Google Shopping Ads are a campaign type that allows sellers to feature images, headlines, prices, reviews, ratings and the brand names of their products. Think of it as snippets of a catalogue that appear at the top of the search results. By now, you can imagine the visibility and accessibility the platform gives to your products. It's like being at the checkout counter. If the target audience is a willing buyer, the probability of a sale is high. So, what are the other benefits of a Google Shopping Ad?

1. Greater exposure of your offer

You may be a small or unknown brand, but with Google Shopping Ads, your brand and offer will be shown as long as Google matches it with the search words used by online shoppers. To this end, it levels the playing field. More importantly, is the fact that it uses the search words of online shoppers. This indicates the likelihood they are at the decision-making stage of the journey. As long as the product and offer match their needs, a sale is likely to happen.

2. Text-based ads are losing attention and appeal

A picture paints a thousand words - and this is one of the attractions of a Google Shopping Ad. When online shoppers are ready to buy, the last thing they want to do is read a litany of words describing the product and reasons for considering it. After all, they would probably have past the search or consideration stage of the buyer's' journey. Google Shopping Ads draw their attention to the key information they need to make a decision. With a good image of your product, a Google Shopping Ad can take prospects across the line faster.

3. More targeted and qualified leads

Lead generation and conversion can be a costly process. A major contributor to this problem is unqualified leads. If you're in a low ticket item or fast-moving consumer good category, it may not be worth the while. Google Shopping Ads overcome this obstacle. When your product description matches the words shoppers use in their search, you'll most likely appear on the screen. With the right images and offer, they're just a step away from saying "Buy!". Hence, to this end, you''ll not be wasting limited resources hitting at the wrong leads or leads at the earlier phases of the buyer's journey.

4. Avoid extensive keyword research

Keyword research is time-consuming with little guarantee of success, at least at the start. It's an art and science that may improve over time. But if you're looking to boost sales in the shortest time possible, text-based ads aren't as effective as Shopping Ads. With Google Shopping Ads, the platform does the heavy lifting for you. It'll match your products with the search words used by shoppers. Gone too will be the need to bid for keywords that'll generate traffic to your website or offer.

5. Incorporate ratings and reviews

Word-of-mouth is a strategic asset in eCommerce. People trust more the words of others than a sleek ad campaign or other forms of content designed to push a product. Alongside the image, price and brand names are reviews and ratings shoppers can use to help them decide. For the indecisive shopper, this can be the pivotal point.

6. Better user experience

When a shopper is ready to buy, a more streamlined user experience will facilitate faster decision-making. At this stage of the buyer's' journey, there's only so much information the shopper needs. There are fewer hoops-and-loops the shopper has to go through before clicking "Buy!" if they do. Research has shown better user experience contributes towards higher conversion rates.

7. A more detailed analysis

A more detailed analysis of your Google Shopping Ad will sharpen the precision of your next campaign and/or offer. You can drill down the analysis to the product, brand or product group level. You can choose to be as granular as you would like to in the analysis of your campaign's performance. This, in itself, can be a competitive advantage. You can use the time saved from not doing keyword research for this purpose.

Google Shopping Ad Campaigns have proven to be a profitable channel for eCommerce websites regardless of size. If you're targeting ready to buy shoppers, it's the platform to generate the desired results faster. Connect with us to learn more about it.

(1) https://www.merkleinc.com/thought-leadership/white-papers/digital-marketing-report-q1-2019