PPC Summit recently conducted a survey of leading bid management vendors and their customers. Some common themes emerged, some of which were unexpected. This article captures five of several messages search marketers are sending vendors. See the full report for other expectations, challenges they’ve faced, and advice they have for their fellow marketers.
#1: Provide Kick-Ass Support or Else
We interviewed more than 50 people and 41 organizations. Of the 66 criteria they defined, support rated #1 by a long shot. “Support” means a lot of things, though, not just an 800-number or Internet-based support. And quite frankly, some vendors don’t even provide an 800-number.
Vendors better listen and prove they’re listening too, before and after the sale. The level of support a vendor offers before a sale can foreshadow the level of service you may end up with after the sale. Sure, some vendors have tiered customer service levels meaning if you pay them extra they’ll be at your beck and call. With others the amount or type of support you get may depend on your spend level. For example, you’re spending a couple of thousand dollars a month you won’t have a dedicated account manager but if you’re spending $50,000 a month you likely will.
My favorite pre-sale support story came out of Zappos from Assistant SEM Manager Tim Schaeffer. When Schaeffer was evaluating vendors he had three companies on his short list. He sent e-mail messages to all three at the same time and was surprised by the results. Two of the vendors were located in the same time zone (Pacific). The third, Kenshoo, was located in Israel which was Kenshoo. It was midnight in Israel at the time. Guess who responded first? Kenshoo. Guess who got the business? You guessed it.
Kenshoo responded immediately. Both US vendors responded in about 4 hours and one of them was located a five minute drive away! Oops.
The “support” bucket also now includes customer-requested product features. Those companies who listen to their customers or solicit customer feedback and turn customer requests and comments into product features or feature enhancements are viewed as more “customer centric” than those who don’t. Moreover, the customers who have witnessed their ideas transformed into product features are taking emotional equity in the vendor and its product to the point where some sound like a Windows 7 commercial: “I’m a PPC (search marketer) and I invented [my favorite vendor’s product].”
#2: Get the Lead Out
Vendors differ in a lot of respects but here we’re going to discuss time to market. Some vendors have agile software release cycles ranging from about two weeks to three months while others still have annual or semi-annual “major release” cycles.
Major release cycles are how software companies have traditionally built software: They plan, build, test, and deploy a big software release that’s packed with all kinds of features and enhancements. Traditional software development is a linear practice that moves a product down a line through several types of specialists who specify, build, and test the software, respectively. Agile development involves software releases that are smaller in scope and released more frequently. It breaks down interdepartmental fiefdoms like coding and testing, among other things, so software teams can develop better quality software faster and more collaboratively.
Among the people we interviewed the difference between traditional and agile releases meant a lot. Companies with shorter (agile) release cycles are seen as more in tune with customer requirements and also more up to date with Google’s constant algorithmic modifications than companies with slower release cycles.
This finding also ties back to the point about turning customer ideas into product features: When customers see product features a few weeks or a few months down the road that they personally suggested they become more loyal customers and they’re also amazed how fast their vendor of choice incorporated their idea(s).
#3: Make Me More Effective
Almost everyone we interviewed had switched vendors at least once or dumped their agency because they believed they could do a better job in-house using the right tools and with the help of the right experts on the vendors’ account team.
“Help” comes in several forms including human assistance and machine assistance. The human element we’ve already touched on; however, I can say the vendor account teams when they’re good are a valuable extension of the in-house search team.
Machine help is also popular among both experienced and novice search professionals. Some systems have automated best practice engines that will suggest best practices automatically, kind of like contextual help. The engines apply algorithms to historical history, keyword prices, the buying patterns of organizations inside or even outside your industry, and then compare the results with your current actions.
Experienced search marketers sometimes ignore the suggestions based on experience. Seasonal keyword buys are a great example. They nevertheless value a second pair of eyes, virtual or not, because it forces them to think about what they’re doing and why. New search marketers like best-practice suggestions because it’s a great way to learn hands-on.
In terms of product features you may have noticed – and we point out in the report – that bid management isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to managing search programs effectively. Vendors tend to categorize the additional features differently but reporting and campaign management are the two major buckets with the latter including bulk uploads and editing, Quality Score management, and more.
#4: Help Me Do Business My Way
It’s wonderful some vendors have so many features available for every imaginable vertical market. On the other hand, who cares? If a company sells professional services it has no need to tie inventory to paid search because it has no inventory. The message here is twofold: 1) Make me effective in my vertical and 2) Don’t make me wade through hundreds of features just to guess which 50 actually matter.
(Actually, you can do yourself a BIG favor by prioritizing what you’re trying to accomplish. That way, what is and is not relevant will be more obvious to you.)
Search marketers appreciate domain expertise but it’s hard to know what you’re missing if don’t know a capability exists. One gentleman we interviewed is convinced multi-channel attribution is impossible and yet other fellow retailers are doing it with varying levels of success and sophistication.
Vertical market nuances can also play out in sales. A search marketer who works for a national insurance agency is spending lots of money but on very few keywords so a percentage-of-spend cost model doesn’t work for him.
Help Me Improve ROI
ROI is a moving target and as you well know search marketers are under constant pressure to improve ROI. Many search marketers are looking beyond last click attribution to multi-attribution and multichannel attribution for two main reasons: 1) Last-click attribution rarely reflects actual human behavior and 2) Paid search is being integrated into overall marketing strategies more than it has been. As a result, paid search is increasingly being compared to, contrasted with, and optimized in relation to other marketing tactics.
Retailers are a good example of a vertical market making this move. Admittedly, it’s the larger retailers that are pushing the trend forward but as always sophistication flows downstream over time. Smaller retailers are already paying attention because they’re hearing more buzz about it generally thanks to AdWords search funnel reports.
Not all vendors provide this capability and those who do don’t necessarily support it to the same degree. At the present time, some search marketers are doing the functional equivalent of sticking a finger in the wind to using complex data models to attribute costs to specific actions.
It’s a growing area and people are interested so expect to see a lot more about this (and more sophisticated solutions) in the near future.
Conclusion
There are a lot of reasons to hate bid management solutions and vendors, especially if their products and/or services don’t align with your business. If you’re unhappy with your present vendor, you’re wise to take a thoughtful approach to vendor selection starting with your objectives. Along the way, pay attention to things like responsiveness and a willingness to ensure your success, particularly if your spend level is formidable.
The main message is don’t settle. You don’t have to. Most vendors offer free trials so you can take their solutions for a test drive and all of them would be more than happy to be your next business partner. Just make sure you’re in the driver’s seat or you may end up feeling like you’ve been taken for a ride.
Lisa Morgan is CEO of Strategic Rainmakers, a management and marketing consulting firm that helps organizations meet their strategic business and marketing goals. Its services include in-depth research, marketing consulting, content development, and strategic initiatives, among other things. Past and present clients include vendors, service providers, event producers, publishers, and associations.
