Practical eCommerce Tips To
Drive Up ROI & Save Time
Ben Barker // Optus Digital
@Ben_Barker1989
What type of digital
marketer are you?
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Issues we face with
internal teams
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Lack of understanding
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Lack of interest
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Lack of time or planning
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Why do we suck at
this?!
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@optus_digital
@Ben_Barker1989
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@Ben_Barker1989
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Issues this causes...
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@optus_digital
The right products not
marketed in time
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The right products not
marketed properly
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Supplier or internal
targets missed
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Here’s why it hurts the
bottom line...
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Wasted Working Hours
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👨💻👩💼
AD spend VS. Margin
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💵 💯
Volume OR Profit?!?!
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💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵
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@optus_digital
3 quick tips to solve this
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10 min daily meeting /
product, buying &
merchandising teams
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@optus_digital
@Ben_Barker1989
@optus_digital
@Ben_Barker1989
@optus_digital
SEO Performance to Date:
Post site live:
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@optus_digital
Your product, buying &
merchandising teams
know things that you
don’t...
@Ben_Barker1989
@optus_digital
@Ben_Barker1989
@optus_digital
Become bezzies with
your VM’s
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Product trends
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Product seasonality
Product rotation
These teams are “closer”
to your customers
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These teams are “closer”
to suppliers (3rd party)
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How can we be lead by
them?
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@optus_digital
Use their research to
inform our strategy
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So what?..
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@optus_digital
Work with them to hit
their targets...
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@optus_digital
❓
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@optus_digital
Company performs =
everyone wins
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@optus_digital
Christmas came early...
@Ben_Barker1989
@optus_digital
Plan in May / June...
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@optus_digital
Earlier planning = better
resource allocation (SEO
& PPC spend)
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@optus_digital
Late planning = late
launch
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Late launch = lost sales
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@optus_digital
@Ben_Barker1989
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Positives to planning &
launching earlier...
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Begin to drive traffic
sooner - Organic & paid
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@optus_digital
This traffic likely won’t
convert, however...
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@optus_digital
Retargeting is your
friend...
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@optus_digital
Launch paid search
campaigns sooner...
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@optus_digital
Retargeting is your
friend… again
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@Ben_Barker1989
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Gaps in SEO & PPC
Quick
Tips
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@optus_digital
Optimise content and
meta with {keyword} +
“year”
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Use any discount / promo
codes in meta desc.
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CTR ⬆️
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Relevant traffic ⬆️
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Test Google Shopping
with zero Ad spend...
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DSA campaigns are
super useful for plugging
content gaps
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@optus_digital
Use well converting Ad
copy as your meta desc.
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@optus_digital
@Ben_Barker1989
@optus_digital
Last bits and bobs to
consider...
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@optus_digital
Your processes have to
be cross team...
@Ben_Barker1989
@optus_digital
Your processes have to
be multi level...
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@optus_digital
Right reports to the right
people...
@Ben_Barker1989
@optus_digital
Cheers!
@Ben_Barker1989
@optus_digital

Practical tips & tricks to drive ROI and save time - full version

Editor's Notes

  • #3 Before we jump right in to it, let’s look at how not to approach your digital strategy. I call this the “Leroy Jenkins” approach. (jumping straight into it because we think we know best. We don’t
  • #4 Before we jump right in to it, let’s look at how not to approach your digital strategy. I call this the “Leroy Jenkins” approach. (jumping straight into it because we think we know best. We don’t
  • #5 **issues we face with internal teams** Lack of understanding in terms of HOW to actually communicate and work with the relevant teams. There’s also a lack of understanding of what other teams actually do We don’t take enough interest in how other teams work outside of our SEO / PPC bubble We don’t have set meeting times or plan in times to liaise with other teams outside of the usual “weekly” performance meeting If you’re an agency bod, then you have to make sure that you know how the different parts of the eCom brand slot together and who does what
  • #6 Lack of understanding in terms of HOW to actually communicate and work with the relevant teams. There’s also a lack of understanding of what other teams actually do
  • #7 We don’t take enough interest in how other teams work outside of our SEO / PPC bubble
  • #8 We don’t have set meeting times or plan in times to liaise with other teams outside of the usual “weekly” performance meeting If you’re an agency bod, then you have to make sure that you know how the different parts of the eCom brand slot together and who does what
  • #9 Before we jump right in to it, let’s look at how not to approach your digital strategy. I call this the “Leroy Jenkins” approach. (jumping straight into it because we think we know best. We don’t
  • #10 Before we jump right in to it, let’s look at how not to approach your digital strategy. I call this the “Leroy Jenkins” approach. (jumping straight into it because we think we know best. We don’t
  • #11 Our own ego’s can prevent us from moving forwards in the interests of the company as a whole
  • #12 Before we jump right in to it, let’s look at how not to approach your digital strategy. I call this the “Leroy Jenkins” approach. (jumping straight into it because we think we know best. We don’t
  • #13 This refers to when products aren’t planned in to be pushed via marketing channels within your overall marketing plan with enough time to gain traction.
  • #14 Product sales can be bias depending on how visible they are already (SEO) and how much spend has been put in to them (PPC) We need to look at margins so we can formulate a proper marketing strategy
  • #15 Internal targets could be to achieve X margin Supplier targets would be overall sales targets from suppliers that were promised
  • #17 Time spent in the wrong areas, even if not actual money is spent can mean that team utilisation is costing the company money
  • #18 Your pushing spend behind products that might either be A) not giving a fantastic ROI or B) have really poor magins. Even products with a higher ticket price can often carry poor margins, don’t just push the most expensive products. Categorise and forecast your products against ad spend and be as specific as you can
  • #19 Do you push for more overall sales or do you look by chanel what how you want to approach this? SEO is free traffic so do we take a broader approach here? PPC costs, do you only focus on higher margin products?
  • #20 There is good news though!
  • #22 Daily meeting with other teams, even if you don’t have a specific agenda
  • #23 Work with your buying / product teams to put together realistic forecasts by channel. This way no one is surprised by the outcome and everyone is super clear on what needs to be achieved
  • #24 Work with your buying / product teams to put together realistic forecasts by channel. This way no one is surprised by the outcome and everyone is super clear on what needs to be achieved
  • #27 Product and buying teams will often
  • #28 They are acutely aware of everything that happens in your niche from a product perspective. If you build a good relationship then you will be able to have more honest conversations and get key information about product locations sooner / even advise on this from a search perspective
  • #29 You’ll be able to align your goals for marketing products. You’ll have knowledge of which products are being put where on the site, no point in spending loads of cash driving users to a category for a product that has been “demoted”
  • #30 These teams will know the audience intimately (or should) because they buy in and arrange the products on the website based on research and data
  • #31 Ask your product and buying teams to really dig in to and ask suppliers what is selling well and working in the market at the moment. They might not be able to give specific figures, but they may be able to give a steer as to what is selling well and working for other similar brands to yours
  • #32 Ask your product and buying teams to really dig in to and ask suppliers what is selling well and working in the market at the moment. They might not be able to give specific figures, but they may be able to give a steer as to what is selling well and working for other similar brands to yours
  • #35 This is key, working as one unified team will help push the company performance forward as everyone will have shared goals and accountabilities
  • #36 Why would we help them hit their targets? Because we control where the traffic goes - if they have specific, new products that need pushing we can allocate time and spend (if running PPC) to push products
  • #37 This is key, working as one unified team will help push the company performance forward as everyone will have shared goals and accountabilities
  • #38 A lot of companies don’t plan this well enough or early enough
  • #39 You should plan very early on, this allows plenty of time internally for content and ad campaigns sign off
  • #40 You should plan very early on, this allows plenty of time internally for content and ad campaigns sign off
  • #43 You should plan very early on, this allows plenty of time internally for content and ad campaigns sign off
  • #44 You should plan very early on, this allows plenty of time internally for content and ad campaigns sign off
  • #45 This traffic likely won’t convert
  • #46 This traffic likely won’t convert
  • #47 Build audiences based on the content that has driven traffic earlier to retarget nearer the time. Main benefit of this is that the customer has already seen your business, it is familiar to them..
  • #48 Accept this traffic won’t convert and allow spent allocation for this. This data will prove really valuable in the build up to the main event..
  • #49 Build audiences based on the content that has driven traffic earlier to retarget nearer the time. Main benefit of this is that the customer has already seen your business, it is familiar to them..
  • #50 Build audiences based on the content that has driven traffic earlier to retarget nearer the time. Main benefit of this is that the customer has already seen your business, it is familiar to them..
  • #51 Some quick and painless tips
  • #52 use date and year in titles and metas
  • #53 Allow for a small ish budget and set up dynamic search ads campaigns pointing to competitor sites but leave traffic source untagged. This will allow us to see firstly which keywords Google associates with competitor websites at a category or URL level. Secondly this will show us actual search interest in the form of clicks on certain keywords. Great way of doing a bit of keyword research, but be aware ads might now always show if they are also running ads so this will be lower volume.
  • #54 This drives up CTR and can help drive more relevant traffic
  • #55 Optimised this page months ago...
  • #56 Companies like redbrain will take your affiliate feed and run Google Shopping campaigns via their CSS - you only pay for sales and NOT ad spend
  • #57 Allow for a small ish budget and set up dynamic search ads campaigns pointing to competitor sites but leave traffic source untagged. This will allow us to see firstly which keywords Google associates with competitor websites at a category or URL level. Secondly this will show us actual search interest in the form of clicks on certain keywords. Great way of doing a bit of keyword research, but be aware ads might now always show if they are also running ads so this will be lower volume.
  • #58 Allow for a small ish budget and set up dynamic search ads campaigns pointing to competitor sites but leave traffic source untagged. This will allow us to see firstly which keywords Google associates with competitor websites at a category or URL level. Secondly this will show us actual search interest in the form of clicks on certain keywords. Great way of doing a bit of keyword research, but be aware ads might now always show if they are also running ads so this will be lower volume.
  • #60 Allow for a small ish budget and set up dynamic search ads campaigns pointing to competitor sites but leave traffic source untagged. This will allow us to see firstly which keywords Google associates with competitor websites at a category or URL level. Secondly this will show us actual search interest in the form of clicks on certain keywords. Great way of doing a bit of keyword research, but be aware ads might now always show if they are also running ads so this will be lower volume.