Online shopping has seen a drastic increase in recent years. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, Kiwis have spent more than $2.2 billion purchasing goods via the internet and the trend is still pointing upwards. Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, customers’ needs have changed. The convenience of buying essential and non-essential items online and having them delivered straight to your door has become more and more important.
Search engines have been playing a significant role in helping businesses connect with potential customers. According to the latest Statista research, Google is still dominating the search engine market with close to 93 percent market share. Millions of people use Google every day to find answers to their questions or products and services that they love.
Whether they are browsing for inspiration, are seeking specific advice or are ready to make a purchase: With the right tools and strategies, you can use Google to catch potential shoppers at any stage during their buying journey and turn them into loyal customers. The following guide will help you use what Google has to offer in order to maximise your sales in 2022 and the years to come.
Catch the undecided
Before making a purchase online or in-store, the majority of shoppers use search engines such as Google to find out more about a product or service and whether what they are seeking is available locally. From comparing prices to checking out reviews, there are many reasons potential clients turn to Google for advice – and plenty of opportunities for your business to catch them right at the beginning of their buying journey and convert them into purchasing customers.
Reviews
Consumers increasingly listen to their fellow shoppers, whether or not they had a positive experience with a business, were treated respectfully and found the answer to their problem. Online reviews have become a key component in the shopping process and significantly impact how a company or a brand is perceived. The more (positive) reviews your business receives, the more likely you will appear in the top search results with Google, presenting your business to a greater audience and increasing your chances of making a sale.
Maps
Shopping locally has become increasingly popular in recent years. Between 2015 and 2017 alone, the search phrase “near me” has seen a spike of more than 500%. Shoppers want to know if what they are looking for is available and in stock at the store around the corner before they look elsewhere. In addition to the traditional Google Maps, the free feature Google My Maps allows you to create, edit and customize maps adding extra layers of information to help your audience on their shopping journey.
Business Profiles
In addition to exploring Google Maps to see which stores are nearby, online users also check out business profiles embedded in Google Maps to look up opening hours, contact details and delivery options. Creating a business profile on Google is free and will allow your customers to find you and connect with you in one easy step.
Create brand awareness
Depending on the industry your business operates in, the competition can be fierce. The more your brand is known among shoppers and stands out among the crowd, the more likely people will purchase from you – and do so repeatedly. People often browse a range of websites without having a clear goal in mind, but once they stumble across a brand they recognize, can relate to or acknowledge as an expert in the field, they get a lot closer to making a purchase decision.
Brand awareness, therefore, is one of the main goals for every marketer. It can be achieved in many different ways, but the more people you reach with your message within your target audience, the more popular your brand will become. Google Ads offers a range of SEO tools including keyword matching, audience solution and special ad campaigns that can help you achieve your goals faster.
Showcase your deals
The majority of 21st century shoppers search for products online and expect to be able to make a purchase using the internet at the same time. Looking for products via Google search and instantly comparing prices via the shopping tab on the result page is not only convenient for users.
Businesses can showcase their products in the Google shopping tab for free and increase their exposure by making additional listings on e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, GoDaddy or WooCommerce. Furthermore, providing additional product information such as promotions or seasonal sales directly to each listing can give click-through rates and conversions another boost.
Merchant Centre
With Merchant Centre you can showcase your products and services across paid and unpaid channels to potential customers across all Google surfaces. From basic data about your store to detailed product information including availability and price, shoppers will find everything conveniently in one place.
Know your audience
The better you know your target audience and understand their shopping behaviour, the better you can tailor ads, products and services to meet their needs.
Google Ads
Ad campaigns can be a vital tool to attract the right crowd and successfully turn browsing online users into purchasing customers. However, without a deeper insight into who you want to reach with your campaign, investing in advertising is money going down the drain. Google Ads offers a range of resources that help you optimise existing campaigns, learn more about your audience and understand what drives the people that engage with you.
If you would like to know more about how Google can help you boost your sales, talk to the friendly experts at Energise Web today. We are experienced in developing successful digital marketing campaigns to ensure your business is highly visible online to the people that really matter.