Skip to Content
Main Content

Hiker Looking Out Over Mountains

4 Minute Read | June 16, 2020

Ecommerce Growth Through Digital Advertising

Updated: June 16, 2020
Originally Published: May 5, 2020

Digital advertising fuels growth for any ecommerce play. This case study indicates how your ecommerce business could thrive through digital advertising.

Has your ecommerce business ventured into digital advertising yet? Whether you seek to initiate or enhance digital advertising, Northwoods can help.

Results

Oct. 1st 2019 – May 31st 2020 (year-over-year snapshot)

year over year snapshot of digital advertising results from october 2019 through may 2020

year over year snapshot of digital advertising results from october 2019 through may 2020 graph

During the first eight months working with this ecommerce client, we helped them increase gross revenue 68% year-over-year with a 949% return on ad spend—that is, every $1 spent on ads is yielding $9.49 in revenue.

More recently, ecommerce revenue continues to hold strong through COVID-19. Here are the results specifically for April and May while operating through the depth of COVID-19.

Apr. 1st – May 31st 2020 (year-over-year snapshot)

year over year snapshot of digital advertising results from april through may 2020

year over year snapshot of digital advertising results from april through may 2020 graph

From April-May 2020, gross revenue increased 182% year-over-year with a 1,812% return on ad spend. For every $1 spent in ads, that equated to $18.12 in revenue.

What we’ve seen is that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, demand generated via ecommerce is higher in many verticals, and competition is lower. There’s no better time than right now to advertise digitally and position your brand for growth.

What Did We Implement?

1. Google Expanded Text Ads

We implemented a detailed Google Search campaign to capitalize on the search volume for the products our client sells online. We delivered highly specific ads for each set of terms/products.

Google Text Ads (see below) allow you to position your brand atop search engine results pages on a per click basis, targeting only the keywords that are vital to your business.

With close monitoring and consistent data-based adjustments, we’ve been able to drive a highly profitable campaign to help grow our client’s business.

2. Google Shopping Ads

To advance brand presence on Google, we incorporated Google Shopping Ads (see below), a format designed for ecommerce businesses. It features your product image, title, price and reviews at the top of the search results.

For an ecommerce brand, Google Shopping Ads typically outperform Google Text Ads in profitability. That said, Text Ads can still be profitable. If you have the budget to incorporate both ad formats, the combination might help you to scale up even further.

Breaking out your campaigns by product category--best sellers and other distinctions appropriate to your product lines--allows you to control the volume of traffic among your lines. This control lets you capitalize when relative profitability shifts with, say, seasonality, competition or inventory availability.

3. More Channels to Come

We expect to expand soon into social advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for this client. Users of these three channels neatly fit the client’s target audience.

In such ventures, we prefer to first apply a modest budget to Google Search. It’s low-hanging fruit; in the act of searching, Google users have already expressed intent to purchase. You want your brand in front of them as they actively look to buy.

Do You Have Any Active Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn Ad Accounts?

To help you pull the best possible performance out of your Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn ad account(s), we are offering a free digital advertising account audit - a $750 value - for a limited time only. The only requirement is an active advertising account with any of these three platforms. To claim your free audit, please visit our Digital Advertising services page and request a consultation.

Authored By

Northwoods Team

Your Trusted Digital Trail Guides

hand-drawn owl

Get Expert Tips

3612327/Blog/Ecommerce-Growth-Through-Digital-Advertising4
<h6>Updated: June 16, 2020 <br /> Originally Published: May 5, 2020 </h6> <p>Digital advertising fuels growth for any ecommerce play. This case study indicates how your ecommerce business could thrive through digital advertising. </p> <p>Has your ecommerce business ventured into digital advertising yet? Whether you seek to initiate or enhance digital advertising, Northwoods can help. </p> <h2>Results </h2> <p>Oct. 1st 2019 &ndash; May 31st 2020 (year-over-year snapshot) </p> <p><img alt="year over year snapshot of digital advertising results from october 2019 through may 2020" class="animate-in lazy" data-src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising1.jpg" src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising1.jpg?Thumbnail" /> </p> <p><img alt="year over year snapshot of digital advertising results from october 2019 through may 2020 graph" class="animate-in lazy" data-src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising2.jpg" src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising2.jpg?Thumbnail" /> </p> <p>During the first eight months working with this ecommerce client, we helped them increase gross revenue 68% year-over-year with a 949% return on ad spend&mdash;that is, every $1 spent on ads is yielding $9.49 in revenue. </p> <p>More recently, ecommerce revenue continues to hold strong through COVID-19. Here are the results specifically for April and May while operating through the depth of COVID-19. </p> <p>Apr. 1st &ndash; May 31st 2020 (year-over-year snapshot) </p> <p><img alt="year over year snapshot of digital advertising results from april through may 2020" class="animate-in lazy" data-src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising3.jpg" src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising3.jpg?Thumbnail" /> </p> <p><img alt="year over year snapshot of digital advertising results from april through may 2020 graph" class="animate-in lazy" data-src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising4.jpg" src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising4.jpg?Thumbnail" /> </p> <p>From April-May 2020, gross revenue increased 182% year-over-year with a 1,812% return on ad spend. For every $1 spent in ads, that equated to $18.12 in revenue. </p> <p>What we&rsquo;ve seen is that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, demand generated via ecommerce is higher in many verticals, and competition is lower. There&rsquo;s no better time than right now to advertise digitally and position your brand for growth. </p> <h3>What Did We Implement? </h3> <h4>1. Google Expanded Text Ads </h4> <p>We implemented a detailed Google Search campaign to capitalize on the search volume for the products our client sells online. We delivered highly specific ads for each set of terms/products. </p> <p>Google Text Ads (see below) allow you to position your brand atop search engine results pages on a per click basis, targeting only the keywords that are vital to your business. </p> <p>With close monitoring and consistent data-based adjustments, we&rsquo;ve been able to drive a highly profitable campaign to help grow our client&rsquo;s business. </p> <p><img alt="" src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising5.jpg" /> </p> <h4>2. Google Shopping Ads </h4> <p>To advance brand presence on Google, we incorporated Google Shopping Ads (see below), a format designed for ecommerce businesses. It features your product image, title, price and reviews at the top of the search results. </p> <p>For an ecommerce brand, Google Shopping Ads typically outperform Google Text Ads in profitability. That said, Text Ads can still be profitable. If you have the budget to incorporate both ad formats, the combination might help you to scale up even further. </p> <p>Breaking out your campaigns by product category--best sellers and other distinctions appropriate to your product lines--allows you to control the volume of traffic among your lines. This control lets you capitalize when relative profitability shifts with, say, seasonality, competition or inventory availability. </p> <p><img alt="" src="/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising6.jpg" /> </p> <h4>3. More Channels to Come </h4> <p>We expect to expand soon into social advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for this client. Users of these three channels neatly fit the client&rsquo;s target audience. </p> <p>In such ventures, we prefer to first apply a modest budget to Google Search. It&rsquo;s low-hanging fruit; in the act of searching, Google users have already expressed intent to purchase. You want your brand in front of them as they actively look to buy. </p> <h2>Do You Have Any Active Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn Ad Accounts? </h2> <p>To help you pull the best possible performance out of your Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn ad account(s), we are offering a free digital advertising account audit - a $750 value&nbsp;- for a limited time only. The only requirement is an active advertising account with any of these three platforms. To claim your free audit, please visit our <a href="/Northwoods-2020/Services/Digital-Marketing-Advertising/Digital-Advertising" linktype="2" target="_self">Digital Advertising services page</a> and request a consultation. </p>
/Northwoods-2020/Hero-Images/Hiker-Looking-Out-Over-Mountains.pngHiker Looking Out Over MountainsGross revenue increased by 68% year-over-year with a 949% return on ad spend through #digitaladvertising. Digital advertising fuels growth for any #ecommerce play. Learn more about #ecommercegrowth through advertising here: https://bit.ly/2SEGUBC @northwoodsNorthwoods Team/Northwoods-2020/People/NWS-Bug-Grey.png?ThumbnailNorthwoods logo bugPaid Search & Digital Marketing Specialisthttps://ctt.ac/y538C<script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="//js.hsforms.net/forms/embed/v2.js"></script><script>hbspt.forms.create({ region: "na1", portalId: "23630176", formId: "40c5bbae-05a2-42ea-94dd-1662181fd56e" });</script>/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/Social-Media-Cards/Blog-EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising.jpg?LargeEcommerce Growth Through Digital Advertising2020-06-16T00:00:00/Northwoods-2020/Blogs/Social-Media-Cards/Blog-EcommerceGrowthThroughDigitalAdvertising.jpg?LargeEcommerce Growth Through Digital AdvertisingHas your ecommerce business ventured into digital advertising yet? Digital advertising fuels growth for any ecommerce play. In this case study Northwoods shows how your ecommerce business could thrive through digital advertising. Read on to learn more.3621620/People/Northwoods-TeamNorthwoodsTeamYour Trusted Digital Trail Guides<p>For more than 25 years, the digital experts at Northwoods have been helping clients improve their websites, software, and digital strategy and marketing. How can we help you meet your goals?&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="/Northwoods-2020/Services" linktype="2" target="_self">Learn more about our services</a>.</p>Northwoods Team/Northwoods-2020/People/NWS-Bug-Grey.pngAdd-In Type - NWS Data ModulesCategory - NWS Data ModulesCommittee - NWS Data ModulesDivision - NWS Data ModulesEvent Audience - NWS Data ModulesEvent Service - NWS Data ModulesEvent Type - NWS Data ModulesLocality - NWS Data ModulesModule - NWS Data ModulesPackage Type - NWS Data ModulesPersonID - NWS Data ModulesNorthwoods TeamProductVersion - NWS Data ModulesRecorded Webinar TopicsRegion - NWS Data ModulesSite Display - NWS Data ModulesSkillLevel - NWS Data ModulesTopic - NWS Data ModulesVideoAudience - NWS Data ModulesVideoClassification - NWS Data ModulesVideoStatus - NWS Data ModulesTeamAdd-In Type - NWS Data ModulesCategory - NWS Data ModulesCommittee - NWS Data ModulesDivision - NWS Data ModulesEvent Audience - NWS Data ModulesEvent Service - NWS Data ModulesEvent Type - NWS Data ModulesLocality - NWS Data ModulesModule - NWS Data ModulesPackage Type - NWS Data ModulesPersonID - NWS Data ModulesNorthwoods TeamProductVersion - NWS Data ModulesRecorded Webinar TopicsRegion - NWS Data ModulesSite Display - NWS Data ModulesNWS DigitalSkillLevel - NWS Data ModulesTopic - NWS Data ModulesDigital AdvertisingDigital MarketingE-CommerceVideoAudience - NWS Data ModulesVideoClassification - NWS Data ModulesVideoStatus - NWS Data Modules02024-02-20T12:35:57.68000