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Click Consult research advises retailers to plan retargeting campaigns well in advance as Easter approaches

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By Richard Draycott, Managing Director

March 17, 2017 | 3 min read

Retailers need to plan their retargeting campaigns well in advance of seasonal events such as Christmas and Easter if they are to take full advantage of current online shopper trends according to new research released by search marketing agency Click Consult.

The research for their new eCommerce and Search Marketing Emerging Trends & Opportunities whitepaper saw Click Consult examine their own eCommerce client’s data to identify search trends over Q4 2016 in order to gain an understanding of consumer behaviour and comparing those behaviours across devices.

The agency, which works with brands such as Oxfam, LLoydsPharmacy Online Doctor, Liverpool ONE, Truprint and Glen Dimplex Appliances, specifically looked at how research and conversion behaviour has differed over the past three years for the customers of its paid search (PPC) clients in the run up to Christmas; the proportion of paid search budget clients spend on Google’s Product Listing Ads, compared with standard search ads, over the past three years; and the behaviour of organic search visitors to retail clients sites across different devices over Q4 2016.

The key findings showed that the percentage of people who make an online retail purchase in a single online interaction with no prior online research has increased steadily every year since 2014, from 59.5% to 62.1%. This shows that people are either more comfortable making snap online buying decisions or they are simply doing their research on another device, possibly a mobile phone and then completing their purchase on a tablet or desktop computer.

Likewise, their research showed that the number of people who did NOT purchase on the same day that they started their research also increased, making retargeting campaigns especially important in the conversion process. Figures showed that the number of people taking between one and 90 days to make their purchase rose from 68.3% in 2014 to 79%.

British Retail Consortium research shows that seasonal occasions and events prompted the highest volumes of browsing activity in 2016, which combined with Click’s findings shows that advertisers should start building up their retargeting audience lists much earlier in order to bring the traffic back in the final weeks before a big event.

Similarly, retailers need to focus on research terms much earlier in order to garner potential customers weeks in advance of an event. This strategy takes on a whole new level of importance when considering that more than 90% of marketers who responded to a recent AdRoll poll started that their retargeting performs equally as well, or better than, any other variety of marketing.

Conclusions from their research also showed that Google Shopping is continuing to deliver very impressive ROI for retailers; showcasing products visually drives paid search conversions, optimising for mobile is paying off for retailers as mobile continues to grow.

Matt Bullas, Click Consult's founder and chief executive officer, said: "eCommerce is evolving at a rapid pace and won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Devising a strong omni-channel marketing strategy to meet your customers’ demands is likely to grow your revenue by a considerable amount. Finding the blend of paid and organic search that works best for your brand is vital as the industry becomes more competitive. But optimising the customer's experience when they get to your site is vital to eliminate barriers to conversion. Our research has highlighted that with shoppers increasingly turning to mobiles and tablets, ensuring a simple purchase path across every device is key."

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Content created with:

Click Consult (Part of Ceuta Group)

Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi award-winning digital and search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). Part...

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