Recently the Market Ease team headed to Google HQ in Sydney to attend the Shopping Bootcamp to learn advanced functions of Shopping skills and techniques.
It was a fantastic opportunity to get to learn directly from various thought leaders at Google based on their experience and expertise within Retail & Google Shopping.
Two of Market Ease’s Digital Marketing Specialists share their top takeaways and what they recently learnt:
February Jameson:
One stand out for me was that we as marketers traditionally look at multiple channels separately which kind of makes you forget about the customer. Retail is shifting to visual search. In 2017 63% of in-store sales were influenced by a digital touch point in Australia – the customer is now the channel.
Customers are more curious, demanding and impatient than ever before. If they’re looking to purchase, they want all the information available when they search, to be able to see the product, to make sure it’s the best and to read reviews on your products before they make a purchasing decision. Make sure your products are there at each stage of the buying cycle.
Customers these days are loyal to their own needs, not brands, so be there with the right information at the right time. Mass messages are meaningless – remember the customer is the channel, personalise their online experience based on their actions and behaviour. Once they’re ready to purchase, make it simple and effortless.
Plan ahead! Start planning and setting up feeds months in advance.
Luke Harrison:
The opening presenter, Colin Barnard, set the scene for me, highlighting the ‘Future of Consumer Expectations’. As February touched on, Customers are more curious,
demanding and impatient than ever before. Which is shifting the battleground with how businesses compete. Assisting your users is now the new route to growth. Google
recognises this trend and is tailoring its platform – which presents new opportunities.
Because 60% of small businesses don’t have an online booking system, getting things done, often requires a phone call. To connect users to businesses in a good way, Google is working on ‘Google Duplex’, a technology behind a new Google Assistant Feature:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd1mEm2Fy08&t=69.
Duplex is an automated system that can make calls and book appointments on a users behalf. Businesses that adapt and find ways to operate with and use this advancing technology will continue to thrive in the future.
After analysing what users are engaging with on Google, it was amazing to learn that one-third of clicks online are now centred on shopping – which is overtaking content! Providing users with context and personalised information has never been so important.
Google Trends is a great tool to help view what your users are searching and when. This means that businesses with a presence on Google that utilise high-quality imagery, rich titles and relevant product attributes will receive the best return.
From our takeaways, here are some handy tips for you to follow:
• Assisting your users is now your route to growth
• Users on Google engage in shopping activities, nearly as much as they do with content.
• Use high quality imagery to draw engagement
• Use rich titles and include relevant attributes eg: Apparel: Brand + Gender + Product Type + Attributes (Color, Size, Material) = Nike Women’s Sweatpants, Black (size 10)
• Use Feed Rules to make automate product updates
• Identify when your customers are ready to buy, highlight your products during these times and bid accordingly.
• Google Trends is a great tool to help view what your users are searching and when.
• Plan budgets
• Work with your web team to start using Accelerated Mobile Pages on product pages
• Marry online with offline by using Local Inventory Ads to drive foot traffic to stores
• Don’t stop, run a post-campaign