PPC Problem: Smart Phones!

Whilst writing, and subsequently re-writing this post I came to a conclusion; I hate poorly formed PPC campaigns. It's infuriating and often because time and care has not been taken over the campaign.

One piece of pay-per-click stupidity which I'm discussing today is the use of mobile technology and PPC adverts. In some instances mobile technology and PPC work perfectly well together. For example, if you want to information which will help you with your purchase. I was in an electrical store purchasing a kettle. I knew the make and model I wanted but couldn't see it in store. So, I open up my smart phone, enter the company details on Google, click the PPC link and find the product. This in turn allows the store assistant to locate my kettle!

Typically, paid search campaigns work best when you don't ask a multitude of questions.

When PPC Goes Wrong

If you're fumbling over the keyboard, getting tired switching from field to field and bored of the tiny screen then you're likely to give up. In fact, most of the time you'll take one look and say "not for me thanks". Who wants to spend 20 minutes completing forms, registering, clicking the link to activate the account etc on a tiny phone? As a result, this PPC spend is wasted.

Pizza PPC example

Like many posts, they come from life experience and this post is exactly the same - ordering a pizza on a smart phone. I tried to order a pizza last night but was not close to a laptop (or internet connection). I thought, ah ha, the wonder of technology - let's use the smart phone, order online and pick up in store en route home.

One problem. To do this I have to find the website, register, activate the link, place my order and then pay online. AAARRGGGHHHH!! Why is it so complicated?

Step by step

I'm on a smart phone and I don't want to register! Why should I register - it's a pizza? By simplifying the process and allowing me to place an order for a pizza without registering saves me 10 minutes! It's no more risky than me calling for a pizza and picking it up (i wouldn't supplying my card details over the phone so why should I online).

Secondly, why do I have to spend a further 10 minutes finding my card, entering the numbers on the microscopic screen and then checking the details are correct? Ultimately, the details will be wrong somewhere!

P.s. in case you're wondering the pizza company was neither of the companies on the left. And yes, it was ham and pineapple.

Meeting Business Needs

If your business doesn't automatically fit the PPC model, adapt it or don't advertise on smart phones. There is an option when setting up a campaign to ignore smart phone applications and only show ads on desktop computers.

Businesses choosing to use PPC to drive traffic to their website via the smart phone will inevitable irritate their customer, waste money and question why their PPC campaign is so expensive!