The world of digital marketing has completely engulfed the internet. From organic strategies that rely on search engine optimization and content creation to paid strategies that focus on PPC advertising, there are plenty of different methods and channels through which to increase brand recognition, sales, subscriptions and more.

E-commerce brands in particular find themselves heavily reliant upon paid marketing strategies; with so many brands seeking to sell products, it is difficult to break free from the rest of the pack and achieve visibility through organic means.

Yet all too many online stores are using ad spending strategies that are fraught with inefficiencies. Today, let’s look at how these stores can improve their online ad spending and achieve better results.

Offer Customers More Than One Option

Think about how you encounter most shopping ads online. Whether they be through Google’s seemingly organic search results or via social media ads from major retailers, most situations will show individual results after clicking on the ad in question. While pinging URLs via ads to individual products may seem sensible – after all, those most interested in a single given product are the most likely to buy that product – it can minimize the effectiveness of these ads in one crucial way.

Believe it or not, a variety of shoppers are persuaded after they arrive on the landing page in question. When retailers only show a single product above the fold – even if it’s the product that was advertised – the likelihood of a visitor becoming a customer is less than if they are shown multiple products above the fold.

As such, single product landing pages are generally not recommended: by using landing pages that incorporate “recommended” products alongside the primary product in question, ad campaigns for e-commerce stores can be strengthened.

Invest in Social Proof

Any online brand in the business of selling products knows that trust is a major factor in securing sales. Given so many options online for consumers to consider, people want to see first-hand proof that the product(s) in question actually work and are verified by others.

This is why the concept of “social proof” is critical: by using a combination of on-site reviews and testimonials, social media videos and other forms of multimedia, you can demonstrate customer satisfaction. Additionally, many shoppers are visual in nature, and want to see the product in as real of a circumstance as possible. Social proof creates opportunities for e-commerce outlets to highlight real-world use and demonstration of any products they’re selling, which can ultimately strengthen their marketing budgets.

Look for Non-Amazon Alternatives

Unfortunately, Amazon is a great place for consumers – but not for businesses. Even Amazon Ads that are clicked on via search engines redirect to landing pages with multiple products, meaning that it is very, very difficult to gain traction through the use of Amazon marketplaces alone.

While it is nearly impossible for online e-commerce brands to ignore the platform entirely, seeking out alternative ways to bolster sales and exposure via their ad spending is crucial. Whether it be via Google Ads, organic SEO or social media, brands that want to have control over their landing pages and ensure that they’re pinging URLs that show what they want must consider the role that Amazon’s customer-friendly landing page formats entail.

Ultimately, improving e-commerce ad spending requires a diversified approach. By utilizing the concept of multi-product landing pages, providing real-world social proof and not relying entirely upon the Amazon ad experience, brands can maximize the value of their ad dollars in ways that their competitors may not yet be doing.