This isn’t just a bold headline — it’s the stark reality many PPC agencies face today. Every misstep, no matter how trivial, can drive your clients away, turning them into outspoken critics. In the competitive world of PPC, you don’t just need the best numbers; you also need relationship-building skills that stand out. Remember that along with managing campaigns, you’re also steering perceptions, emotions, and expectations.
In this article, we’re exposing five critical mistakes we’ve observed from our vantage point at Redesign.co that are all too common in the industry. These errors go beyond hurting campaign performance; they also erode trust, demonstrate a lack of understanding, and reveal misunderstandings in client relationships, which are ultimately mistakes that can turn your PPC clients against you. And if you’re reading this as a client, consider these five good reasons to reassess your current agency.
As we dissect these critical errors, understand that the line between a thriving partnership and a hostile relationship in PPC is razor-thin. Your ability to deliver results and contextualize your strategies makes the difference between a client who sends you free referrals and one who leaves a 1-star review.
1. You’ve Developed Blind Spots That Frustrate Clients
Mastering the art of perspective shift is crucial as a PPC manager. You need to seamlessly transition between detailed scrutiny and overarching strategy when optimizing accounts. Unfortunately, a common pitfall in PPC management is becoming too entrenched in either the minute, microscopic details or a broad, distant overview, often leading to significant blind spots.
1. You’ve Developed Blind Spots That Frustrate Clients
Mastering the art of perspective shift is crucial as a PPC manager. You need to seamlessly transition between detailed scrutiny and overarching strategy when optimizing accounts. Unfortunately, a common pitfall in PPC management is becoming too entrenched in either the minute, microscopic details or a broad, distant overview, often leading to significant blind spots.
Typically, PPC managers fall into one of these two modes:
- The Magnifying Glass: Over-focusing on minute details, akin to using a magnifying glass or microscope.
- The 10,000-Foot View: Solely adopting a high-level perspective, similar to a view from 10,000 feet.
While both perspectives are essential, overreliance on one can leave critical aspects of your campaign unchecked. Successful PPC management is about balancing these two views — delving into the microscopic details while also stepping back to observe the high-level landscape of your client’s PPC account.
Microscopic Tasks
- Keywords and search terms
- Locations targeting
- Conversion tracking
- Budgets
- Ads and landing pages
- Ad schedules
- Bid strategies
- Billing information
10,000-Foot Tasks
- Long-term performance (60, 90, 180, and 365 days)
- What tests have we tried? What should be tested?
- Is the account making progress?
- What are recent wins and hurdles?
- Should we update our strategy?
- What are competitors doing?
At Redesign.co, we’ve developed systems that integrate both views: detailed scrutiny and strategic foresight. These routines avoid getting stuck in a rut. We’ve built these into our weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly activities for each client.
Remember:
- Regularly reflect: Ask yourself, what am I missing here?
- Implement systems: Establish both microscopic and 10,000-foot-view systems to maintain a comprehensive understanding of each client’s PPC account.
2. Your PPC Reports Are Lousy
Hear it loud and clear: Stop sharing pointless PPC reports, everyone! Let’s face it — the PPC world is riddled with meaningless reports. In fact, we could practically build a business around critiquing subpar PPC reports.
At Redesign.co, we’ve taken a stand against sharing meaningless reports. It’s time to put an end to PPC reports that serve no real purpose. Why settle for subpar?
Put simply, a lousy PPC report is one that contains data without meaning.
Substandard PPC reports have no substance — no take-aways, no compelling narrative, no context for the data. Remember, your reports must convey meaning!
Many agencies use lousy reports because, quite frankly, they obfuscate the performance of the account. Clicks were up 30% and CPC was down 5%. So what?! What does that mean for the business? How does it align with the client’s goals? If you can’t connect this data to what matters to the business owner, you’ve missed the mark.
There’s one fundamental question to guide your reporting: What does my client truly care about? Is it more calls, increased revenue, or conversions? Your report should address this key concern within the first few seconds. It does not need to be the first item on the report, but it should be prominently featured.
At Redesign.co, we realized that diligently documenting our clients’ goals and revisiting them in our internal discussions every month keeps everyone on track. Our reports don’t just present numbers; they tell a story of progress, challenges, and opportunities. If you feel like you have room to grow here, Redesign.co would love to hear from you.
We ensure that our reports:
- Translate complex data into meaningful, understandable insights
- Align with the client’s specific business objectives and goals
- Provide actionable recommendations for what to do next
With this reporting approach, we’ve turned challenging, frustrated clients into understanding and optimistic partners. Doing this isn’t just about numbers; it’s about showing clients progress made versus their goals.
Remember:
- Prioritize goal alignment: Ensure every report is a step toward the client’s goals, reflecting their vision and your journey toward success.
- Quality over quantity: It’s not about the volume of data but the clarity and relevance of the insights provided.
3. You Let Small Mistakes Fly Under the Radar
Surprises will kill your business faster almost than anything else. It’s the little things that often go unnoticed until they snowball into major issues, affecting your credibility and client trust. Let’s set the scene with some all-too-common scenarios that might seem minor but can have major repercussions:
- Exhausting a month’s PPC budget in just two days
- Directing traffic to the wrong website
- Typos in ad copy
- Charging the wrong credit card
- Neglecting search term reviews for months
- Overlooking ad schedules
- Targeting an unintended location
- Missing crucial account verification deadlines
If you’re a PPC manager, this list should set off alarm bells. How do you avoid trivial mistakes that turn into massive trust-eroding errors?
Drum roll, please… 🔥 Robust Systems 🔥
They might not be glamorous, but well-crafted, time-tested systems are the backbone of any successful business. As Lord Kelvin famously said, “What is not measured, cannot be improved.” The goal is straightforward: implement fail-safe systems that render mistakes virtually impossible.
At Redesign.co, we noticed that even the best-performing managers do much better with systems. Allowing them to rely on their skills or “wing it” led to blind spots.
Systems build trust and provide transparency with the team. Everyone knows what needs to be done, how it should be done, and why it’s important.
Launching a new account? We have a system for that — a clear onboarding process and an 81-step launch QA. Need to test a new landing page? We’ve got a system for that. Need to ensure every account is on budget? Our Trends Report lets us know where we stand every morning.
For every action that carries a risk, we set reminders and alerts as safety nets. Mistakes are human, and at Redesign.co, we cultivate a culture of grace toward errors. However, we are ruthless about setting up systems to avoid the same mistake again.
Remember:
- Prevention is success: Always prioritize preventive measures over reactive ones. A proactive approach saves time, preserves client trust, and upholds your reputation.
- Systems prevent mistakes: Implement comprehensive systems and checks at every level to minimize the chance of errors slipping through.
4. You’re Boring and Your Services Are Easily Replaceable
Let’s face it — in the vast ocean of PPC agencies, being labeled as “boring” or “easily replaceable” is the equivalent of a death sentence for your business’s reputation and longevity. If a client sees your relationship as transactional, you’re a replaceable commodity.
It’s vital that your clients recognize your enthusiasm for their business. Otherwise, you’ve commoditized your agency, and the entire experience is transactional. Transactional relationships may suffice during smooth sailing, but at the first sign of trouble, clients are likely to look elsewhere.
Passion is contagious. When you genuinely care about something, it’s palpable. Most agencies are good at “faking” this passion during sales, but it quickly falls off afterward.
Once a client entrusts you with their business, it’s your duty to deeply engage with and understand how their business operates. At Redesign.co, we call this “falling in love with their business.” Developing a relationship where it’s clear that you care about more than just their agency fees will result in a long-term relationship. Plus, it usually leads to referrals.
In addition to deeply understanding their site and brand, here are a few things we make a point of knowing about our clients:
- What makes their business tick?
- What are their business goals?
- What happens if we hit X targets this quarter?
- What do they want out of this relationship?
- Any big news about the company recently?
In essence, possessing basic interpersonal skills and showing genuine interest in what matters to your client is the key to a successful and enduring partnership.
Remember:
- Cultivate genuine engagement: Show your client that you actually care about their business and understand their unique needs and goals.
- Be Indispensable: Continually bring fresh, innovative solutions to the table that clearly illustrate your value, making the idea of replacing your services unthinkable.
5. You’re a Bad Storyteller
Envision this: You’re about to present a gift — an unremarkable and quite unsightly sweater — at your annual family gift exchange. As the recipient unwraps this sweater, the atmosphere is unenthusiastic. So, to change the mood, you decide to launch into an engaging story about the sweater’s journey. You’re telling an amazing story filled with laughter and intrigue. Suddenly, the mood in the room changes, and your sweater is no longer just a bland piece of clothing; it’s a memorable story.
Now, let’s shift the scene. Imagine you’re gifting a sweater designed by the iconic Christian Dior himself. It’s not just clothing; it’s a wearable piece of art exuding elegance!
Just like the ugly sweater, if you give this gift with a captivating story and genuine excitement, it becomes more than just an item — it’s an experience, welcomed with equal fervor. On the other hand, without a narrative, even this designer piece might leave the recipient confused.
What’s the point of this story?
It reminds us that context, narrative, and empathy matter. This principle applies directly to your PPC campaigns. The narrative you craft around your performance — be it triumphant or lackluster — can significantly impact your clients’ perception and satisfaction.
Storytelling in PPC matters because it:
- Contextualizes data
- Builds connections
- Guides perceptions
Be a transparent storyteller! If your PPC performance is amazing, make sure your clients know that, and show them why you think that. If your PPC performance is lousy, then craft a narrative that helps your clients understand why it’s poor and what the future looks like.
Just like the sweater story shows us, narratives operate on a scale. An amazing campaign, explained poorly, can be understood to be underperforming. While a lousy campaign, explained with a succinct narrative, can be understood as a promising success story that needs time to develop.
Remember:
- Client perspective is key: Always align your narrative with your client’s perspective, ensuring it addresses their concerns and aspirations.
- Transparency wins: Be honest and clear in your storytelling. Your integrity will build trust and credibility with your clients.
Turning the Page: Embrace Change, Reap Success
In the intricate dance of PPC management, success isn’t just in the data — it’s in the relationships you build and maintain. These five mistakes are more than just blunders; they’re trust-breakers. Avoiding them isn’t enough. To truly excel, you need to combine sharp strategy with empathetic communication and compelling storytelling.
Get this right, and you won’t just keep clients; you’ll turn them into advocates. In PPC, your real ROI is measured not just in clicks, but in the lasting partnerships you forge.
Ready to Transform Your PPC Results? Let’s Talk!
If you happen to be a client or agency and you’re looking to partner with Redesign.co either as your agency or a white-label partner, contact us for a free call. We won’t sell on the call. We’ll audit your PPC and advise what we’d do in your shoes. If we’re a fit, and you like us, we’ll send you a quote. No obligations.