A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words…and a Much More Reliable Click-through
For those paying attention, the rapidly rising trend of Product Listing Ads (PLAs) just stands to reason. In fact, it is only the latest chapter in an age-old rule that is as true today as it was the day it was uttered by some “famous Japanese philosopher”: a single picture does indeed trump a sizable smattering of vowels and consonants – or so the saying goes. A recent study conducted by Adobe drives the point home by finding PLAs yielded “a 34% higher click-through rate compared to text ads.”
The Eyes Have It
With text ads, the click-through is based mainly on SEO/SEM savvy marketing copy. However, limits on the amount of text permitted in each description severely hinders the ability of any business to describe a single product in adequate detail. This construct resulted in many a potential customer clicking on a search result, only to find an unpredictable product waiting on them at the other end of their digital rainbow. Unfortunately, because Google’s advertising model charges online advertisers “per click-through,” Google was paid for every click of the mouse, while businesses were often left footing the bill without securing the desired payoff.
It is for this reason that PLA click-throughs far outweigh the value of standard text ad click-throughs. A potential customer who clicks through based on a PLA has already been given a basic idea of the following:
- What the product looks like
- The value or purpose of the product
- The cost of the product
Now Picture This
Today’s search marketers are entering a whole new world – a visual one. In the visual world small differences matter (ask anyone who has worked in display advertising).
Here’s some fun facts that just might open your eyes to the visual medium:
Consider the following conclusion as stated by Don Norman following a 2005 study titled, “Attractive Things Work Better”:
“Research holds that aesthetic judgments are related to usability judgments prior to the use of a system and this association persists after the use of a system occurs.”
Norman, the author of the book Emotion and Design, concluded that aesthetically appealing elements promote a more calm and confident response. In short, pretty things make people feel good.
The same argument has been made since the 70’s regarding voters and elections. In a recent New York Times article titled, “The Facial Theory of Politics,” journalist Leonard Mlodinaw recalls this telling scenario:
“You probably know about the famous 1960 presidential debate between an unshaven and tired Richard Nixon and a tanned and rested John F. Kennedy: those who watched on television generally thought Kennedy won the debate, while those who listened over the radio overwhelmingly favored Nixon.”
Mlodinaw’s article goes on to report that recent research may indicate that it is the appearance of competence rather than beauty that sways the voter. Apparently, according to scientists, competence not only has an appearance, but an appearance we all seem to subconsciously recognize.
Beyond image appeal, a PLA shows people exactly what they can expect when they click on your ad. Even if someone is shopping for a muffler or an air conditioning unit, the presence of an image guarantees that there are no surprises at the other end of that link. They are clearly shown their potential purchase and how much that item is going to cost when they arrive. Be it a stylish shirt, or a drywall screw; whether it is beauty or competence they’re looking for, image has value…period.
It is for this reason that PLAs surpassed standard text ads on click-throughs in Q4 of 2012. It can further be safely assumed that if people know more before they commit to the click-through, they are more likely to continue on with their purchase. With a PLA, if the price or product image puts them off, they probably will not click-through at all. In that scenario, though you may not have won the customer, you also were not billed for the click-through.
So, yes indeed, a picture is worth a thousand words. But more importantly, the PLA model significantly diminishes the risk factor within the confines of Google’s new “pay per click-through” advertising model. More information, means less uncertainty before the click-through, which translates to a greater conversion rate following the click-through.
Still not convinced? Consider the following findings of a PLA performance study of 270 million global impressions and clicks, as reported by Online Media Daily in November, 2012:
“…Google PLAs outperformed text search ads. Click-through rate (CTR) rose 73% higher; conversion rate (CVR) came in 35% higher; average cost-per-click (CPC) was 36% lower; and return on ad spend (ROAS) was 46% higher.”
In short, PLAs are where it’s at when considering where to place your new batch of marketing dollars. Now, if I could just remember where I put those.
