Sunday, June 10, 2012

Win of the Week: Attention to Detail Pays Off

Take a look at the two ads below. If you were looking to buy a mini HDMI cable, which ad do you think you'd click on?

 

PPC Ad #1
HDMI Cables - Ad #1
PPC Ad #2
HDMI Cables - Ad #2

 

These ads are nearly identical, which makes it a bit harder to spot the winner. But in this case, the small details make a big difference.

Made your decision?

The winning ad is ad number one. It was written by BoostCTR writer "jblankley," and it increased CTR by 84%. Where the original ad was producing 1 click, the new ad is producing 1.84 clicks.

So why did the new ad win? Let's take a look...

The Original Ad

The original ad is already a strong ad. While they want to increase clicks on their ad, they also want only qualified visitors. This is why they've put "Buy" in the title copy and included the price in the ad.

Claude Hopkins once observed that any overt attempt to sell will be met with corresponding resistance. That's why, in this case, I think putting "Buy" in the title copy is premature.

I bet many searchers see "Buy" and then just skip the ad, which is unfortunate because the advertiser hasn't even had a chance to make an offer yet.

The use of the exclamation point is wise, but it's easy to overlook it because it's placed after a number. Personally, I don't like using an exclamation point after listing a price.

The final line includes two additional details. Both are good details to include, but there's no space left for a call to action. Given a choice between an extra feature or a call to action, you'll usually be better off including the call to action.

The Winning Ad

Many advertisers come to BoostCTR looking for totally different approaches to their current controls. Yet sometimes it's the small changes that make a big difference in both CTR and conversions.

Such was the case here.

The title of the winning ad eliminates the word "Buy" and says simply "Mini HDMI Cables." This is what people are looking for and it gets their attention.

The winning ad replaces the exclamation point on line one with a period, which is a smart move. When listing a price, I feel it's better to do it plainly -- without enthusiasm. Plus, you can only use one exclamation point in the ad, so this frees it up to be used elsewhere.

On line two, the winning ad decides to replace "Fast Delivery" with a call to action: "Order Now!"

The new use of space and formatting on the second line give the ad more punch and urgency than the original ad. Plus, it puts the command to "Order Now" at the end of the ad (where it belongs) instead of in the title copy where it will tend to turn people off.

Ultimately, the winning ad wins because it makes better use of the exclamation point, includes a call to action, and lets the reader get into the ad before asking for the sale.

Attention to Detail Pays Off

Sometimes a winning ad comes from a wholly new and creative approach. But just as often a winning ad comes from paying attention to the details.

Look at your PPC ads with fresh eyes. What little details might you be overlooking?

By the Way...

The BoostCTR writers are chomping at the bit to improve your ads. They've collectively spent thousands of hours improving pay-per-click ads on both Google and Facebook. They increase CTR and conversions by 30% on average, sometimes as much as 84% or more. Best part: You can put 'em to work... risk-free for 30 days!

ryan-healy About the Author: Ryan Healy is a direct response copywriter and BoostCTR writer. Since 2002, he has worked with scores of clients, including Alex Mandossian, Terry Dean, and Pulte Homes. He writes a popular blog about copywriting, business growth, and product creation.

This post originated on the WordStream Blog. WordStream provides keyword tools for pay-per click (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO) aiding in everything from keyword discovery to keyword grouping and organization.

Source: http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2012/04/11/attention-to-detail

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