Cliche or gem?

Today we offer a really short and sweet tip, which just may be one of the more important things you can do to be successful with AdWords. It reads just like a cliche, but I'd call it a gem:

From time to time, take off your business owner hat -- and put on your customer hat.

Almost certainly, you are an expert at your business -- so much so that you may have forgotten what it's like to be a less knowledgeable customer for the product or service you offer. This tip proposes that you temporarily forget everything you know about your business and your needs as the business owner, and concentrate instead on what your potential customer needs, wants, and expects. Not to mention what factors might lead them to buy.

You might begin by asking yourself these questions:

• If you were the customer, what would be most important to you as you shop online?
  
• What keywords would you search on to find your product or service?
  
• What ad copy would absolutely capture your attention and motivate you to click your ad?

Next, take a look at your website -- stop for a moment and ask yourself:

• What page on the website offers the most relevant information and makes it easiest for you to purchase the product or service offered? Is this the page that you're using as the landing page of your ad?
  
• Would you trust this website with your credit card number, and rely on the company to deliver, based purely on what you see there?

Here's our challenge to you today: pick an important Ad Group, put on your customer hat, and then evaluate everything you do as an advertiser from that perspective.

You might be surprised by what you'll see. And you may also pick up a new idea or two on how to enhance your advertising success.

Posted by Blake, Inside AdWords crew