It’s very easy to document that consumers are spending more time online before they go into a store to make a purchase. For durable goods it’s safe to say that 70% of consumers go online before going into a store.
So, how do consumers rate the ads they see as they think about buying? Not very well according to a recent report by Harris.
There has already been a lot written about this study and comments range from not trusting surveys to newspapers aren’t as bad off as everyone says.
I think search engine ads just have to get better. We’ve been working on improving the process for making great newspaper ads for several hundred years, TV and radio for a decent length of time, too. And, the results aren’t that wonderful according to this survey.
Search engine ads have only been around for a couple of years and we’ve gotten better but there is room for improvement.
The key has to be the landing page. We have to deliver more than just product information or more than just dealer information. It has to be a collaborative effort where the brand provides the top of the funnel information about the product’s features and benefits. The dealer has to take care of the bottom of the funnel and add local service information, promotion, price and depending upon the product ecommerce, too.
Brands have to build a system that automates building ads and landing pages and it has to be quick and easy for retailer.
Consumers are online looking for us right now, let’s not wait 200 years to deliver the information they need.