Identify your competitors

You may know some of your competitors, but remember; you are working online. There are most likely lots! And they come and go all the time.

Often a company in an adjacent area will change its positioning to try and address your market, or a new startup may emerge in a related area. You need to create a master list of your key competitors and make sure you keep this up to date.

To do this, Google the terms which describe your industry, your products and services. You can also use a little known feature in Google. In the search box, type in "related:www.yourcompanyname.com" and Google will display a list of companies that it considers related to yours. Look for new companies that show up and see if any of these pose a threat.

Mistakes people make with Adwords

Ben Stevens wrote the following article on some mistakes people make with Adwords.

8 common mistakes most people make with google adwords

Tips on Adwords

I was cleaning out folders and emails over the Christmas break and came across these tips for using Adwords. I tried to follow the link to credit the author, but it was no longer live.

1. Headline, Headline!!

Yes, the headline is by far the most important part of your ad. To make an ad that captures attention, make your headlines as catchy and attractive as possible. Choose relevant keywords that are more likely to be searched for. Usually, a good headline does most of the work!

2. Be Precise And To The Point

Make sure your ads are precise and to the point. Nobody has the time to go through long-drawn-out ads. Include a keyword here and there, and underline it or make it bold, to grab the viewer’s attention.

3. Invest Wisely

Do not invest too much money in these campaigns. Staying within a pre-set budget is essential. It would be wiser to invest around 10$-$15 in the beginning, and then increase the amount as you get returns. Caution is the best precaution, as you stand a risk of losing the entire money you invested in your ads. So, go by the adage ‘thrifty is nifty’, and take it easy with the money.

4. Pre-Advertise

Before you actually launch your product, conduct a small survey, which will identify the people who are actually interested in your product. To do so, release a few ad details in the beginning, so that customers know what they can expect. Evaluate ad performance, and make necessary changes.

5. Track Your Account

Analyze the way your account is performing. Check statistics and create reports. This way, you will know where you are headed, and can adopt changes to your account, according to the situation.

When you use Google Adwords the right way, you can definitely boost your sales. But you do have to be careful to set your budget right, because with Google, it’s easy to overspend if you don’t watch it!