Beware of Buying Online Ad Impressions

Pay per click display ads and pay per impression display ads are two primary methods of online, display advertising (‘display’ meaning banner ads, remarketing etc.) you might spend your hard earned money on and it’s important to know the facts. There’s usually a distinct difference in the effort put into a proper click-based display campaign relative to an impression-based display campaign.

Most impression-based campaigns are offered as low cost, hands off, set it and forget it, throw it on the wall and hope it sticks type services. Pay per click display campaigns put the right message, your ads, in front of the right shoppers, and continually optimize the message/ad to get you the best results for the least amount of money.

Have a look at this typical results comparison showing an impression-based campaign to be 131% more expensive when it comes to obtaining website visits!

Source: PPC Hero

With pay per click display ads, you’re still getting impressions but your investment has a guaranteed positive return as you only pay when shoppers are interested enough to click your ads.

Sadly, the same can’t be said for buying impression-based ads. You’re investing with the hope shoppers will care enough to click your ads and visit your site, all the while being charged regardless of the outcome. What’s worse is there’s no guarantee your ads are even seen with this method, as an impression simply means the ad was shown on the page. Did the shopper actually notice it?

Whether you’re currently buying impressions or are approached to do so in the future, always consider a pay per click approach instead. Or better yet, go find another marketing company as anyone selling you impressions is likely uninformed and/or more concerned with taking your money than with getting you the results you deserve.

Have further questions or want to learn more? Checkout this article by PPC Hero or contact us today at 800-515-9672 opt 4 to get your questions answered.