As we know, the word “google” has become a common verb in global vernacular. “I googled that” simply implies that I have gone online, performed a search, and am now prepared with information to discuss the topic. Whether the information is correct or not is another matter, but pretty much the entire nation’s population above the age of four is aware of the concept.

Google is not the only search engine that is alive and well, but it is the most used. During 2016, various sources estimated that Google experienced more than 2 trillion searches in the prior twelve months.

Google's AdWords is designed to put your company’s digital ads in front of searchers who are most likely to be looking for products like yours.

The AdWords website provides a Keyword Planner to help you to select the right terms to maximize searches. Google tracks specific word combinations that consumers use to search for products and assigns a higher value to the most relevant terms.

The ad creation process begins with three questions about your specific objectives:

• Do you wish to get more calls?
• Are you hoping for more visits to your location?
• Are you looking for more website sales or sign-ups?

Once you indicate your main objective, the Google site guides you through a maze of pertinent questions to create the most effective type of advertisement for your business.

Amazon’s site is designed strictly to facilitate shopping. Products are presented by category and are shown as you wish with the opportunity to tell consumers what it is and why they should buy it. Products ads are clickable for more detail and may be accompanied by coupons and reviews. Even a 30-second video advertisement is available if you with a larger outlay investment.

• Untargeted: the goal is to expose your product to as many consumers as possible
• Interest Targeted: targets consumers who have similar interests
• Product Targeted: ads that will highlight the most unique aspects of your product, ones that differentiate from any other product

The majority of the 4 million ecommerce advertisers on Facebook are small and medium-sized companies. One of the great advantages of Facebook is the amount of specific user data that is available to prospective advertisers. Companies can target age, gender, political preferences, and income levels based on the information that Facebook has collected.

As an eCommerce business that advertises on Facebook, this venue is a great way to demonstrate a personal side of your business by targeting a specific lifestyle or demographic and offering interactive features to familiarize viewers with your posts, reposts, and replies.

Inexpensive and widely used, email marketing with MailChimp allows sellers to target consumers directly. Perhaps by applying your own talents, you can create “personalized” email messages and a campaign that describes your products in detail while showing pertinent photographs and graphics and offering enticing specials.

Many choose to hire 3rd party MailChimp specialists and marketing companies to manage their email campaigns, still a reasonably cost-efficient method of brand building.

Blogging is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs and business owners to position themselves as category experts. A niche pet product developer, for example, may write interesting and authoritative articles about dog care, behavior, training tips, and useful products. As visits increase through online searches, the owner’s content becomes more recognizable and is frequently shared among pet owners.

Discussing timely and relevant topics authoritatively will increase your credibility and heighten the likelihood of purchasing your products.

Instagram is the creative visual content subsidiary of Facebook. In fact, Instagram’s ecommerce advertising is run on Facebook’s advertising platform and you will find that all setup, budgeting, and scheduling are done through Facebook.

One industry Report shows that Instagram increased its advertiser revenue by 177% in the Second Quarter 2018, year over year, while impressions grew 209% in the same period. AS part of the Tips for ecommerce advertising on Instagram and linking to your Facebook business page  can be found on the Help page.

Instagram offers some campaign objectives to help with your setup. These include:

• Brand awareness
• Reach
• Traffic
• App installs
• Engagement
• Video Views
• Conversions

With a Facebook pixel on your website, you can track when someone clicks on your Instagram ad, purchases a product, or visits your site.

Advertising on Groupon is nominally free. However, you must be prepared to discount your products substantially to reach their Daily Deals status. If you are willing to discount sufficiently, Groupon will feature your product on their Daily Deals list.

While the discount level may be as much as 50%, Groupon’s massive email list can convert high volumes, raise brand awareness, and facilitate a higher level of first-time trials. A volume burst may be a value in creating more efficient production and lowering unit costs.

A popular online marketplace, eBay provides an auction-style format that spans the globe.  Their worldwide presence and Global Shipping Program can broaden your visibility and raises the likelihood that your products will command an acceptable price. There is no listing fee, only a commission paid to eBay based on the final selling price.

While retailers may not receive the marketing cost-per-unit return they are seeking and must wait until sales are final, many find eBay to be a successful channel to market their goods.