If you’re like the majority of ecommerce business owners, you use Google and Facebook on a several-times-a-day basis.
Your nicely-managed Facebook page allows you to engage with your audience. And Google is there for, well…everything.
What you may be missing is the incredible opportunity these platforms offer to advertise your products and services.
Here’s what you need to know about Google ads, Facebook ads, and deciding which one – or both – is right for getting sustainable results for your ecommerce business.
Google holds 91.98% of the world’s search engine traffic.
Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, with 1.79 billion users. BILLION.
You can see why getting the word out about your brand via Google and Facebook will have a dramatic effect on the success of your ecommerce business.
Here are more reasons why you should think about using these platforms’ ad capabilities.
Let’s take a closer look at how Google ads and Facebook ads work.
With 5 billion+ Google searches every single day, it’s safe to assume that advertising on Google means your ecommerce business ads will get a LOT of eyes on them, to say the least.
Google offers several ways to advertise.
This type of ad shows up at the top of the search results page and is based on a keyword that a searcher puts in.
For example, here’s what we get when searching for “electrical services:”
These ads show up on apps or websites when the searcher’s keyword corresponds to the content on the site.
They may be videos or images.
Here’s where your ecommerce ads will really shine. Your ads will show up based on searches for products and services that are relevant to yours.
Here’s an example of a search for “soccer cleats:”
Google display network will also allow you to use video-based ads.
With Google ads, you can also retarget customers who didn’t make a purchase.
Google ads will work for nearly everyone, especially ecommerce business owners who can benefit from Google Shopping.
And consider this statistic: Google says that you can make $2 for every $1 spent for ads on the platform.
You can likely earn even more when you take the time to learn how to get the most out of your Google ads.
So, to answer the question:
Your initial reaction may be, “No one gets on Facebook to buy what I sell.”
You're partially correct. But only partially.
People use Facebook to keep up with their college roommates on the other side of the country, their Great Aunt Tessie in Florida and to post pictures of their Bahamas cruise.
While it’s true that Facebook users aren’t on the platform with the intent to buy in the same way they go to Google, it doesn’t mean spending money on Facebook ads is a waste of money.
Far from it.
Plus, Facebook ads are a part of users’ news feeds so they look the same as a normal post.
With billions of users, it’s not hard to find a niche market.
Like Google, Facebook has several platforms for ads.
This would include a picture of your product or service with some text to highlight what you can do for the reader.
Here’s an example:
You can use a video that’s up to 15 seconds to really grab the attention of your audience.
With this format, one ad can have up to 10 images (or videos), each with its own link to purchase your product or service.
You can always pay a little more to get the word out to a larger audience.
This type of ad is full-screen and it launches when someone clicks on your ad. This format can be used with images, video ads or carousels.
Check out this example:
The quick answer is: Yes.
The reasons are straightforward.
Google ads and Facebook ads are very different platforms that serve various functions.
But it’s difficult to say that one is BETTER than the other for advertising your ecommerce business.
They both boast billions of users and it’s fairly inexpensive to advertise on each of them. Plus, they can both be targeted to nearly any niche you can think of.
Maybe the best answer is to try your hand at platforms and see which one performs best for your product or service.
Making a choice between advertising your ecommerce business on Facebook or via Google can be a difficult decision.
But your revenue depends on getting the word out about how your product or service is the solution for the problems of your audience.
Consider your budget and your end goal and pull the trigger.
