cdurand
[box]
This is our third and final instalment of our three-part blog series on PPC device types: desktop, tablet, and mobile. We have looked at areas like bid management, ad types, messaging of ads, ad extensions, landing page design, and understanding Search Engine Results Page (SERP) layout differences. In this segment, we will cover the Tablet and how optimising ads to these devices is more complicated than the Desktop or Mobile.
Tablets may have a screen size comparable to a desktop but with the added convenience of mobility. Search Engines have moved to treat tablets as essentially the same as Desktop devices – like Desktops with touch screens – but often the performance does not reflect such parity. This lack of the ability to target tablets separately is a big challenge for advertisers. Nonetheless, below are some industry tips on how to take into account the Tablet user when setting PPC campaigns.
[/box]
Best Performance Tips: Tablet
Tablets are a perfect compromise between desktop speed and screen size, and the mobility/connectivity of mobile phones. Tablet users rarely use them outside – like desktops/laptops – but, due to how easy it is to pick them up and browse in a couple of seconds, they’re used for more casual research on products. Tablets are often used in times of relaxation for users like at a coffee shop, restaurant, in addition to lounging on their couch or in bed. This context helps to explain why tablet performance in terms of sales or conversions may seem weaker than desktop and even mobile. But the key is that these visits and engagements with your brand and messaging should lead to sales – even if not on this device.
Tablet bidding
Currently, only Bing offers bid variations for tablets – you can bid -20% to +300% of the standard bid, which at least gives you some room to manoeuvre when tablet performance differs from Desktop.
Ensure Tablets do not get the Desktop website layout
A touchscreen is so different as an interface from a mouse-led one on Desktop that presenting easily tappable links and options in the interface is crucial. Tablet users will dislike typing more than on other devices, so if you can, try to limit typing elements to the sales process.
On-the-go Users
Tablet users have the ability to use their devices away from the home or work environment much like laptop users, who are classified under the “desktop” device users. Unlike laptops, tablet devices are much easier to use on open WiFi spots such as public transport, coffee houses and restaurants. Some tablets can even connect to the mobile data network meaning that they can go online in any location if they have a good enough mobile phone signal. Such users can be targeted for Local Inventory Ads (discussed in Part 2: Mobile) and click-to-call extensions can also be acted on.
Since you cannot exclude tablets, nor bid directly on them in Google, nor write dedicated ads, the main area over which you have control is the user experience on your site (or your app) and in this area, you have total control. You should use analytics data to improve conversion rates on your site but you also need cross-device data to help you get a full picture. Our multi-channel platform can track cross-device traffic using a mixture of IP address matching and signed-in users (users who log into a client’s site on multiple devices). Such data with reference to tablets is not enormously actionable for advertising but can be very useful for testing improvements to your site user experience.
Need advice on how to start targeting tablet users? Send us an email at contact_uk@esvdigital.com.