Logan Tod survey identifies mail order as champions of keyword advertising

According to a survey by Logan Tod, mail order retailers are stealing a march on high street competitors by embracing click campaigns and sponsored links on Google. Additions Direct, Simply Be, Kitbag, Freemans and Littlewoods all maximise their online presence by using Google AdWords to generate traffic to their e-commerce sites.

The survey, conducted in September, reveals that almost half of the traditional high street retailers researched did not use pay-per-click advertising, whilst mail order companies had at least one Google AdWord campaign.

Matthew Tod, CEO of Logan Tod, says: “Mail order companies clearly understand that customers are using search as a primary gateway and research tool. They are using Google AdWords to generate increases in traffic and raise brand visibility for specific products.”

Research by the IAB shows that 70% of online sessions start with search and DoubleClick revealed, earlier this year, that 50% of online sales are preceded by research on a search engine.

“Yet high street retailers are sadly lagging behind in their use of sponsored links,” Tod comments. “Mail order counterparts are aggressively maximising the search opportunities and focusing on reaching customers where they want. Pay-per-click is a formidable direct response medium, especially with such high competition for search engine rankings and online visibility.”

Logan Tod conducted the survey in order to discover more about the visitor journey following a click on a paid for link. The survey studies 65 leading UK retailers, examining the efficiency and value of pay-per-click campaigns. Comparing the visibility of retailers, researchers used Google to search for common products such as a steam iron, double bed and iPod.

Only 61% of retailers used Google AdWords and major high street stores such as Gap, TopShop, French Connection and Body Shop had no campaigns at all. Of those that did, 37% had poor follow through, with visitors landing on pages with no matches, non-specific categories or the home page.

Littlewoods and Comet scored highest in the survey. Not only driving traffic to their sites, but also optimising landing pages and products to maximise sales conversion.

Logan Tod works with a number of high-profile retailers including Mothercare, I Want One Of Those and Kitbag to increase website conversions and generate more sales.
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Editor’s notes

About Logan Tod & Co
Logan Tod & Co is an independent web agency, focused on helping companies achieve better results from e-business. The company ensures online activity creates more sales leads, sells more, saves money and improves ROI. The Logan Tod team does this by analysing data, managing the conversion process and developing techniques to maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of a website.

Logan Tod works closely with its clients, ensuring their site development is more business results driven and customer centric. Clients include Renault, Mothercare, Sharps Bedrooms, I Want On Of Those, Adept Scientific and Yes Car.

www.logantod.com


For further information, please contact:

Katy Howell
Tel: 0845 408 2031
pressoffice@immediatefuture.co.uk