads, you should always aim to create different native campaigns based on different buyer personas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Land Rover&#8217;s native \u201cDragon Challenge\u201d campaign video, for example, has all the ingredients necessary for a successful marketing campaign: a compelling story, inspiring visuals, and lots of suspense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Featuring history&#8217;s first-ever attempt to scale the 999 stairs to China\u2019s Heaven\u2019s Gate by car, this incredible feat of video marketing achieved a huge level of engagement for the brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rBd0rlKE32o\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promoted through a mix of native advertising formats, the YouTube video alone has earned more than 20 million views to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Read:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bing.com\/search?q=tiktok+guide+agiliron+blg&amp;cvid=0c1cddb6b3444cca9b30dd8b08279654&amp;aqs=edge..69i57.8012j0j1&amp;pglt=299&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&amp;PC=LCTS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">definitive guide to TikTok marketing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for inspiration on how to create compelling social media-based native advertising content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.&#8221;\u2014<\/span><\/i><b><i>Bill Bernbach<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These four essential paid advertising techniques will help your business connect with more customers, build trust, and stand out in your niche. Be consistent, make sure your ad content offers genuine value, and try a balanced mix of techniques to will accelerate the growth of your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re looking to improve your online store while creating product or landing pages to help your paid ads convert, our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/solutions\/e-commerce.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eCommerce store builder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is powerful, accessible, and integrates with a number of online tools or platforms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/about\/contact-us.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to find out more and read our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/a-small-business-owners-guide-to-social-listening\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">small business owner\u2019s guide to social listening<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to get one step ahead of the competition.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Powerful paid advertising tactics, methods, and strategies you need to know. &nbsp; \u00a9NicoElNino via Canva.com If you get it right, paid advertising offers a healthy return on investment (ROI). Many small business owners avoid investing in this form of advertising because of the term \u201cpaid.\u201d But you don\u2019t need to have an Amazon-like wallet to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1556,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1555"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1555\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}