Articles: Pay Per Click etc

Facebook User Numbers

Facebook is looking for 5 billion users by 2030. They have around 1.6 billion users at present out of a population of 7.4 billion – so around 21%.

So in 2030 they want that to be around 60% of the expected 8.5 billion population. Looks like they want to know something about as many people as they possibly can.

Incidentally, you can see how fast the population clock changes at http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ And other articles suggest that in 2030 at 8.5 billion, the world is at a real population crisis point.

We have more on our minds than social media – like food and space on the planet!

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/facebook-wants-5-billion-users-by-2030-1314410#

Facebook

What does Net Action do?

We are often asked to explain what we do that is different to others.

Net Action Ltd, which runs greatnewzealand.co.nz, primarily ensures that your site and business have the best Internet presence that they can. Increased sales to you is the end goal from this.

Search Engine Optimisation is at the core of our work but just looking back at the last week, here are some of the many things that we have dealt with for clients.
Continue reading →

Audits, Facebook, Facebook, Google Analytics etc, Google Plus, Local search, Our Services, Search Engines & Directories, SEO, Site Development, Tripadvisor, Web Marketing

Online Travel Agents – OTA’s

For those of you in the accommodation business, the changing shape of online bookings has been a concern for some time.

Last year when we visited clients and other people there was great concern about the amount of commissions paid to sites like Booking.com. A bit of a sense of panic!

We have recently also had a number of meetings and sense a change in the mood from last year. Yes, people are still concerned that they are paying large amounts of commission to OTAs. But there seems to have been a maturing of attitudes to this and acceptance that this is just the way the market is now.

Now people are more accepting that if they are paying commissions it actually means confirmed business and that online bookings are often easier than walk-ins who want to look around first.

Also, many are coming up with creative ways to encourage direct bookings without violating price parity rules that some of the OTA’s have.

Some have dropped their Google AdWords campaigns – why bid to compete with the large OTA’s like booking.com for top spot if your property is coming up in their Adwords anyhow? Let them spend the money to promote you. They have much deeper pockets than you.

And we know of one site that has a “price ticker” showing the OTA prices versus the direct booking price which encourages direct booking because it shows clearly that the direct booking rate is the best price (or equal to it).

At the end of the day many of the bookers look at the OTA listing as well as visit your site – you then just need to convince them to book direct. Value added offers can help achieve that. If you are clever, you can do that without breaking price parity rules.

But check out our article about Google becoming an OTA to see what shakeup is coming soon.

Google Adwords, Online Bookings & Channel Managers, Online Travel Agents (OTAs), Tourism Industry News, Tourism Market Info

Adwords Return on Investment

We recently met with a motelier who was happy that it cost him $100 in Adwords cost for every booking – he got 7 bookings from $700 in Adwords campaign for the month. His room rate is around $120 per night ($104 excl gst). He seemed very happy that his occupancy had increased by 100% and that is what counted to him.

I admit I don’t know everything (I don’t know what I don’t know either) but when most of the industry is complaining about 15% commissions they are paying to Booking.com and other OTAs, how is paying 96% commission equivalent to Google for Adwords a good deal and return on investment? And that is without considering cleaning costs etc!! Continue reading →

Google Adwords, Tripadvisor

Google Adwords Return on Investment

If you are running an Adwords campaign, do you really know if it is worthwhile for you? How much is it costing you per booking from your Adwords campaigns? What percentage of a booking is that really? Is it more than the 15% you are paying to Booking.com and others? Would you be happy with that?

We can look at this for you and ask some searching questions to give you a handle on whether it is worthwhile for you or is losing you money. Ask us.

Google Adwords, Our Services

Facebook Privacy Changes

Facebook is updating it’s privacy policy yet again. This time in terms of how it targets you, the user, with paid advertising. They are trying to explain things in more simple terms so hopefully more people will understand it. Well, maybe they will, if they read it!

In the July-September quarter, Facebook reported nearly $3 billion in advertising revenue, a 64 percent increase from a year earlier!

For more info see
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=11358595\

Facebook, Facebook

Great News re Rules for Google Adwords companies!!

We have been concerned for some time about the huge push to use Google Adwords and the lack of transparency of reporting from some companies running Adwords campaigns for clients along with highly aggressive sales techniques.

We have always said that any 3rd party company running an Adwords campaign should fully disclose both the management cost of running the campaign and the cost per click that you are paying to Google.

So great news that Google have updated their third party policy. Continue reading →

Google Adwords, Scams & Dodgy Stuff

More Ads on your devices?

There is huge revenue being made from ads on your search results and devices. These are geographically and demographically targeted to you based on what Google and others know about you and your friends.

As mentioned above Facebook is also releasing its own advertising network. And Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia and use of Windows 8 on Nokia products should boost their ability to deliver their own Bing Ads.

So I predict that we are at the beginning of a Pay per Click battle between Microsoft, Google, Apple and Facebook, with each trying to make as much revenue as they can from these.

If you think there are a lot of ads now, I think you ain’t seen nothing yet. It is just the beginning as these companies try to maximise returns for shareholders!

It may just bring the cost per click of ads down though – Google Adwords have been getting way too expensive for many businesses to get a decent Return on Investment from them.

Facebook, Google Adwords, Google General, Mobile Sites, Tripadvisor, Yahoo

New Google Ad symbol

You may have noticed that Google has added a yellow “Ad” icon next to Google Ads at the top of search results (may not be in all regional versions of Google but is in google.co.nz)

Until now, many people have been unaware that the first few listings on a search results page were actually Google Adwords ads – ie paid advertising.

So we think it is great that Google is now identifying them clearly as such.

We don’t have a problem with them displaying ads but have always thought that users have a right to know whether they are clicking on ads or real search results. Now, at last it is clear. Good move Mr (or Mrs) Google!

Google Adwords, Google General