As the busy Christmas period is fast approaching, there is much preparation to be done by businesses for the annual surge in consumer spending. Pay Per Click advertising on search engine’s like Google, Yahoo & MSN are essential elements of this preparation. Retailers consistently rate search engine marketing as a primary online sales driver, and a fundamental part of the online marketing plan.

2006 CHRISTMAS SHOPPING STATISTICS(2)

• Christmas is the most significant event in the UK's retail calendar

• 60% of annual turnover between November and January

• Consumers spent £7.6 billion online in the 10-week run-up to Christmas

• Online sales soared close to £1 billion a week

• Each person will spend an average £390 on Christmas gifts, up 18% on 2005

Opening a Pay Per Click account is quick and easy, management of the account is the tricky bit. Consulting Internet Marketing specialists is recommended in order to have your adverts up and running in time for the winter spending.

If you already have your PPC campaigns up and running here are some quick tips:

1.) When possible, adjust the message throughout the season and be sure to coordinate the message with other promotions on your website. For example: offering a free gift with purchases, free delivery & shipping and Online “Sales” will help to draw more visitors to click on your advert.

2.) Adding seasonal keywords to match what potential customers will be searching for this time of year. For example if you sell aromatic candles online and your original keywords are: candle, scented candle, candle holder, waxed candle, floating candle, etc you should try adding keywords like: Christmas candle, snowflake candle, Santa candle, seasonal candle, gift candle, holly candles etc.

3.) Monitor your results for better targeting next year. It is imperative that you have a tracking system in place to monitor your response to the changes you have implemented. This will save you time and money in the following year.

4.) Research the Competition! Find out what your direct competition is doing! By typing in your keywords “candles” and hitting search you can see in an instant which adverts you are in direct competition with. Ie: "Online Christmas Candles" Try phrasing your ads with what the competition is leaving out. Keyword Research tools are free and readily available online. This will provide you with the exact words people are typing into search engines to conduct their search.

With consumers consulting online stores & walk in stores equally, search engine advertising is an affordable way to bring in a substantial chunk of seasonal cash, provided you know a little about what you are doing. PPC specialists can provide information to benefit your sales or offer management to create and operate your campaigns for you. Be quick, as the holiday season is rapidly approaching.

1 Nielsen/NetRatings February 2006

2 Source: IMRG

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