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Multichannel eCommerce | Channable Blog

Today, boxing day is more well known as the day after Christmas when the infamous end of year sales begin and the masses flock to the high street to subtly exchange those unwanted Christmas gifts. Luckily, shoppers can now enjoy the Boxing Day sales from the comfort of their sofa. But are you ready, as online retailers, for the final surge of sales for Britain and other commonwealth countries this year?

Channable’s data feed optimization tool means that you also won’t need to lift too many fingers because as, you’ll all know, rules to filter, optimize, and complete your product information are made in just a few seconds! So you can instead spend the day with loved ones, catching up on the new Doctor Who special or simply digesting. Here are some of our top rules for Boxing Day:

**Sales means sale prices**
If you’re going to participate in the Boxing Day Sales you will need to advertise on your sale price. <em>Note:</em> Make sure not to just change your price in Channable if you use feeds because the comparison website or other platform might reject your product if your ad price differs from your webshop. To add a sale price field in your import feed/own webshop and use this figure. You can either: use rules to copy the sale price into the price field…

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7443" src="https://media.graphcms.com/0DUlWbZ5TQORT2qKmMHf" alt="" width="952" height="416" />

...or, in the finalize step, map the sale price to either the sale price field or the price field if there isn’t the sales price channel field (just make sure all your products include a sale price).

<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7448" src="https://media.graphcms.com/AOjrvqVRwGKRsSIml8AI" alt="" width="900" height="365" />

You could go one step further if you could choose to advertise products with a certain discount percentage. For example, you want to only push advertisement’s whose sale prices are 20% less than the retail price. You can do this by using the calculate rule. See our example below:

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7451" src="https://media.graphcms.com/gIJOxBGBT2eI74VSzUA3" alt="" width="700" height="708" />

Above we calculated what the percentage is by creating a new mapping field (price_discount_percent), first subtracting the price from the sale price (to calculate the difference) then dividing the difference by the initial price and multiplying this value by 100. This was the end result:

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7452" src="https://media.graphcms.com/aNFudli2T9OREtjc0JMO" alt="" width="286" height="238" />

This percentage field can now also be appended to the title. You can then decide what you would like to do with products that have an exceptionally high/low discount, perhaps a rule to exclude products which have a discount percentage which is too high or too low, or sell them at their normal price without the sales discount, or even sell high discount products on different channels. The possibilities are endless!

**Boxing Day AdWords Campaigns**
Modify your AdWords advertisements to include boxing day keywords, limited stock keywords and sale prices. Channable allows you to include dynamic ad customizer fields so you don’t need to constantly monitor all of your campaigns; then you can push them all with a few simple clicks!

<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7453" src="https://media.graphcms.com/AjgzuCF6QZWtY7J0dNXc" alt="" width="900" height="246" />

**Add size to the title when the stock level is low**
This is a great rule to include if you want to avoid wasting money on CPC when certain sizes are out of stock. Check out our simple Channable method to do this below:

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7454" src="https://media.graphcms.com/Ub11x113Rmmv8NOvaNXZ" alt="" width="969" height="496" />

**Prepare in advance!**
In Channable you can create rules now that can be paused until Boxing Day. This way you can fine-tune them and activate them at the right time, so you can have even more precious time to yourself on the 26th.

<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-7455" src="https://media.graphcms.com/gu7MKSgCQKU1E9JMej1E" alt="" width="900" height="338" />

We even have rules that are based on a date if you have the promotional period in your data feed, so you don’t even need to unpause them yourself. Just create a rule that uses “if” the date is in the promotional range i.e. 26th December, “then” push the specific products with promotional values. You can even append certain expressions to the title for this specific period, like in the example below.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7456" src="https://media.graphcms.com/3AGosghzS06p49H5UxA3" alt="" width="827" height="490" />
<br><br/>
**Ensure you don’t run out of stock! **
Best case scenario, you sell everything! However, be sure to allow yourself a safety net to ensure that you can fulfill all those orders. Channable can offer to run your feeds multiple times a day at an extra price (contact us to find out more!). However, check with the channel first to see if running your feed multiple times is feasible, as it depends on the update time of your own data and the time the platform updates the information.

If you’re selling on a marketplace that uses an API connection and you have order processing active, you can include rules to exclude all products if your stock level falls below a certain amount.

Solutions | Channable Blog

Channable's top Boxing Day rules (aside from relaxing)

However, there are certain things you need to consider before choosing the Channable API.
<h3>Uses for the Channable API</h3>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>retrieving all orders from marketplaces</li>
 	<li>automatic order updates for when orders have been shipped</li>
 	<li>automatic addition of track and trace codes</li>
 	<li>stock synchronization of individual items directly in the marketplaces</li>
</ul>
<h3>Restrictions of the Channable API</h3>
It is not possible to import products into Channable with the Channable API as it is not a plugin (use XML-, CSV-, TXT-files or Google Spreadsheets for the import). Furthermore, it will not update the stock of products within the Channable tool (this is the same for general order connections)
<h3>Who is the Channable API a solution for?</h3>
The Channable API can be handy for people who use custom made eCommerce platforms. Nevertheless, bare in mind that implementing the Channable API requires advanced technical knowledge and will take some time. It does not have a plug and play functionality. You need to set aside time for the development process in order to connect to the Channable API.

We hope that this article helped you understand the usage, the pros and the cons of the Channable API.

If you want to have more information about the Channable API you can give us a call or <a href="mailto:support@channable.com">send an email </a>to our support team, who are happy to help you.

<a href="https://docs.channable.com/api/v1/#getting-started">Technical Documentation</a>

Channable API

Channable’s rules are the (not so) secret behind being able to optimize and modify data to perfection. You may already be familiar with the <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002828085-Rule-group-items" target="_blank" rel="noopener">group items rule</a>, which is used to merge multiple items together under one item if there are variants i.e. of size or color. There is also the deduplicate items rule, which can be used to keep the item with the lowest variable of a group e.g. the item with the lowest price. To further improve what you can do with grouped items, Channable’s special “Calculate item group” rules have been introduced.

This overarching rule includes: COUNT ITEMS, CALCULATE SUM and FIND HIGHEST/LOWEST VALUE.

With the rules it is now easier and faster to:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Get an overview of how many items are in an existing (or newly created custom) group.</li>
 	<li>Find the total sum of a variable for all the items that are in the group. For example, the total sum of stock for all the items in a group.</li>
 	<li>Easily find the lowest value in a group, which makes advertising on the lowest price easier</li>
 	<li>Find the highest value of the group, which can be useful for communicating the highest discount</li>
</ul>
For a full overview of how to implement these rules, and for more examples, <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360007539014-Rule-Item-group-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consult our help centre article</a>.

Channable’s new group rules

The rules within Channable work hierarchically. With every rule you create, you exclude, filter or modify items. Per rule, you can check which items are selected. These selected items are not only manipulated by the rule you are in at that moment but by any rule that is above the rule you are working in. This hierarchy is important to keep in mind if you download the CSV list of selected items.

Here are some ideas of what you could do with the download:
<ol>
 	<li>**Optimize your website**
Imagine you want to see which items are missing a certain field (image, description, etc.). This is an easy way to export all “faulty” products and optimize them right away.</li>
 	<li>**Share insights with other departments**
If you want to share certain values, missing fields, images or in general data of certain items with other departments, this is the perfect way to collect the data, download it, and share it. As a result, every colleague can use the data without needing to access Channable.</li>
</ol>
Did you know that you can also download CSVs in the master rules step? Read more about our <a href="/blog/blog-master-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">master rules</a> and <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">start using</a> them today!


Download sections of your items as CSV

Perhaps you discovered Channable in a blog, used it at your previous company, or you’ve met someone from our wonderful team. Whatever the reason, you know that your company can benefit from Channable, but your managers are harder to convince. Let us help you with ways to convince your manager that Channable is a valuable asset that improves performance and saves both time and money. Below you can find a letter template and manager-proof responses to the most common objections.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear ……..........................…………,

**RE: Using Channable as a feed management and SEA solution**

At [company name] we continue to optimize our processes to be more efficient to deliver more for our clients. I am aware that you are always on the outlook for new technologies and trends that can make our processes more efficient whilst saving time and money, so I wanted to bring your awareness to Channable. Channable is an all in one feed management and SEA automation tool that offers feeds and integrations to over 2500 online marketplaces, affiliate networks, and comparison sites, and enables ad generation for Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.

The Channable tool can be used to:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**Save time** (Channable’s client <a href="/success-stories/cotswold-use-channable-to-merge-maximize-and-rise">Cotswold outdoor</a> were able to advertise on Criteo within an hour),</li>
 	<li>**Save money** (marketing agency <a href="/success-stories/adwise-generating-dynamic-text-ads-channable">Adwise</a> saw an 11% decrease in cost per click for their client Oad), and</li>
 	<li>**Optimize online marketing** (SDIM were able to <a href="/success-stories/automated-google-ads-for-recruitment-campaigns-tmi">generate highly specific keywords and ad copy</a> for recruitment agency client TMI improving relevancy and increase conversion rate).</li>
</ul>
Based on these factors, we will have more time to focus on [performance analysis/acquiring new clientele/optimizations/etc.] because Channable will relieve us from spending hours manually [making optimizations in Excel/asking IT to modify feeds/creating keywords/searching for the channel criteria/etc.]. By using Channable to automate at least 20% of our tasks, we can save a whole day a week.

We can get a demo of the tool when it is most convenient for you, and Channable offers an unlimited free trial of the tool that’ll provide full access to all the functionalities. In terms of pricing, Channable has different sizes of packages that can be easily activated, upgraded, downgraded, or canceled at any time. The Channable technical support team is also at our disposal to clear up any issues that may arise when trialing the tool.

Let me know whether you have any concerns or questions about the points I have raised. Otherwise, we can <a href="/demo">request a demo</a> or directly make <a href="/contact">contact</a> with the Channable team.

Kind regards,

…………………………………………………….

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If the above letter isn’t enough. You can find some compelling arguments to the most common objections below:
<h2>Common objections:</h2>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**We’re doing fine for now**
The world of marketing is rapidly changing, largely due to the innovation of technologies and AI. It is becoming essential to remain up-to-date and current with such innovations, which will require change. Looking into and adopting new technology like Channable is an investment in the beginning. However, over time Channable’s tool will save you time and money which will make your organization more agile and ready for the future.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>“Google is pushing for automation, everything is becoming automated. If you don’t push forward with these things, you might not see immediate changes now, but if you do it 2 years from now, you’re already too late. You will fall behind in the market.” - Martin Michels, Paid Search Manager at TUI</blockquote>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**It’s too expensive**
Channable’s monthly subscriptions are determined by the number of SKU’s imported, channels used, and projects created. The subscriptions are flexible with no setup charge, cancellation fee, commission on sales, or hidden costs. By using Channable, users cut down the average time spent on ad and feed management from 22% to 5% a week (based on a 40-hour workweek). Furthermore, Channable’s support team is free for all and available by phone or email during working hours.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>“Real value for money” - Mark M on Capterra</blockquote>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**We don’t have time right now to start**
Channable’s free trial is unlimited so creating an account takes just seconds and can be revisited whenever is convenient. As a welcome, Channable offers the first feed set up for free. Getting you up and running as fast as possible. Channable’s solution exists to save time. Therefore, if the lack of time your manager perceives is due to other tasks being too time-consuming, Channable could be a solution to that lack of time they’re rebutting with. If your team is wasting time using Excel or another software to manually edit product listings, keywords, ad copy, etc., then Channable is most definitely going to free up time.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>“Previously [using different marketplaces and prices comparison sites for each geographical market] was time-consuming because we did not have the feed adapted to each platform. Now we just need to open an account. It takes 1 minute to adapt the feed thanks to Channable. The feed is no longer a problem.” - Alex Poza, Consultant at ECCO Shoes</blockquote>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**It’s too confusing and time-consuming to learn to use**
Channable offers an unlimited free trial that allows you to familiarize yourself with the tool and all its functionalities in your own time. The tool has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible, and Channable is often praised for being the most user-friendly tool of its kind. The team is happy to give demos to you to help you get acquainted with all the tool’s features and answer any questions you may have. Channable has found that many of its clients conduct their own in-house training now, so it can only take one person to train the rest.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>“Super-duper user-friendly. I haven't tried yet, but I think I can teach a monkey to use Channable. In a PPC world where the use of feeds gets more and more important, it is of great value that there is a tool like Channable that enables me to manage my feed, without having any programming skills.” - Danny V on Capterra</blockquote>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**We’re just looking around right now**
Pitching an idea to a manager always requires plenty of evidence and solid reasoning. Snoop out the competitor and determine why in particular Channable is the best solution for you. Is it the user-friendliness? Potential? Affordability? Channable’s sales team has plenty of experience with existing and prospect clients. They are supplied with informative material should you need it for analysis. Together, you can develop a fool-proof strategy to win your manager over and start saving (both time and money) with Channable’s feed management and SEA solution.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>"We have tried many tools for both general feed management and building inventory management campaigns. But Channable is by far the best I have tried." - Christian H. on Capterra</blockquote>
Let us know if this letter proves successful, or whether you have any additions to add. The Channable team is ready to take on any and all managers to ensure that you and the team get access to the best feed management and SEA solution the web has to offer.

How to pitch Channable to your seniors

For anyone still on the fence about Black Friday, Channable has gathered some stats to help you make up your mind. As online sales have grown more than 10% in the last 5 years over the holiday season, joining in is appealing. Even more so, when you see the staggering increase in traffic over Black Friday weekend. <a href="/blog/blog-why-integrate-social-media-into-your-marketing-strategy">Social media</a> has also grown as a particularly good sales channel, alongside the unforgettable marketplace giants, which means joining in is more accessible than ever. Discover why you should be joining in this<a href="/blog/can-get-black-friday-cyber-monday"> Black Friday</a> and get some insights into how below.

![article-image-ckgijx7uw06nd0a51dcntmpm2-8078_SMALL.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/srYXTlq4RG6tOYBh34kp)

Feel free to share this infographic on the social media network of your choice.

Channable offers connections to thousands of marketplaces and comparison websites around the world. Take a look at the different <a href="/integrations">possibilities</a> that you have in Channable, and choose the ones that best fit your sales strategy this holiday season.

Black Friday and the holiday kickoff: why you should implement them in your marketing strategy [infographic]

Big data has shown an enormous influence on retail over the past few years, resulting in an increased demand in automation and data management tools. Still, finding the right digital tools and tactics for your eCommerce can be a real challenge. It is not only about identifying the channels that can help you to get the most out of your data, you also have to keep in mind that a clever integration of various channels will boost your performance to the max.

A perfect example and a real savior to improve your online sales is the combination of feed management and analytics. Google Analytics is indispensable for any online shop, but are you aware of the full potential of these data insights? Do you want to learn how coupling analytics and feed management can deliver valuable input to assess your online appearance, the performance of your items per channel, or the behavior of your customers?
Find yourself significantly more informed about data-to-insights and multichannel commerce after reading this blog.
<h2>The advantages of feed management</h2>
A data feed management tool, such as Channable, is an online solution to simplify listing and advertising your products and services on more than 2500 platforms, <a href="/integrations?channel=comparison-website" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">including price comparison websites</a>, <a href="/integrations?channel=affiliate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">affiliate networks</a>, and <a href="/integrations?channel=marketplace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">marketplaces</a>. Your items can either be imported directly from your<a href="/integrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> eCommerce platform</a> (via plugin, feed, or API) or with the help of an XML or CSV file. Within the feed management tool, the imported product data is optimized, enriched, and filtered by using smart if-then-rules to prep it for the export to a variety of different channels. In addition to <a href="/products/product-feed-management-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">feed management</a>, all-in-one tools offer additional features supporting your <a href="/products/ppc-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PPC automation</a>, <a href="/products/marketplace-integrator" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">order syncs with marketplaces</a>, or the <a href="/blog/blog-analytics-insights-for-better-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">integration of Google Analytics</a>.
<h2>A perfect team: How does the integration with Google Analytics work?</h2>
The prerequisite to get started with the data duo that will open your eyes is an account in <a href="https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Analytics</a>. Click <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002816609-How-do-I-connect-with-Google-Analytics-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> for a clear guide on how to set up your Analytics integration with Channable.
<h3>Evaluate your online performance on different levels</h3>
With the standard version of <a href="https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1037249?hl=en&amp;utm_id=ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Analytics Ecommerce</a> you gain an understanding of your overall product and sales performance, while an extended version (Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce/EE) offers even more granular data as well as more digital marketing insights. In Google Analytics EE, Shopping Behaviour and Checkout Behavior describe your shoppers’ actions in terms of product views and stages within the purchase journey. These analytics offer you valuable action points for comparisons between markets or the analyses of pre-purchase drop-off points.
<blockquote>“Further reading: more detailed information on Google Analytics EE &amp; <a href="https://www.maxlead.com/en/blog/what-is-enhanced-ecommerce-and-why-do-you-need-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">whether you need it</a> for your online shop.“</blockquote>
The analytics display within your feed management account adds to this smart decision making process for your future channel selection, product listings, and ad creation. You can view how the items from your feed perform on different levels, such as channel, product category, brand, or even product.

By understanding how your items perform, you can identify exactly which products work for which platform, and then for which customer target group.

A nice example of performance data on a specific level is the revenue per channel. Within a feed management tool interface, graphs visualize the revenue you have generated per sales channel, and usually the time frame can be adjusted based on which insights you are interested in.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21029" src="https://media.graphcms.com/lLQP8Wb9SAiCj8eeQcFb" alt="" width="1732" height="538" />
<h3>Identify your high and low performers</h3>
You can easily determine which products are your best or worst performers with analytics. Google Analytics offers a conversion tab with detailed eCommerce reports, such as the product performance and a variety of other stats and information about your product catalog.

[caption id="attachment_21024" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]<img class="wp-image-21024 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/SHdc19FpQMydUvxfQSeX" alt="" width="1600" height="870" /> 

A feed management tool can provide you with a cleaner overview. At a glance, you get user sessions, transactions, conversion rate, bounce rate, and revenue per item. For example, this is how the item-level performance is visualized within Channable:

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21044" src="https://media.graphcms.com/0Eh5Y2OkQKyNhXHJ1pM6" alt="" width="1747" height="625" />

High and low performers can be identified by cross referencing these analytics. For example, a high bounce rate doesn’t necessarily mean the product is a low performer. Coupled with a low conversion rate, gives you a better insight.

In addition, each channel can have different high or low performers. A comparison site that is used more by people between 15 - 30 will have different buyer preferences to marketplaces specifically for +60 year olds. But everyone needs i.e. sun cream, just a different SPF.
<h3>Data-to-insights becomes insights-to-action</h3>
Due to the fact that the item performance is expressed by a variety of values in a feed management tool, you maintain a 360 degree understanding of your items. To interpret the online behavior of your customers, stats concerning user sessions per item can, for instance, be considered based on duration. Find out how much time your audience spends on your product pages before completing a purchase, and optimize your eCommerce strategy.

Moreover, data from analytics can be added to your data feed and the <a href="/blog/tips-to-using-google-analytics-in-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">creation of rules and labels</a>. You can, for example, automate the exclusion of low performers from product ads or push your high performers even further. The following rule is a nice example of how to take advantage of your newly gained insights:

<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-21049" src="https://media.graphcms.com/YJl7kCiFTm2Ynl3r64Zd" alt="" width="1173" height="538" />
Custom labels can help you to structure and adjust your bidding and budgets for Google or Microsoft Ads. You can create custom labels based on analytics data to help you refine your bidding strategy. The screenshot below illustrates this possibility with an example of a custom label based on conversion rate:

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21034" src="https://media.graphcms.com/o5VXDsYTTCe8jurqH68v" alt="" width="1173" height="538" />
With the help of rules based on analytics insights, even broad and dynamic product catalogs can be maintained and managed based on item performance. Enabling you to take cross-channel optimization to new levels and actively align your business activities with your data insights!
<h2>Future forecast: What are the next steps in omnichannel commerce?</h2>
Up until now, there are a few limitations that withhold the full power of an integration of analytics and feed management. For instance, time frames cannot be customized per channel within a feed management tool, but only for the general overview of all active channels.

But good news is ahead: Channable Insights is coming! Based on customer feedback, such as the time frames per channel and a demand for imports of external insights like cost data. Channable Insights will combine various kinds of performance data from revenue and over orders to production costs, to provide an overview for ROAS and profit stats.
<a href="/blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stay tuned</a> for more news about the Insights release.

Are you curious about the possibilities of omnichannel integration? Then <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">create a Channable account</a> or use your existing one to connect it with your Google Analytics. Feel free to <a href="/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact us</a> for further information or to discuss your options!

How optimization across channels improves data-driven performance

Using Channable, you have always been able to generate multiple campaigns and ad groups from a [Google text ad generator](/products/ppc-tool). However, ads, keywords, and negative keywords were always coupled with the ad group. Now we are introducing a new feature that allows you to have multiple groups of ad group generators. With this comes a lot of new possibilities, one of which we want to highlight today: using synonyms in ads.

## Using synonyms

When creating a new campaign, you might want to start out with a lot of keywords attached to an ad or allow ‘broad’ matches on a smaller set. As shown: 

![visual_01.png](https://media.graphcms.com/yRu43ISSpShwO3WAVjzX)

After letting the ads run their course, you can see which keywords are performing well and which aren’t. Usually, you would delete all but the well-performing keywords from the ad group to only keep one keyword while also making sure that one keyword shows up in your ad template. As shown: 

![visual_02.png](https://media.graphcms.com/eCajaun3R0OuUpPfBbnC)

But now you’re stuck because, while the other keywords didn’t perform as well as the best, they still contributed to some of the ads’ reach. Both scenarios have downsides and that is why we are now allowing all Channable users to add multiple dynamic ad generators. This opens up the possibility for a setup like this: 

![visual_03.png](https://media.graphcms.com/sWk9GHHiRk2qS5FHUZP5)

An example is when creating ads for perfume with two synonyms: ‘ Fragrance’ and ‘Cologne’. You could create a campaign with three dynamic ad generators like this:

1.  [Brand] - Ads text includes perfume, keyword: perfume
2.  [Brand] - Ads text includes fragrance, keyword: fragrance
3.  [Brand] - Ads text includes cologne, keyword: cologne

It would be easy to set up these ad generators copying the ad templates and other entities (ad extensions, site links, etc.) while modifying the ad and keyword templates manually. It would then be possible to create a main ad group that includes the generic ad templates and keywords while adding specific ad groups if a new keyword becomes highly effective and excluding those products from the main group and including them in the new ad group by using rules per ad group. Several other use-cases would be possible but will not be covered here. All these possibilities can be created because every ad group generator has its own rules. Whereas before you only had one set of rules to work with for the entire campaign.

## What about duplication

When you create multiple ad group generators, it is possible that duplicates are made which are undesirable. That’s why we’ve made sure that ad duplicates, meaning everything is similar from templates to extensions and keywords, will be merged before they are sent to Google (Shopping) Ads. You can see the result in the preview where we’ve also introduced new viewing and sorting options.

## How to get started

Getting started with multiple dynamic ad groups is as simple as going into your Google (Shopping) Ads setup and clicking on the ‘Add dynamic ad group generator button. (Tip: you first need to turn off your existing ad generator). 

![visual_04.png](https://media.graphcms.com/dTMEgel7QhqQn6dXekeH)

You can then set up all the ad groups you want, although there is a max of 20 new dynamic ad group generators created in 1 campaign. You can use this in the preview to filter ads that contain errors to finalize them before sending them to Google. Feel free [to reach out](/contact) to your Channable contact for help on setting up [Google Text ads](/products/ppc-tool) and/or [Shopping Ads](https://www.channable.com/integrations/google-shopping-feed) or for information about this feature.

Using Channable to advertise with synonyms

## Marketing agencies are essentially mobile phones
*Bear with me.*


The first commercially available handheld mobile phones had one simple function. And shock, that was to make phone calls. As they became more popular, the number of functions began to increase. Not only due to technical innovation but also consumer demand.

The first notable applications that were introduced were contacts and SMS. To be at the forefront of personal communication prior to these features, you needed so much stuff. Address books, directories, stamps, envelopes, postcards. It just wasn’t manageable and required invention and innovation. 

![Old_mobile_phone.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/zoZiE7sSSlPIR6wc7rNQ)

New apps continued being introduced. They would absorb and replace now borderline immaterial inventions. While, at the same time, continue to push the boundaries of technology. The calculator, the watch (sorry, Casio), the calendar, GPS devices, the camera, the internet, journals, spreadsheets, and more were made redundant by the ever-innovating mobile phone. 

Fast-forwarding to 2021, the smartphone is indispensable. The pressure to continue innovating and adding more features is immeasurable. If the smartphone isn’t performing neurosurgery in the next decade, people will question whether they actually need this miracle of technology that lives in their pockets. Tell me if I’m wrong, but this isn’t too different from the expectations placed on a marketing agency from its clients; is it?

![Multitaksing.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/KNpQEfS3GvRxWKRHfbwF)

Though the marketing agency started with streamlined responsibilities. Today, the demand to grow, adapt, and improve is huge. Marketing agencies manage multiple clients from various industries with completely different requirements and measures of success. Much like a smartphone is expected to be an excellent phone, camera, diary, personal computer, and now fitness companion. Marketing agencies are expected to be excellent copywriters, strategists, advertising experts, marketplace gurus, teachers, and therapists. It’s a hideously difficult task. And without a transparent, clear overview it becomes an impossible one. 

## What can marketing agencies learn from the smartphone?
The smartphone is the archetype of a transparent, clear overview. It manages hundreds of applications with different functions and can be incredibly personalized. But how does the smartphone achieve this and what can marketing agencies learn from it? Let’s do a direct comparison. 

The hardware in a smartphone can be compared to the people like yourself working in a marketing agency. It all comes down to potential. The quality of the hardware determines which and how many applications (features) a phone can potentially perform at a high level. Those working in a marketing agency do exactly the same thing. The ability to be able to meet all the desired expectations of different clients (users) is completely dependent on the quality of the team.

![Blog-graph (1).jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/MRbPRey9RtGUzaCO221a)

Looking at the image above, we’ve gone through the user, the application, and the hardware. So what about the operating system? 

The operating system unlocks the potential of the hardware. Without a robust and flexible operating system, applications couldn’t run at an optimal level. Meaning either downgrading to a lesser quality application or not being able to meet user expectations. This is exactly the same as the software used in a marketing agency. In order to fulfill the potential of the team and to meet the expectations of clients, the software used needs to be both robust and flexible. 

But it’s not just about being robust and flexible. Operating systems need to continually develop in order to manage more demanding applications and users, more applications in general, and improve UX. And it’s the same with software. As client demands increase with new platforms, technologies, best practices, etc. marketing agencies are expected to innovate. This can only be achieved with leading software and platforms that continually improve. 

With all this considered, it becomes obvious that the operating system (or the software used in marketing agencies) is the reason the smartphone is the blueprint for a transparent, clear
overview. 

## What should marketing agencies consider when searching for the perfect software?
![Iphone.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/4s5twsISFiOBgBS8QCQQ)

Let’s look at the iPhone. The user-friendly interface of the operating system and its ability to use a large number of high-quality optimized applications make it stand out from the crowd. It’s exactly the same with software and platforms. We conducted a survey with close to 80 marketing agencies and, to no surprise, a friendly UX and extensive functionalities were at the top of their wishlist. 

Second to that was the price. The commoditization of the smartphone means that you no longer need to pay thousands of dollars for high-quality products that can rival Apple’s iPhone - enter Huawei. Software has gone through the same process. It’s no longer necessary to spend a large portion of your budget on big names and service costs. You can find robust, flexible, and innovative software that does exactly the same thing for a fraction of the price. 

![Busy-store.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/NfCBFZhT0qZPhwhNav6Z)

Black Friday is a hectic period for marketing agencies. Equipping your team with software and platforms that require little-to-no maintenance is invaluable. It should be intuitive, simple to use, optimized for multiple tasks, and transparently and fairly priced. It should provide solutions for the eclectic demands of multiple clients and, most importantly, give you a clear overview of all your clients’ accounts and activities. This will allow you to better understand how to improve the performance of your marketing efforts and increase ROI for your clients. 

**Want examples of marketing agencies who have found their ideal platforms? Channable has a number of inspiring success stories from various marketing agencies that can be found [here](/success-stories).**

Why software is key for having a clear overview and increasing your clients’ ROI this Black Friday

### An analogy: How would you like the perfect skincare package?
We all have a skincare routine. At least, we all should have a skincare routine. UV radiation is real, people. But, of course, routines differ person-to-person. Our skin’s condition, demands, and expectations vary as well as the effort (and money) we’re willing to put into taking care of our skin. On top of that, the skincare market is confusing and extensive, with new trends, brands, and products popping up every year. Which makes finding the right products to get your skin looking as smooth as butter a real challenge. 

You don’t want too many products standing around on your bathroom counter, you want the ones that really work for you. You want to avoid the disappointment and also the waste of money and time that comes with trying new products that just don’t do it.

![large-minimal-assortment-beauty-products.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/0huH2x8RO3pihcMei9yA)
The perfect package of products that are designed to work individually but also complement one another sounds good, right? What you want is a company that invests time and resources into researching every single ingredient in all of their products in order to create an ideal, consistently good set. You have tried and liked their cream and serum, and then you see a package by the same company with a combination of your two favorite products - maybe they even add a third one that you want to try. Offering you a whole routine that works just the way you need it to.

### Choose your tools like you choose your skincare routine
Coming back to your professional challenges, you might find similarities in the decision-making process and expectations that your clients have when it comes to the ease of use and optimized results in their online marketing activities.

As is with skincare products, consistency is key in feed management.  And the right set of tools keeps your client’s branding consistent across platforms. Are you aware that customers who are shopping parallelly on multiple channels are observed to have a [30% higher lifetime value](https://ecommercegermany.com/blog/29-multichannel-marketing-statistics-to-know-in-2020)?

Of course, there are way too many channels out there to try and cover them all, so you have to find the perfect set of channels for each of your clients. If the connections to these channels are offered centrally in one place, from one brand, your life gets a lot easier. 

And when you like one company’s feed management tool and see that it works for your clients, it is only logical to also want your PPC campaigns and performance insights as parts of the package. Like a complementing series of care products.

Your [perfect marketing automation package](https://www.channable.com/how-channable-works) aims for this consistency. You work from one single data feed (your unique precondition) and optimize it with the help of different products and their ingredients. All of these single products have gotten extensive research to make them work combined, but also individually. For every need, there is this one feature that will help you to connect in the easiest and most consistent way possible with your desired channels. 

Find more information on feed management and PPC automation for digital marketing agencies on our [dedicated industry page](https://www.channable.com/industry/digital-marketing-agencies).

How your skincare routine reveals the best way to connect to a variety of channels

Automation is EVERYWHERE and takes up more and more space in the digital marketing world. This coupled with the fact your clients are better informed of the automation opportunities adds a sizable amount of pressure for digital marketing agencies. You have to stay in the know as your clients expect you to. 

[Forrester conducted a study for Google](https://services.google.com/fh/files/emails/forrester_research_paper.pdf) in which they asked 300 brand marketing leaders *“what benefits do you expect from an effective digital marketing agency partnership?”.* The top responses were:
1. 43% expect more profit  
2. 41% expect more ROI  
3. 37% expect their agency to keep pace with shifts in consumer behavior  

While responses 1 and 2 are to be expected, number 3 really caught my attention. In line with consumer needs, the goal of effective marketing is to stay relevant. Between 30% and 50% of consumers in European markets [prefer to engage with and purchase from purpose-built brands](https://services.google.com/fh/files/emails/forrester_research_paper.pdf) that deliver relevant content rather than only ads.

In eCommerce, automation tools are the driver to work on the hard KPIs such as profit and ROI and, at the same time, enable you to maintain and improve your expertise and smart strategies. In the end, the purposeful messaging and understanding of consumer behavior have to be added to the campaigns by nobody else but you.

![young-creative-team-meeting.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/6d1ZG3GZTGWy9dQTK9lk)

Let’s look at it like this: With tooling at hand, you free your schedule to do the deep thinking and strategizing that AI cannot take over from you and find a way to feed the algorithms with exactly the data they need. In a world where agencies have access to the same pool of tools and software, the distinguishing characteristic is how you use them.

> Now that automation has generally been accepted, advertisers find themselves in a position in which they have access to the same tools and algorithms, which leaves little room to differentiate themselves from competitors. So the question becomes: How do you outperform your competitors despite leveraging the same instruments? By shifting the narrative to supplying algorithms with the right data to make the best possible decisions to drive maximum performance.
<div align="center">*Job Hilbers, Head of Paid Search at Artefact*</div>

## How can both you and your client profit from change through automation?
Join forces with technology! The technical knowledge that agencies had developed over the years has become somewhat redundant. But leading agencies appreciate the time that their consultants have won back to actually *advise* their clients and to develop creative strategies that allow algorithms to perform at their best. 

The nature of the [relationship between an agency and its clients](https://services.google.com/fh/files/emails/forrester_research_paper.pdf) may actually change for the better. As an account manager, automation allows you more time to work much more closely with your brands and to share your knowledge in order to help them acquire a certain know-how themselves. The way agencies work is also becoming more holistic. Media teams work closely together with data analysts and technology experts [to use first-party data in the best way possible](https://www.channable.com/blog/create-personalized-ppc-ads-improve-ctr-roas).

## Agencies need AI to grow but AI needs you to rise and shine 
[Agencies need automation in order to scale](https://www.clickz.com/the-rise-of-the-automation-powered-agency/264227/). The more tasks you can automate, the more clients you can manage with the same personpower. In an agency context, account managers, as the actual users of automation tools and software, will be in charge of mastering and educating the machines in order to help AI grow in the right direction. 

This role of the human at the intersection of automating and strategizing will become even more important with increasingly smart algorithms. Your understanding of performance data will be needed in order to find the right starting point for a campaign. Only when your strategy is in place and working, will you be able to hand over the baton that is the campaign to AI.

Do you want to be at the forefront of automation and master your biggest challenges? Find out all you need to know about feed management and PPC automation for digital marketing agencies in the [dedicated agency space on our website](https://www.channable.com/industry/digital-marketing-agencies).

How do leading agencies use automation to meet client needs?

Running a multichannel retail strategy is a juggling act. Honestly, running a single eCommerce site and a brick-and-mortar store is daunting enough, but when you begin tossing in social commerce, marketplaces, and more, it’s downright overwhelming.

A multichannel strategy is simply offering your products on more than one platform (either in-person or online). A successful multichannel strategy can lead to increased brand awareness, higher sales, and more money in your pocket.

However, the more channels you introduce, the harder it is to keep everything in line. Many brands venturing into multi-channel retail run into at least one hiccup, and they’re often one of five issues.
Let’s break down the top five red flags you might see as you establish your multi-channel presence and what you can do to fix the problem.

## Red Flag #1: Inconsistent cross-channel branding and messaging

If you’re only selling your products on your website, keeping your company’s branding and messaging consistent is relatively easy. But the moment you begin introducing more channels like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy, things get a bit more complicated. Each channel will have unique requirements and nuances, and if one isn’t performing as well as another, you might be tempted to put updating it on the backburner.

But here’s the thing: when you’re presenting your products and brand to new audiences, you want to make sure they form the same impression about your brand whether they’re shopping on your website or Amazon or somewhere else.

If your branding and messaging are inconsistent across your platforms, you risk losing out on sales, and it’ll be significantly harder to build brand awareness.
 
Take [LeSportsac](https://www.lesportsac.com/){nofollow}, the lifestyle brand. They expanded to a multi-channel approach and consistently market their brand and products across their in-person stores, online shops, and multiple marketplaces. As a result, they experienced a 20% increase in average order value and a 7% conversion rate increase.

### How to spot it

Spotting inconsistent messaging and branding is relatively easy, but it can be time-consuming. If you have a computer that enables a split-screen display or a tablet you can set up next to your computer, it’ll make it easy to compare without having to click back and forth between tabs.

On one screen or tab, you’ll pull up the product page on your primary site. This will likely be your brand’s website. On the other, you’ll pull up your brand’s page on another channel. Scroll through your product pages simultaneously to check for discrepancies in word choice, images, specs, etc. If everything matches, then you’re on the right track. If there are any differences, you’ll need to make updates.

### How to solve it

The good news is that Shopify makes this problem really easy to solve. Instead of creating separate brand accounts for every channel you want to sell your products on, you’ll sell on different channels through Shopify.

Shopify offers several [direct channel integrations](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-sales-channels){nofollow} and [third-party channel integrations](https://apps.shopify.com/collections/sales-channels){nofollow} to extend your presence from your site to other channels easily.

## Red Flag #2: Poor inventory management

Especially if one of your channels is a brick-and-mortar store (or even a pop-up), then inventory management becomes infinitely more difficult. If a customer buys something online and you just sold the last one in your store, you have to make an embarrassing call or email.

Even if you’re selling across a couple of online channels, it’ll be harder to track your inventory numbers if your shops aren’t integrated.

### How to spot It

Even if you have one experience where a customer buys something on one channel that you already sold via another, you need to make a change.
 
### How to solve It

The easiest way to take care of this issue is to integrate your channels. This way, all of your inventory numbers will line up so that you know what you have available. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you can use [Shopify’s POS app](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/sell-in-person){nofollow}, credit card reader, and other [Shopify-enabled retail hardware](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/sell-in-person/hardware){nofollow}

## Red flag #3: Inconsistent customer experience and support

Attracting and retaining customers is a lot like dating in the sense that one bad experience is likely to throw off the entire vibe.

One of the trickiest things about eCommerce is giving your customer the same kind of experience that they’d get if they were shopping in your store. When you’re selling your products in third-party marketplaces, providing your customers with a supportive, nurturing relationship is more challenging.

If your customers have a great experience with your brand on your personal site, but they have a terrible experience with your brand on Etsy, you may lose a customer. Since the last thing we want is to lose customers, the goal is to provide consistently excellent customer support across all channels.

### How to spot it

Spotting this red flag is more challenging because you probably won’t realize something went wrong until you get hit with a negative review about how your brand was super unhelpful on X platform. If you’re getting a fair amount of feedback about one channel, in particular, your brand messaging is likely off.

If you want to proactively check that your customer service is the same across the board, you can run a focus group or case study to see the effect your platforms have on your target customers.

### How to solve it

Keeping your customers happy keeps you in business. Solving support and experience problems often starts with your internal team to ensure everyone’s on the same page about customer interactions.

If there seems to be a hangup with the customer experience somewhere, it can be helpful to map out your customers’ journey from discovery to delivery so you know where you can bolster their experience. You can also take advantage of Shopify’s automation tools and extensions to offer customer support even if you don’t have the staff members available to monitor the site.

Look at [Leesa](https://www.leesa.com/){nofollow}, the mattress company. They provide a seamless customer experience across multiple platforms and use multi-channel advertising to stay at the forefront of their customers’ minds. They’re selling luxury, and you feel that through the white-glove service they offer customers on every channel.

When in doubt, listen to what your customers are saying. You’re always going to get a few people angrily ranting on the internet. But the best way to ensure you’re giving them the kind of experience they want to have with your brand is to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly. Then you can turn the bad and ugly into good and good into extraordinary.

## Red flag #4: Struggles with shipping and returns

In the same vein as managing your inventory, one of the biggest issues that brands run into with multi-channel retail is handling shipping and returns across multiple platforms. If you’re selling your products through a Facebook/Instagram shop and a customer has a negative experience with shipping, they won’t blame Meta. They’ll hurl complaints at you, and if they hurl those complaints on a public forum, it could damage your brand’s reputation.

### How to spot it

If you get frequent messages from customers saying that they bought or returned something and still haven’t received the product or heard anything from you, then you have a transit issue on your hands. Additionally, keep an eye out for reviews or comments mentioning negative shipping and returns experiences and figure out where the disconnect is between purchase and delivery.

### How to solve it

Solving transit issues begins with knowing how your products get from Point A to Point B. You typically have three options for fulfillment: self-fulfillment (you ship or accept items yourself), third-party logistics (someone else ships or accepts your items), and dropshipping (the supplier/manufacturer ships or accepts your items). Depending on your product catalog, you may want to employ multiple methods.

To streamline your fulfillment options and methods across your channels, you can [use Shopify to note where specific items will be stocked](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shipping/fulfillment-services/custom){nofollow} so you know where they need to be shipped to and from.

## Red flag #5: Trying to manage too many channels

![Red flag 5 - Too many channels.png](https://media.graphassets.com/EevyQ78PSbSl08zwYiuO)

You’re already running a business, so it’s safe to say that you’ve got your hands full. Although a multi-channel retail strategy comes with numerous benefits, if you spread yourself too thin, you run the risk of internally combusting.

It’s much better to choose a few channels that you can manage with ease instead of trying to put your brand up on every single channel available. While having your products in more places is good in theory because it expands your brand’s presence, providing a phenomenal customer experience on fewer channels will help you develop customer loyalty and repeat sales.

Look at [Gymshark](https://www.gymshark.com/){nofollow}. The athleisure brand has skyrocketed to a company value of $1.3 billion, and nearly half of its revenue comes from repeat customers. Instead of selling their products on every channel under the sun, they use a multi-channel marketing strategy to drive traffic to their website, where they know they can provide an incredible customer experience. You can only buy their products on their website or at a pop-up store, and they’re still incredibly successful.

### How to spot it

You’ll know when you’re spread too thin when you start noticing the other four issues mentioned in this guide popping up repeatedly. Or, if you feel like you’re dropping the ball on one or more of your platforms, it’s time to call a team meeting.

### How to solve it

You have a few options here, and it will primarily depend on your budget.

**- Option 1**: Reel things in a bit and stop selling your products on one or more channel(s). When culling the herd, examine which channel is bringing in the least revenue and which channel doesn’t have a high volume of people in your target audience.

**- Option 2**: Hire another person or two to your internal staff and have them manage your different channels to ensure they match your primary website.

**- Option 3**: Partner with a third-party product management platform to use Shopify to its full advantage while you keep doing what you do best: running an amazing business.

## What are the benefits of using Channable for your Shopify multichannel strategy?

![Multi-channel strategy.png](https://media.graphassets.com/IgPFr53R3KBNaovxYacS)

At Channable, we’re dedicated to making your life easier. We understand that you’ve got a million things to do, and running multiple online stores is not the kind of cherry on top that you’re looking for with your busy schedule. That’s where we can help.

We offer a seamless way to manage your products and ads based on your inventory in real-time. Channable has a built-in Shopify plugin that allows you to integrate your Shopify feed with Channable in just a few clicks. Then, we can help you promote your Shopify feed across over 2,500+ price comparison websites, affiliate networks, and marketplaces.

Additionally, you can use our intuitive rules to optimize, enrich, and filter product information to help potential customers discover your brand and keep your messaging consistent across multiple platforms. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about a rogue Google ad showcasing a product that’s sold out when you use Channable.

Last but not least, the platform comes with free technical support to help you whenever you need it, whether it’s about our platform, Shopify, or any of your connections.

Running an effective multichannel strategy doesn’t have to be hard. You can grow your brand without having to worry about semantics. With us, it’s green flags all the way.

What are you waiting for? [Sign up for Channable today and start your free trial today](https://www.channable.com/signup). 

How to spot and solve the red flags in your Shopify multichannel strategy 

We want to help you make the most of it. Below are actionable trends and strategies from our agency partners and experts including:

- Bennett Wissak, Director of Growth at [Maison MRKT](https://www.maisonmrkt.com){nofollow}

- Diederik Koonings, Platform Partnership Manager at [Channable](https://www.channable.com/)

- Bas van Wijk, Online Marketing Consultant at [Multiply](https://www.multiply.nl){nofollow}

- Robert Smit, Product Team Lead at Channable

Gain insights you can implement now to help your eCommerce strategy grow and understand some of the opportunities and benefits the holidays can bring.

## A positive outlook
Despite the uncertainty last year, [Adobe](https://business.adobe.com/resources/sdk/holiday-shopping-report-2021.html?faas_unique_submission_id=D8AE5E6B-93E5-F6A6-0BFF-65E7261D6F6A){nofollow} states that eCommerce sales still grew **8.6%** and a massive **44%** over 2019, the last pre-COVID season breaking over $200 billion in online sales for the first time in the US. 

In the Netherlands, [McKinsey](https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/survey-dutch-consumer-sentiment-during-the-coronavirus-crisis){nofollow} states that over **55%** of consumers have tried a new shopping behavior within the past three months, **23%** saying this change took place in either their retailers, store visits, or online shopping providers. This further strengthens the reason for an omni-channel strategy.
![RE.png](https://media.graphassets.com/XiBdw2ToS2uaucG9e3Yg)

Even before the pandemic, online sales were trending up, with more people shopping online than in-stores. A whopping **142.2 million** shopped online, vs **124 million** in-store according to the [National Retail Federation](https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/thanksgiving-draws-nearly-190-million-shoppers){nofollow}.

While these trends are great news for online advertisers, consumers did face some challenges when shopping online including reasons such as: 

- Out of stock items

- Weaker season discounts

- Extended holiday sales period 

The last of which seems to start earlier and grow longer each year resulting in less focus and impact. 

**75% **of all retailers are offering discounts before Black Friday, and many retailers are extending Black Friday deals to last days or even weeks, as stated by research done by [Adobe](https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/www/us/en/adi/2020/pdfs/Adobe_Holiday_Forecast_Press.pdf){nofollow}.

## Key Black Friday strategies for your eCommerce ads
Acknowledging these trends, we want to help you prepare and avoid pitfalls, identifying some actionable strategies you can implement into your online advertising strategy this holiday season.

### 1. Prevent out of stock ads
![Step 1- checking stock.png](https://media.graphassets.com/rgTNrImTBWlKLutogmgu)
Are your ads displayed when and where you need them? With more than **20%** of eCommerce revenue generated in the holiday season, making sure your items and ads are up to date is imperative.

Normally, ads are updated once every 24 hours on feed based platforms such as **Google** and **Meta** (Facebook and Instagram ads). 

With a [data feed management solution](https://www.channable.com/products/product-feed-management-tool), stock updates can be scheduled more frequently, leading to **fewer out of stock ads**, and syncing your items better across platforms, enabling a smoother omni-channel ad strategy.

### 2. Test emerging platforms in your omni-channel strategy
![Step 2 A- omnichannel strategy.png](https://media.graphassets.com/WU0Jio27TGqHQFCrCsdL)
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" are wise words for many aspects of life, but not eCommerce. What worked six months or a year ago, may not have the same results or relevance now. Audiences, interests, and attention are constantly shifting. Your ads and online strategy should also be flexible enough to adopt new trends and test platforms.

Bennett Wissak, Director of Growth at [Maison MRKT](https://www.maisonmrkt.com){nofollow}, states that they are always testing new channels in their client's marketing mix to reach better results.

Maison MRKT takes a holistic approach when selecting channels and never ties itself to a single platform. This approach enables the agency to be fluid with ad spend and maximize success in a given timeframe. 

![Step 2 B- Holistic approach copy@2x.png](https://media.graphassets.com/rVka7nI8TvSdMdPprW8y)

While they're currently, focusing on [Meta](https://www.channable.com/integrations) and [Google](https://www.channable.com/integrations/google-shopping-feed), they've also seen performance pick up on other channels such as [TikTok](https://www.channable.com/blog/tiktok-dynamic-showcase-ads-setup-channable), [Pinterest](https://www.channable.com/integrations/pinterest), and [Snapchat](https://www.channable.com/integrations/snapchat) as well.

The biggest breakout campaign type they have recently seen is [Performance Max](https://www.channable.com/blog/performance-max-campaigns) from Google. Performance Max uses machine learning to serve ads across Google’s entire network including search, shopping, YouTube, Gmail, and more. They have been pleased with the results so far.

On the marketplace side, Diederik Koonings, Platform Partnership Manager at Channable, says Amazon is a favorite for its massive **traffic volume**, **brand recognition**, and **ease of entry** (you don't even need a webshop to sell). That being said, Amazon is so massive it's hard to stay up to date on all its features. 
![Step 2 B- Amazon buy box.png](https://media.graphassets.com/kcZBPcU8S5uN2pN5gcCw)

Diederik says, advertising in **multiple regions**, optimizing your bidding strategy for the [**Buy Box**](https://www.channable.com/blog/win-amazon-buy-box-increase-sales), and implementing **Amazon ads**, are a few ways you can benefit even more from this marketplace and Amazon's ecosystem.

### 3. Order management and automation
This can be seen as the other side of out of stock items, ensuring your clients get their orders on supported marketplaces. With a marketplace integrator, you can manage all orders in one place. No more **logins**, **multiple accounts**, or **multitasking** across platforms.
![Step 3 API INTEGRATION@2x.png](https://media.graphassets.com/Sr0UGXSHTXCBhq5f3tyQ)
Selling on multiple eCommerce marketplaces often causes a lot of time spent on order handling. A marketplace integrator is able to retrieve orders in real-time with API connections and fully synchronize all your marketplace orders on marketplaces, such as [Amazon](https://www.channable.com/integrations/amazon-product-feed) or [eBay](https://www.channable.com/integrations/ebay). 

This results in automatically sending all your order information, updated stock levels, shipping, and more directly to your online shop, where you can finally handle everything from one place.

### 4. Add social commerce and ads to the mix
![Step 4- 97- genZ@2x.png](https://media.graphassets.com/bX3RXylBQpabrZbM4GPv)
Social platforms are becoming the starting point of the customer journey. On some platforms and regions, the customer never leaves the social channel and the entire transaction takes place in-app. 

This is now a crucial aspect of eCommerce and should not be ignored if you want to maintain growth and stay on top of trends.

- [97%](https://theinfluencermarketingfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/social-commerce-report.pdf){nofollow} of Gen Z consumers say they use social as their top source of shopping inspiration

- [⅓](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/harris-insights-report){nofollow} of consumers use social to learn about a brand or company before purchasing

Robert Smit, Product Team Lead at Channable, quotes: 

> Selling on social media represents an exciting new opportunity for brands and retailers. Even if you start small to find your footing in the community, don't worry. Just make sure you have a presence and having a complete profile across the main players can offer credibility and brand awareness to a wide audience and is easy to set up.


Bas van Wijk, Online Marketing Consultant at [Multiply](https://www.multiply.nl){nofollow}, has found success with a mix of social advertising including Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Talking strategy, an example of a campaign that worked for Multiply, is a **dynamic re-marketing** campaign on **Facebook**. 

With this campaign type, you can show products that people have previously viewed on the website or placed in the shopping cart, without having made a purchase. Adding in a good discount, they will be more inclined to buy it.

### 5. Create a successful and unique ad strategy
![Step 5- money at the beginning of the month.png](https://media.graphassets.com/Ke4PEuTjqEFwzCL1cdgr)
Bennett and his team at Maison MRKT are always looking for innovative strategies to help their clients maintain and improve their performance. 

Two strategies worth highlighting are:

- **Use reach objectives**: In lower-funnel campaigns during Black Friday use reach objectives to maintain a low CPM. The idea is that the offer will speak for itself, so rather than trying to attribute sales to people clicking through their ads, they’ve gone after getting the message in front of the most people possible with very encouraging results.

- **Prorate budgets**: Focusing budgets at the beginning of the month can have a big impact. Costs are often lower earlier in the month, making retargeted audiences as large as possible. They then help prospects convert with automated catalog sales campaigns during the final week of the month when sales typically peak.
	
Bas shares that Multiply has found success with a few interesting strategies:

- **Banners**: In the run-up to special (holiday) days, make sure you already start creating awareness in the form of banners. You can do this through various platforms such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc). The average click price is cheaper than on the holidays themselves and you also make sure that your target audience knows that you are participating and may have some great sales.
 
- **Optimize Seasonal Bidding**: Use seasonal bid adjustments in Google Ads to optimize bidding during short sale periods (less than 7 days). 

- **Landing pages**: Create a holiday landing page in which you can already give a hint in the days prior to the sale and in which the most popular products can be found on the actual days. This can even be further extended by warming up your audience with a countdown for holiday sales by sending newsletters.

- **Local Campaigns**: Get more traffic to the shop with targeting via local campaigns, fully using an omni-channel approach by blending on and off-line.

Testing and analyzing are always essential though, as maintaining an omni-channel strategy is always shifting. 

## Key learnings
- Identify top performers and prevent out of stock items

- Test emerging platforms to see if they fit in your marketing mix

- Manage orders and automate where needed

- Include social commerce in your advertising strategy

- Do not settle and test new strategies and platforms for your perfect omni-channel strategy

Ultimately, there is no one silver bullet that will work for every business. But with so much to gain over the holiday season, it’s essential to think things through and see if there are easy ways to adjust your strategy and increase your online presence.

Want to explore more tips and trends? Check out the [blog](https://www.channable.com/blog) section of our website to find some inspiration.

Black Friday and the Holiday Season: Actionable tips and strategies for 2022

## 1. Focus on efficiency, and automate your processes.

One of the first things you can do is critically assess your operational efficiency. This includes having a clear understanding of your overhead costs. For example: Which processes are essential, and which can be streamlined or even eliminated? 

Using a [feed management tool](https://www.channable.com/blog/blog-what-is-feed-management-and-why-do-you-need-it) will help you optimize and automate all of your product feeds without having to invest extra time or resources. 

You won’t have to add prices and inventory stock changes manually, for one thing, and you’ll have control over the product information you share online. By creating qualitative feeds, you’ll be able to easily promote your products on thousands of advertising platforms, marketplaces, affiliate networks, and price comparison websites.

## 2. Be strategic with your marketing dollars.
![Strategy.png](https://media.graphassets.com/oIDOnRLQiiLxEqDfK5oB)
When a recession is looming, retailers often respond by slashing their marketing budget. But actually, it’s important to make sure you’re marketing your products strategically – and that means spending differently, not necessarily less. 

As [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2009/04/how-to-market-in-a-downturn-2) suggested during the last recession: “Take a scalpel rather than a cleaver to the marketing budget.”  
 
**Remember**: People don’t stop spending money during a recession – they simply spend less. By allocating most of your marketing resources to your best-selling products, you’ll be able to maintain their strength for your core market.

The key is to make every dollar in your budget go further and work harder. That includes investing in the right analytics tools to help you get a clear picture of who your customers are, what they’re buying, and why a seamless shopping experience matters more than ever. 

Using behavioral analytics, for instance, can help you understand exactly how a customer interacts with your business. You’ll learn how they first found you and what parts of your website they like to visit. 

You’ll also be able to track the ad campaigns they’ve seen and responded to; the products they buy (and how often); and the total amount of money they’ve spent with you in the past and will likely spend in the future.

## 3. Identify your highest-value customers, products, and channels.
According to [one recent study](https://review42.com/resources/customer-retention-statistics/), 65 percent of business comes from repeat customers. So rather than casting a wide net to attract new customers, you should target the shoppers who have been consistently returning to your site. 

Begin with a review of your product offerings and pricing models. You can identify the items with the highest profit margins and then automate your feeds to [advertise](https://www.channable.com/products/ppc-tool) and [showcase](https://www.channable.com/products/product-feed-management-tool) them. Similarly, determine which channels have performed best and then include them in a multichannel advertising strategy.
 
With [the right data insights](https://www.channable.com/products/channable-insights) in place, your sales and advertising tactics can hit your targets with greater precision. As we mentioned previously, behavioral analytics can give you valuable insights about your customers. 

Real-time data on product performance will also give you a clear view of your highest- and lowest-performing products so you can automate product segmentation. Data insights can also help you optimize your ad campaign goals based on ROAS or CPS rates.

## 4. Keep your online presence consistent and up to date.

Have you ever clicked on a Google Shopping ad, only to land on the business’s webpage and discover the product is out of stock? Nothing frustrates an online shopper more than discovering the item they want is no longer on sale – or even worse, no longer available. 

An obvious solution is to manage your inventory and keep your product feeds [up to date across all channels](https://www.channable.com/products/marketplace-integrator). By updating your feeds multiple times a day, you can adjust your prices in relation to your competitors, add promotions for select products, and ensure your inventory is always accurate. To increase your online reach, you can also use feed templates to build high-quality data feeds. 

## 5. Show your loyal customers a lot of love.
![Loyal.png](https://media.graphassets.com/ukxIGy88QbGqoyAJsTJ5)
Now is the time to prioritize an excellent customer experience (if you haven’t already), especially for your most loyal shoppers. This requires being proactive and creative about customer incentives. 

For instance, why not reward shoppers with exclusive membership programs and discounts? You can use [automation tools](https://www.channable.com/products/product-feed-management-tool) to waive shipping fees to avoid the possibility of cart abandonment. As Amazon has taught the eCommerce industry, it’s essential to pay attention to every little detail related to consumer behavior. 

The world’s largest online retailer leverages behavioral analytics to create targeted ads, special savings, and customized recommendations, resulting in more and happier customers who keep coming back. In 2022, there are almost 160 million Amazon Prime users, and that number is only expected to climb. 

To deliver highly responsive service, you can prioritize customer favorites and maintain a customer wish-list. If someone wants to buy a popular item that’s currently unavailable, save their contact information and get in touch as soon as it’s back in stock.

As a general practice, don’t rely solely on automated mass emails to stay connected with your customers. Sure, they want to know about upcoming sales and limited-time offers. But they also appreciate a personal touch. Consider surprising them with an eye-catching email to wish them a happy birthday or to thank them for being a valued customer.

## 6. Flex the power of your brand.
![Extra visial.png](https://media.graphassets.com/HmKEwTx1Riuo8XvnOoKp)
Are you a boutique online shop for women’s shoes? Does your business offer the internet’s best selection of household products? Your customers should know what makes your brand stand out.

To strengthen your brand presence, leverage the power of social media. The idea isn’t necessarily to sell something, but to interact with customers, remind them who you are, and give them a glimpse of the values behind your logo. Social platforms are a great way to share fun facts, helpful tips, clever videos, and even lighthearted slice-of-life storytelling.

Not only can reinforcing your brand help you navigate a challenging business landscape, it might help you emerge even stronger. Take Patagonia, for example. The California-based retailer is well known for both its sustainable outdoor clothing line and its ardent environmental activism. 

Because corporate social responsibility is an integral part of Patagonia’s brand identity, customers who visit the retailer’s website can read in-depth stories about environmental advocacy. 

With a few simple clicks, they can also donate to one of over a thousand causes. Brand consistency has played a role in Patagonia’s success, even during a disruptive pandemic. Named one of Time’s most influential companies for 2022, the company is expected to exceed $1 billion in sales revenue this year.

How customers experience your brand is shaped by the many interactions along the way, from your ads and merchandise display, to the number of clicks on a page, to the checkout process and beyond. So don’t take your brand for granted – it’s one of the most powerful ways you can create an emotional (and enduring) connection with your customers. 

## The bottom line
When it comes to riding out an economic downturn, you want to leverage your strengths and commit to playing the long game. That way, when the economy does recover, your online business will be well positioned for sustainable growth.

## We’re Channable, and we help eCommerce thrive.
Founded in 2014, Channable mobilizes next-generation technology to connect retailers and advertisers with customers throughout the world. 

We offer a unique combination of data feed management and pay-per-click automation tools within a highly intuitive platform. Our tools are user-friendly and empower customers to create the campaigns they need, manage their feeds with ease, and seamlessly integrate their marketplaces. 

If you want to learn more, [reach out](https://www.channable.com/demo) to one of our eCommerce experts.
[![Artboard 1.png](https://media.graphassets.com/EtI2CWoCTaaFHZZAAmkA)](https://www.channable.com/demo)


How to recession-proof your eCommerce business: Six tips for online retailers and business owners

But what about the week right after Christmas? Although not as well-known, December 26 to 30 — known as Cyber Week II — also presents some enticing eCommerce opportunities, thanks to the large number of consumers who have time off from work and more time to spend online.

In this post, we offer actionable strategies to help busy retailers like you take advantage of the post-holiday possibilities and enjoy a profitable close to the fiscal year.

## Get inside shoppers’ heads
![Cyberweek_pic2.png](https://media.graphassets.com/d9E5wLBjREWwxbQrxDVT)
Whether your goal is to clear out excess inventory or to re-create some of your sales success from Cyber 5, understanding consumers’ mindset can help you plan your sales and marketing strategy for the days leading up to New Year’s.

Here are four common buying scenarios to keep in mind:

**1. Gift-receiver’s remorse:** Once the last holiday present has been unwrapped, consumers may be feeling a bit of a letdown. Maybe they didn’t receive the wireless earbuds they wanted and are wishing they had dropped more hints. Now, they’re open to buying the things they’ve had their eye on for a while, but didn’t find among their holiday haul.

**2. The need to spend gift cards:** Each year, in-store and online gift cards continue to grow in popularity. Most people who receive a gift card during the holidays (nearly 60%, according to [one study](https://www.pitneybowes.com/us/blog/gift-cards.html)) plan to use it within days or weeks—and this includes online shoppers.

**3. The search for a year-end deal:** Everyone wants a good deal, and savvy shoppers know that some of the best can be found immediately after the Christmas rush. As a result, they might be eager to take advantage of a strategically placed, post-Christmas online sale. 

**4. The emotional pull of a New Year’s resolution:** On average, [41% of consumers](https://blogs.oracle.com/advertising/post/5-ways-to-target-new-years-resolution-audiences) make New Year’s resolutions, and their resolve is strongest at the outset. If they’re using holiday downtime to kick off resolutions before the ball drops, help them out by promoting goods and services — like health food or exercise equipment — that support their new goals. 

You can turn each of these situations into an eCommerce opportunity to end Q4 on a strong note. In the next section, we share some specific strategies that help you do just that.

## Make shopper behavior work in your favor
By aligning your sales goals with shoppers’ needs and wants during the post-holiday season, you can create a targeted eCommerce strategy.
Here are seven ideas to get you started:

**1. Use targeted ads to promote end-of-year sales and special discounts**
![Cyberweek_pic7.png](https://media.graphassets.com/2d0nnefbRsaJUtvv3fOl)
Cyber Week II is a great time to clear out your inventory and make room for next year’s items. Since many consumers are still enjoying social time with family and friends the day after Christmas, you can start running end-of-year sale ads December 27 or 28 and through New Year’s Day. Depending on your advertising budget, you might even keep them up through the first few days of January.

**2. Use past performance data to gain strategic ROAS insights**
If your priority is capitalizing on holiday sales to maximize profits, the first step is using the right [analytics tool](https://www.channable.com/products/channable-insights) to determine your top 10% to 20% best-selling items during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the first weeks of December.
![Cyberweek_pic5.png](https://media.graphassets.com/4Hov85u4Qn6w1jpGsdyi)
Once you identify your top sellers, focus on return on ad spend (ROAS) to optimize the impact of marketing decisions. Instead of advertising evenly across your whole stock, channel most or even all of your ad spend into your most successful products.

**3. Stay active on tried-and-true platforms, but don’t be afraid to experiment with new ones**
In addition to sites where you already advertise, explore new [eCommerce sites](https://ecommerceguide.com/top/top-10-ecommerce-sites-in-the-usa/) like Amazon, eBay, Target, and Walmart, as well as [social commerce sites](https://influencermarketinghub.com/social-commerce-platform/) like Facebook, Instagram, and even [TikTok](https://www.channable.com/blog/tiktok-dynamic-showcase-ads-setup-channable). Not sold on social media? Consider these statistics:
![Cyberweek_pic3.png](https://media.graphassets.com/ZblhlMd4QHy1yEN9IfSZ)
- [Nearly 45% of internet users](https://statusbrew.com/insights/social-media-statistics/#social-media-usage-statistics) do their own product research on a social media site.
- [90% of Instagram users](https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23865/13-mind-bending-social-media-marketing-statistics.aspx) follow one or more business pages.
- [11% of social media users](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1255327/united-states-social-media-discovery-driving-purchases/) buy a product immediately after finding it online.
- Social media traffic skyrockets by [more than 70%](https://blog.contentstudio.io/holiday-season-sales/) during the holiday season.
- By 2027, social commerce sales are projected to reach [$605 billion](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-commerce-stats) in value.


**4. Implement a retargeting strategy**
Think of advertising as strategic fishing. Instead of casting a wide net to see how many fish you can catch, use several smaller nets in places where you know fish like to swim. In other words, [fish where the fish are](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2022/05/10/maximize-your-marketing-efforts-by-fishing-where-the-fish-are/?sh=113670e93358). This analogy explains the power behind retargeting ads. With retargeting, you’re reminding shoppers about a product they want by advertising it on the sites and apps they frequently visit.

Remember the consumer with gift-receiver’s remorse who didn’t get the set of earbuds they wanted? If your inventory includes electronics and you deploy retargeting ads, they might just end up in one of your nets and become a happy customer.

To build an effective retargeting campaign, we recommend two strategies:

- **Focus on keyword search terms:** With the right PPC tool, you can automate ad campaigns by designating keywords in your feed and using Google’s dynamic keyword insertion (DKI) to insert them into your Google ads. By using keywords strategically, you ensure relevant ads will be displayed to every shopper.

- **Track visits to your website:** By using Google AdWords and/or Facebook Ad Manager, you can determine who’s visiting your site, how long they’re staying, and which products they’re looking at. Once you know the products that interest them, you can target visitors with relevant ads.
![Cyberweek_pic4.png](https://media.graphassets.com/qwXNUZ45TFawSBsW9BX2)

**5. Make the most of your feeds**
The holidays are a great time to experiment with the new Google Performance Max ads (formerly Google Smart Shopping ads), which you can keep running in the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year’s. But keep in mind, the efficacy of these ads depends on how well you’ve optimized your product data feeds.

If you’re using Google Ads, don’t neglect your [supplemental feeds](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7439058?hl=en). Similarly, if you’re on Facebook (Meta) Marketplace, which manages social commerce for Facebook and Instagram, be sure to leverage [Meta’s new supplementary feeds as well](https://www.channable.com/blog/meta-supplementary-feeds-for-ecommerce-strategy). 

By filling out as many data fields as possible, you can enrich your product feeds with descriptive detail — which provides more context for your ad, improves its rankings, and enables Google and Meta to tailor it to relevant keywords being used by shoppers.
 
You should also ensure your feed is accurate, organized, and optimized to the specifications of each marketplace, especially if you’re dealing with thousands of products. A [proven feed management solution](https://www.channable.com/products/product-feed-management-tool) will not only alert you to any errors in your data, but also proactively modify a descriptor you happen to input (e.g., beige) so that it matches the advertising platform’s descriptor (e.g., brown).

**6. Promote products or services that can jumpstart someone’s New Year’s resolution.**
Think about the common resolutions people make. They almost always have to do with correcting a behavior (e.g., snack less, exercise more), developing a new skill (e.g., learn how to play the guitar), or cultivating a new pastime (e.g., travel). 
![Cyberweek_pic6.png](https://media.graphassets.com/hy6Fy9BITTeO1ZsNAUEa)
If your merchandise includes running shoes, hand weights, healthy snacks, musical instruments, rolling luggage, or anything else that might inspire a resolution, let shoppers know with a clear, engaging, and optimized business ad.

**7. Plan ahead**
Above all else, make sure you plan ahead. Your advertising won’t be effective if you’re reacting out of haste instead of applying data-informed decisions to your overall strategy. Set your ads up in November or early December so that they’ll be ready to launch by December 27. If your year in eCommerce ends well, you’ll head into 2023 with bigger profits and fresh inspiration.

## The bottom line
In an [economic downturn](https://www.channable.com/blog/how-to-recession-proof-ecommerce-business), shoppers may spend less, but they don’t stop spending. That’s certainly true during the holiday season. By being strategic in your advertising decisions, you can extend the consumer appeal of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas right up until New Year’s Day. And while Cyber Week II is unlikely to match the high octane of Cyber 5, it can still be abuzz with valuable eCommerce activity.

## How Channable can help
At Channable, we mobilize next-generation technology to connect retailers and advertisers with customers throughout the world. We offer a unique combination of data feed management and PPC automation tools within a highly intuitive platform. Our tools are user-friendly and empower customers to create the campaigns they need, manage their feeds with ease, and seamlessly integrate their marketplaces.

If you want to learn more or schedule a consultation, [reach out](https://www.channable.com/demo) to one of our eCommerce experts.

How to make the most of Cyber Week II and end the fiscal year strong

There are two schools of thought on how best to navigate this abundance of options. First, there’s the omnichannel approach, which tailors messages to individual customers across interconnected digital platforms. 

Then, there’s the more straightforward multichannel approach, which is shaped by the specific product, service, or distribution channel, giving brands tighter control over their customer interactions.

While an omnichannel approach can be a great way to maximize return on ad spend (ROAS), it isn’t necessarily right for everyone. 

In this post, we break down the differences between omni- and multichannel strategies, outline their key costs and benefits, and share the critical factors to consider when choosing the method that’s right for your business.

## The power of omnichannel
At the most basic level, omnichannel is a form of multichannel marketing, which simply means using several distribution channels, e.g. (**social media, television, emails, etc**.) to carry out a marketing strategy or campaign.

More specifically, however, omnichannel refers to a unified approach where different channels communicate with and learn from one another. 

For example, an ad running on Instagram might draw from customer data generated elsewhere, like a Facebook account or a Google search.

> Implicit to omnichannel marketing is the idea that communication between marketing channels should be *all about the customer*. This results in a tailored campaign that adapts to each individual customer and responds to their unique needs, product preferences, and buying behaviors.

Also inherent to omnichannel is the idea that a campaign should take place wherever a customer is: in a store, on a smartphone, on Amazon, on Facebook—ideally, *everywhere*.

![Omnichannel_4-02.png](https://media.graphassets.com/5x20xVESXq5VM8OEAREQ)

Say a customer sees an ad for a pair of shoes on Instagram. Sometime later, having jumped from smartphone to laptop, they see a banner ad for the same shoes in their search browser, prompting them to add the item to their Amazon Shopping List. 

Later still, an email arrives with a promotional offer, finally compelling them to complete the purchase on the shoe company’s website. This is an omnichannel strategy that has successfully played out across different platforms, devices, and potential points of sale.

Synchronized online ad campaigns are a well-documented development (cue jokes about Instagram and Facebook eavesdropping on customer conversations). 

Coordinating between digital and in-person channels, however, requires a bit more creativity. It’s in this area where some of the most innovative omnichannel strategies are taking place. For instance:

- At **Bonobos**, in-store sales associates are more like personal shopping assistants. In fact, Bonobos “guideshops” don’t actually carry inventory. Instead, customers can set aside, try on, and purchase apparel they’ve saved through digital channels, then have items shipped directly to them. Bonobos’ in-person point-of-sale system thus interacts seamlessly with a customer’s online journey, resulting in a highly coordinated and personalized experience.

- **Starbucks** uses an app-based rewards program to cultivate digital relationships with customers and open up marketing opportunities across multiple channels. Meanwhile, customers can use the app to order drinks that they pick up in person—a system that puts the customer in charge and reduces friction once inside the shop.

Omnichannel campaigns keep the focus squarely on the customer, making them feel like the center of the universe and making it easy to complete a transaction in-store or online. The result is a significant boon to merchants’ bottom line.

![Omnichannel_4-03.png](https://media.graphassets.com/RjxD5p1QTmGsiRjgKugP) 

Consider the following:  

- [73% of retail consumers](https://hbr.org/2017/01/a-study-of-46000-shoppers-shows-that-omnichannel-retailing-works) use multiple channels to shop. 
- [91% of customers](https://www.accenture.com/t20171031T052156Z__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/PDF-34/Accenture-Pulse-Check-Dive-Key-Findings-Personalized-Experiences.pdf) are more likely to buy from brands that recognize their preferences and provide personalized product offers. 
- An optimized omnichannel experience drives greater traffic and sales, yielding up to a [9.5% increase](https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/06/15/2463295/0/en/Omnichannel-Selling-Increases-Revenue-9-5.html) in annual revenue.
- Strong omnichannel campaigns can result in a [7.5% reduction](https://v12data.com/blog/25-amazing-omnichannel-statistics-every-marketer-should-know/#:~:text=Companies%20with%20extremely%20strong%20omnichannel,48%25%20for%20weak%20omnichannel%20companies) in cost per contact year.

## Putting omni to work
For the right company, omnichannel can be revolutionary. In the long run, its ability to boost the customer experience and amplify profits can easily make the upfront effort worthwhile. 

> When we look at our data, we see that customers captured via omnichannel are bringing in 3x more revenue. The difference is, we know if someone saw an ad on a specific platform, so we can target specific kinds of customers. That allows us to ensure we’re sending them the right message at the right time. –Rob Smets, Account Director, Happy Horizons 

One example of this is [Happy Horizons](https://happyhorizon.com/nl/). As a full-service digital and creative agency based out of the Netherlands, Happy Horizons uses Channable to implement a variety of campaign strategies, including omnichannel. 

In their experience, they’ve noticed that companies that benefit from an omnichannel strategy tend to share the following characteristics:

- **A desire to spread sales across multiple platforms**: For example, a brand with strong in-person sales may see a need to sell more online. Happy Horizons caters to multiple customers with both online and offline stores. With Channable’s [Insights & Analytics,](https://www.channable.com/products/channable-insights) they can track when an online ad converts to an offline sale.
 
- **Products that can be differentiated by audience segment:** This includes Bonobos, with their varied styles—but not Apple, which sells the same iPhones to everyone. Happy Horizons uses Channable to store metrics from different audience segments in a single customer data platform (CDP). From there, they can build out differentiated campaigns based on documented interactions.

- **Appeal that doesn’t rely on the scarcity principle:** Omnichannel is all about ubiquity and omnipresence. Contrast this with, say, Nintendo, which kept the supply of its new Wii console limited in 2006 to generate a frenzy of excitement and anticipation.
 
- **A need to improve existing marketing efforts through data:** This allows companies to better target customers, convert impressions to sales more efficiently, and avoid leaving products stranded in forgotten shopping carts. For example, Happy Horizons aggregates search, performance, and product data on a centralized Channable dashboard. They can then consult these insights together and assess them holistically to tailor their creative campaigns.

## The costs of omnichannel
For all these benefits, it should be noted that the effort and expense of omnichannel must be balanced against competing needs. 

Launching an omnichannel campaign can be complex and time-consuming, and it requires a significant investment in tech infrastructure. Companies implementing omnichannel need to be able to: 

- Perform data-driven audience segmentation
- Match and meet customers across multiple devices 
- Collect and manage event-level data such as clicks and searches 
- Analyze that data to produce actionable marketing insights
- Automate all of the above across a range of platforms and devices

Omnichannel may also not be the ideal way to build a clear and consistent brand personality, since your messaging is dictated by the customer’s experience—not the other way around. 

However, for organizations with the resources to build and support an omnichannel strategy, it presents an unparalleled opportunity to meet customers where they are, allowing marketing teams to test strategies and learn from results in real-time.

## The virtues of multichannel
Unlike omnichannel, a multichannel marketing approach keeps ad messaging relatively static across distribution channels.

> As a result, companies that opt for multichannel see two key advantages. First, **multichannel is easier to implement**, given its comparatively simple, standardized content. Second, marketers can more closely **control how customers interact** with their brand and how their customers’ data is handled and applied.

For example, in the omnichannel journey above, the shoe company was equally happy to have its customer complete the purchase through Instagram, Amazon, or its own website. But consider Apple, a company far less receptive to third-party sellers.
 
Apple prompts customers to purchase directly from their showroom-like stores or their visually arresting website. Ultimately, the pleasure of interacting with Apple is part of the appeal of buying a new product. 

Apple retains complete control over the context in which customers experience their brand, and they limit reliance on third-party marketplaces that interpret and transmit customer data. 

They may cast a wide net when it comes to sparking product interest and engagement, but they aim for a relatively narrow customer experience.

![Omnichannel_4-05.png](https://media.graphassets.com/RSaxJlTtRoi1zZ8BaVMP)

For many companies, however, the advantage of multichannel is far more straightforward. It allows for an expanded reach without the heavy technological costs of omnichannel.
    
Ultimately, a company may opt for a multichannel approach for strategic reasons—maximizing the impact of isolated ads and touchpoints—or practical ones, like reserving their marketing resources for other initiatives.

## Getting the most out of multichannel
While multichannel is easier to implement and control than omnichannel, it still unfolds over a range of touchpoints and marketplaces. 

That means marketers still need to coordinate ads to run across different channels, eating up significant time and effort. That’s where innovative marketing solutions like Channable come in.

Channable helps marketers take care of the manual, time-consuming details of formatting, updating, and optimizing product feeds and ad content so that they run at peak performance, regardless of the platform.

![Omnichannel_4-04.png](https://media.graphassets.com/7d4rabcmRqCTOB3uvwBl)

For example, here are three ways leading brands have leveraged Channable’s platform to maximize returns on their multichannel strategies.

- Men’s clothing retailer [Suitable](https://www.channable.com/success-stories/suitable-retail-use-case-channable-insights) has eCommerce operations spanning seven countries and a wide spectrum of online marketplaces, price comparison sites, and social channels. They use Channable to **gather real-time data** on how products are performing, with analytics tools **automatically segmenting **and **discarding** products in targeted campaigns.

- [Ideal of Sweden](https://www.channable.com/success-stories/ideal-of-sweden) produces mobile phone accessories, with promotional videos central to the brand’s marketing strategy. They use Channable to **place videos **across a range of **websites**, **marketplaces**, and **social media platforms**, with Channable automatically adjusting and formatting the video content to each channel’s precise specifications.

- Luxury cosmetics company [Rituals](https://www.channable.com/success-stories/rituals-google-ads-campaign-focus-channable) used to update Google Ads manually, product by product, country by country. Using Channable, they can insert dynamic fields into their ads, which are automatically updated with any change to their database or inventory. The result is not only time savings but improved performance. Since partnering with Channable, their **clicks** are up **55%**, **CTR** is up **7.6%**, **AOV** is up **7.65%**, and **conversion rates** are up **4.7%**.

## The bottom line
When choosing your digital marketing strategy, it’s important to assess your appetite to take on additional effort, expenses, and technological challenges. Then, take a close and honest look at your product offerings, your sales goals, and your brand identity.
 
Not every multichannel approach is right for every business. The key is to weigh how your organization will benefit against any potential drawbacks to come to the right conclusion. 

## How Channable can help
At Channable, we make it easy for retailers and advertisers to manage their product feeds, integrate with a range of online marketplaces, and connect with customers around the world. 

Whether your objective is to keep distinct ads organized and automated in a basic multichannel campaign or to incorporate customer analytics in an intricate omnichannel strategy, we can help you grow.

To learn more or schedule a consultation, [reach out](https://www.channable.com/demo) to one of our eCommerce experts today.


Omnichannel and multichannel marketing: Which is best for your business?

12 online advertising tactics for successful holiday marketing campaigns

## Top 5 advertising tactics to unlock your multichannel eCommerce growth

Not all actions are created equal. Take these 5 steps to jumpstart your online advertising strategy.

### 1. Stay ahead of inventory updates for swift campaign adjustments: 

Keeping up with fast-moving inventory is crucial for ensuring that your promotions are current and relevant. Utilize automation tools to manage your inventory reporting in real-time. 

This way, you can promptly update out-of-stock information across various channels and steer potential buyers toward similar available products or campaigns.

### 2. Enhance visibility with detailed product attributes: 

Make the most of enhanced product feeds to maximize visibility and improve discoverability during peak seasons. 

By incorporating additional attributes, such as "Holiday Theme" or "Gift Ideas," you can make it easier for customers to find your products, subsequently expanding your reach and catering to specific holiday or sales-related preferences and needs.

### 3. Optimize product descriptions for seasonal appeal and urgency: 

Craft compelling product descriptions that resonate with your audience and prompt urgency. For instance, leverage flash sale alerts or holiday-themed messaging to entice potential buyers and create a sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). 

By incorporating dynamic, attention-grabbing language into your product descriptions, you can effectively boost engagement and drive conversions during the sales seasons.

### 4. Harness the power of visual appeal: 

Invest in high-quality, visually appealing imagery to capture the attention of potential buyers and enhance customer engagement. Utilize tools for creative optimization to add extra flair to your product images or incorporate lifestyle settings that resonate with the product or advertisement. 

By creating visually appealing and engaging imagery, you can effectively convey the essence of your products and connect with your target audience on an emotional level.

### 5. Streamline campaign management with automation and customization:

 Employ comprehensive automation tools for functions like repricing and reporting to streamline your campaign management processes. Utilize intelligent repricing strategies to adjust prices based on competitor pricing and customer behavior. 

Additionally, leverage customizable dashboards to gain a centralized view of your campaigns, allowing for efficient monitoring, optimization, and replication of successful tactics across multiple projects and campaigns. By automating, you can effectively manage complex campaigns while delivering exceptional results across campaigns.

**Click the banner below to download the checklist and keep track of your advertising optimizations**

[![Webinar Header Image - 3.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/hgVbrUOhTDO0Y7cCFfEU)](https://media.graphassets.com/z98dtiVWT5iv7QtpSqbG)



Top 5 tactics to boost your multichannel marketing campaigns

## Maximize your marketing ROI in 2024
As new consumer trends and marketing technologies continue to reshape digital advertising in 2024, marketers must adapt their strategies to remain visible online. Here are our 12 most highly recommended online advertising and marketplace tactics for maximizing your marketing ROI this year.

![01_Image.png](https://media.graphassets.com/TbxjTeLeRtyyl3FZHKZZ)

## 1. Create a buzz with new product launches and collaborations
Start by updating your product feed on social commerce platforms like Facebook Catalog to include new artwork and descriptions. Then, you can run targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram to reach shoppers interested in the latest products.

Influencer marketing will still be a valuable asset in 2024, but it’s important to do it the right way. Say one of your clients has collaborated with an influencer on a new product launch, and they plan to promote the collab on both TikTok and Meta.

 Supercharge that campaign by adding the influencer’s name as the “Influencer” attribute in your feed. This helps you create a more targeted campaign that maximizes name recognition.

Here's an example of some updated product feed attributes for social commerce with Channable:
![Tip 1 - T1 (2).jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/I6jBkvLnQsmoJ9cRi6I8)

## 2. Auto-update fast-moving inventory to keep promotions current
**[Quick wins]** If your product goes out of stock, Google won’t serve your ads promoting it. To prevent this from happening, use Channable’s Update Every Hour add-on and our Google Content API. They’ll keep your inventory reporting current at all times.

Digital marketing agency dreifive, for example, uses Channable’s API connection to Shopify for its client, the skincare retailer [Korres](https://www.channable.com/success-stories/maximizing-google-shopping-feed-performance-with-automation). 

The API lets dreifive set “if-then” rules to create a clean data flow from Shopify to Channable to Google Shopping and Meta dynamic product ads. Also, the API automatically inserts lifestyle or mood images (where available) instead of using packshots.

This makes for a cleaner feed with more complete and more attractive product information. dreifive estimates that they’re also saving one to two hours of work per week thanks to the automation, which saves them from having to manually manage Korres’ shopping feeds in Google’s Merchant Center.

## 3. Automate product categorization with machine learning
Major platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart reorganize categories from time to time. This puts you at risk of having your product miscategorized, making it harder for shoppers to find.

To optimize your ROI, use Smart Categorization, which uses machine learning to make sure your products are characterized properly as soon as they enter your feeds.
![Tip -3.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/VoGp6wZvTuul5ABblj5x)

## 4. Get the most out of your product description copy
**[Quick wins]** From price changes to availability status, it’s crucial to keep your product descriptions up to date at all times.
 
Say you’re advertising for a sneaker retailer with daily drops at 10 a.m., designed to bring in the most ardent sneakerheads. Your daily product feed might look like this:
![Tip 4 - T1 (1).jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/AzglYx8R8Ctmjfi30TkB)

For the 10 a.m. drop, perfect your product feeds with copy such as:
![Tip 4 - T2.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/6MHEmJazQhqWVnIoiz0Y)
## 5. Use multiple powerful attributes
A great strategy for making your products more discoverable is to enhance your product feeds to create space for more product attributes and enhance discoverability.

Be sure to add multiple eye-catching phrases to your feed to make it easier for shoppers to find what they’re looking for. For example, your original feed might look like this:
![Tip 5 - T1 (1).jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/7CReYMzURU2Hsoi4oQKQ)

Here’s an example of how you can enhance those same attributes:
![Tip 5 - T2 (2).jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/BZa38WDKRi2qsuQbjz8j)

## 6. Automatically revamp images at scale
Dynamic Image Editor gives you an easy, scalable way to automatically improve your product images. Say you want to add a fresh background to your existing product images. 

Simply choose a new background in Dynamic Image Editor, then drop the new and improved image into your dynamic product ad templates.

Update those templates once, and the new image will appear across supported channels and campaigns.

![Tip 6 - 2.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/lS4jXUUdRqm2nVme4Oxy)

If you want to incorporate higher-quality product images (for example, from a recent editorial shoot for Instagram), simply replace “Default Image URL” with a new attribute, “Instagram Image URL” that contains the link to those Instagram-ready lifestyle images.

## 7. Streamline peak sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday

![Tip 7.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/paCldMs4S9qgNyaDHkzZ)

**[Quick wins] **Want to get even more out of special offers and discounts during peak sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year? Automation is key. 

With the right approach, you can update products once to reflect a special offer, and instantly syndicate the new info across multiple channels.

To drive more sales, you’ll want to do more than “just” update your prices. Adding language to your descriptions like “Limited-time only” helps create a sense of urgency and persuade shoppers to grab this deal while it lasts:

![Tip 7 - T2.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/kCis2wX2TPq6Uv6vSe9z)

To avoid making promises that you can’t keep, try using ad copy such as “**20% off plus more, all week**” or “**Daily deals—check back each day!**”

## 8. Showcase curated collections on Meta

**[Quick wins]** Facebook and Instagram collections are great options for showcasing products. 
Curated collections for Instagram Shopping, for example, help shoppers find exactly what they’re looking for. 

Use specific headings such as “Gifts for Her Collection,” “Gifts for Him Collection” or “Holiday Gift Collection.” Then use those collections as the foundation for shoppable posts and stories.

![Tip 8 - T1 (1).jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/qt5xAVhQwGwtGFXSTnVe)

## 9. Reprice the smart way on Amazon with rules-based automation

Offering the right price at the right time is crucial for keeping ahead of your competitors. [The Channable Repricer](https://www.channable.com/products/marketplace-integrator/repricer), which is fully integrated into Amazon’s marketplace management workflow, helps ensure your pricing is always optimal.
 
Simply choose the products you want to put on sale and set easy-to-understand “if/then” rules for automatic repricing based on factors like competitor prices and target profit margins. Automatic repricing also lets you run targeted promotions on Amazon knowing that you’re offering products at the smartest prices to satisfy both shoppers and your clients.

The results speak for themselves: Before switching to our repricing solution, digital marketing agency [050media](https://www.channable.com/success-stories/050media-success-story-repricer) found that **40% **of their DIY retail client Tooltopper’s products were ineffectively priced. Since switching, they’ve secured a **5%** margin increase for their client with automatic dynamic pricing.

## 10. Drive local business and cater to last-minute shoppers

When this year’s holiday shopping season approaches, cater to last-minute shoppers and draw business to your clients’ brick-and-mortar locations by adding phrases like “Shop In-Store for Last Minute Beauty Gifts” or “Visit Our Nearby Stores for Instant Gift Shopping.”

![Tip 10.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/40fUEhdSC2t0LGJTEmug)

Then, double-down on local inventory with Google’s Local Inventory Ads feature. Local inventory ads showcase products available in nearby stores, encouraging shoppers to visit in person. You can also customize them to geographic areas closest to physical stores, so they’re displayed to customers most likely to shop there in person.

## 11. Stop ads from being disapproved by Google and Meta

As online shopping continues to thrive this year, you’ll want to do all you can to minimize the chances of ads being disapproved by Google or Meta due to errors. Here are a few best practices to achieve the best results:

- Keep your feeds structured and organized, so they’re easier to update and optimize.
- Use Channable’s Feed Quality Score and Errors report to automatically ensure that product feeds meet all platform requirements. It flags any errors and proposes fixes, including hyperlinks that pinpoint the issues.
- Use the Feed Quality Scores tool to improve accuracy and relevancy, which lowers cost-per-click and boosts your advertising ROI.
- Make sure your feeds support the proper display of promotions, sales and discounts, which is especially important during peak shopping periods.
- Keep your product data consistent across all platforms and channels. This helps your clients avoid complaints due to incorrect product information.

## 12. Manage all your feeds and clients in a single dashboard

As a digital marketer or agency, you’re not just managing across products and feeds – you’re managing across clients, campaigns, and expectations. Channable’s Dashboard gives you a centralized hub with an overview of quality scores by feed and account.

![Tip - 12.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/Lb6iQteKSN6zgWzNyCRZ)

It also gives you a centralized view of quality scores by project and client. And you can copy successful rules across feeds, so you can apply your winning strategies from one campaign or client to the rest of your portfolio.

## Ready to achieve more in 2024?

Combined with your experience and instinct as a digital marketer, the twelve tactics above will help you achieve more and maximize your ROI throughout the year. 

Do you want to take the next step towards online marketing excellence in 2024? Learn more about how Channable can power all of your campaigns. Best of all: For a limited time, your first product feed is on us.

Discover how the right tools and automated solutions can boost your ROI!


Navigating the Multichannel Maze: 2024's Top 12 Online Advertising Tactics

Remember a decade ago when finding a new pair of shoes involved seeing an ad on Facebook, a quick Google search, followed by a trip to Amazon to find the best deal. The lines were clear: Google for search, Amazon for buying, and social media for discovery.

But things have become a lot more fluid in the last decade. Take a simple scenario: you need new sneakers. In the past, you might have typed "best running shoes" into Google, scrolled through pages of results, and ended up clicking on an Amazon link to make your purchase. 

<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wbrmfpfdgNc?si=ABhNMAEkMG64ftv5" width="100%"  frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>

Fast forward to today, the **customer buying journey looks very different**. For instance, it might start with an influencer's Instagram post showcasing a cool new brand, leading you straight to the company's in-app Instagram store for a seamless checkout.

In this article, we'll explore how the online retail landscape is changing, why a multichannel eCommerce strategy is essential to stay competitive, and what tools you can use to set your company up for success. 

Let's jump right into it! 

## The battle for product purchases, discovery, and search
New players like TikTok have [blurred the lines between search, commerce, and social](https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/the-platform-for-discovery-will-tiktok-be-the-new-search-engine/en-gb/6056), showing that one platform can compete in all three areas. This has inspired the established giants to rethink their strategies and their place in the customer journey. 
![01_Image (1).jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/1KhpjxGTteHzZ8nQzwDX)
As a result, companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon all want a piece of the eCommerce pie, and are engaged in a three-way battle, fighting for product discovery, product search, and product purchases. 

### Product purchases
![02_Image.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/5sysaQ4eR0WxGRjhecZz)
The first battleground lies in the actual purchase. Social channels are increasingly aiming to close the sale within their own platforms, eliminating the need to jump to external sites like Amazon or the brand's eCommerce site. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are aggressively pushing for in-app purchases, aiming to close the sale within their own ecosystems.

### Product discovery 
This battle highlights the shift in consumer behavior – the desire to stumble upon new products organically, rather than actively searching for them. Amazon and Google are taking cues from social media platforms, aiming to cultivate a more engaging and serendipitous discovery experience within their own ecosystems. 
![03_Image.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/lDgD826RFWiOU3BLyhHw)
Amazon, for instance, has [partnered with social networks like Pinterest](https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/27/pinterest-announces-multi-year-ads-partnership-with-amazon), leveraging their visual appeal to inspire product browsing. Meanwhile, Google is revamping its Google Shopping platform with features like visual product search, aiming to capture the discovery phase before users even reach the traditional search bar. 

### Product search
![04_Image.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/OYuARww0RKKVlXuwCgk3)
The final battleground centers around product search itself. Consumers are increasingly bypassing Google as their go-to search engine when it comes to finding products. Instead, they head straight to their favorite marketplaces, enticed by the promise of fast delivery or the convenience of searching directly within the social app where they just discovered a new fashion look or product.

## Who will succeed in this new eCommerce landscape? 
While Google, Amazon, and Meta all strive to dominate the entire marketing funnel, their efforts have created a complex landscape with numerous potential ad placements and formats - resulting in a headache for advertisers who suddenly have to craft targeted campaigns across a growing number of platforms.  

To alleviate this complexity, both Google and Meta have introduced AI-powered campaigns like [Performance Max](https://www.channable.com/blog/performance-max-campaigns) and [Advantage+ Shopping](https://about.fb.com/news/2022/08/introducing-new-automation-tools-to-increase-sales-and-drive-growth/), streamlining the process for advertisers. Amazon recently launched [Performance+](https://advertising.amazon.com/resources/whats-new/amazon-ads-launches-performance-plus-in-amazon-dsp) which uses machine learning to automate campaign setup and deliver optimal ad performance.  
![05_Image.jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/NZJWzr3mRF2xNJtrxKAD)
While these smart campaigns offer convenience and optimize for their specific platforms, they fall short by neglecting the potential customers present on other marketplaces and social networks. Think X, Snapchat, ebay, Walmart.. the list goes on. 

The crucial takeaway is this: failing to adapt to the changing landscape will leave you behind. eCommerce brands who embrace the multichannel reality and take advantage of the strengths of each ecosystem will ultimately thrive. 

## The multichannel optimization opportunity 
So, how can eCommerce brands succeed in this new landscape? 

At Channable, we believe the key to success lies in a multichannel approach:

- **Cross-channel listing:** Ensuring your product listings are optimized and consistent across all platforms, maximizing your visibility and reach.
- **Cross-channel advertising:** Crafting hyper-relevant, on-brand creatives tailored to each platform's audience and advertising format, driving higher engagement and conversions.
- **Cross-channel insights: **Leveraging data and performance insights from various platforms to understand product performance so you can optimize your profit across the entire eCommerce ecosystem. 
![06_Image (1).jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/RK11EncCTWj6q7MpitFK)
This multichannel strategy hinges on five fundamental elements that empower advertisers and sellers to take full control of their online selling experience: 

1. **High-quality product data:** Accurate and complete product information forms the foundation for successful listings across all channels.
2. **Highly relevant ads**: Focus on creating targeted campaigns that resonate with your audience on each platform, driving higher engagement and conversions.
3. **Performance segmentation:** Identify profitable segments within your campaigns and increase budget for optimal results to improve return on ad spend (ROAS) and profit on ad spend (POAS) 
4. **Compelling creatives:** Develop high-quality visuals and messaging that resonate with each platform's unique user base.
5. **Scalability:** Once you've established success on one platform, leverage the learnings to scale your strategy effectively across other channels.

## Channable's 5 essential solutions for multichannel success

To achieve multichannel eCommerce success, sellers need the tools in place to optimize feed listings, manage PPC campaigns efficiently, generate ad creative tailored to each platform, and deliver actionable insights to drive data-driven decisions.

Channable's leading multichannel eCommerce platform provides five fundamental solutions to help sellers reach their sales potential on each channel: 

### Feed Management

Channable’s [Feed Management module](https://www.channable.com/products/product-feed-management-tool) keeps your product information up-to-date and consistent across all of your platforms. Instead of changing stock information or prices manually on each channel, you can save time and resources by managing all your product feeds in one place. 

### PPC Automation 

Whether you want to run ads on Google, Meta or [Amazon](https://www.channable.com/products/ppc-tool/amazon-ads) (or all of the above), [Channable's PPC Optimization tool](https://www.channable.com/products/ppc-tool) allows you to simply generate a channel-specific campaign from one place. With the PPC tool, you can easily create complete ad campaign structures for multiple products and languages at scale. You can also set up rules that will automatically add or remove keywords, move keywords between campaigns, or blacklist certain keywords based on specific criteria. 

### Creative Module

Channable's [Dynamic Image Editor](https://www.channable.com/products/dynamic-image-editor) empowers you to create hyper-relevant ads for your ad campaigns. You can easily generate countless variations featuring real-time sale prices, special discounts, or new stock notifications - all directly from your product data. With the image editor, you can eliminate manual image editing and save valuable time while creating multiple ad variations tailored to each platform.  

### Insights & Analytics

Channable's [Insights & Analytics module](https://www.channable.com/products/channable-insights) enables sellers to optimize ads and listings with performance metrics fine-tuned to your KPIs—so you can spot key trends and make better decisions based on data-driven intelligence. 

In the Insights & Analytics dashboard, you can also get real-time data on how your products are performing—allowing you to make optimizations to boost top sellers, or create more visibility for low-performing items. These actionable insights allow you to continually refine and enhance your multichannel strategy. 

### Marketplace Integration

Channable connects to over 2,500 [digital marketplaces](https://www.channable.com/products/marketplace-integrator), ad platforms, and price comparison sites. Thanks to custom-built integrations you can automatically list your products error-free, in minutes, eliminating the need for manual updates and ensuring real-time stock accuracy across all channels. Direct API connections synchronize orders back to your online shop where you can manage everything from one place.

## Start using Channable's multichannel eCommerce platform today 

Our multichannel eCommerce solution isn't just a tool; it's a gateway to unparalleled success in the digital marketplace. With our platform, you'll harness the power of cross-channel listing, advertising, and insights to propel your business to new heights. 

Want to see first-hand how Channable can set you up for multichannel eCommerce success?

<center style="margin-top: 60px">**Check out our infographic to visualize the impact.**</center>

<center><p style="text-align: center;"><a style="display: inline-block; padding: 12px 24px; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: .0625em; text-transform: uppercase; background: #e54692; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;" href="https://media.graphassets.com/gPx9seWKRiKMjVSTrx2B?">Download infographic</a></p></center>

Selling online will never be the same: Are you keeping up or falling behind?

Are you looking for a way to help your [Google Shopping ads](https://www.channable.com/blog/google-shopping-ads) stand out and make your products come to life? That’s what the Google Shopping Lifestyle Image Link attribute is all about!

In this article we explain what the Google Shopping Lifestyle Image Link is, why it’s so important and how it can help your ads perform better.

## What is Google Shopping Lifestyle Image Link?
The Google Shopping Lifestyle Image Link lets you incorporate high-quality, engaging images to [make your Google Shopping ads more effective](https://www.channable.com/blog/blog-how-to-successfully-advertize-google-shopping) by showcasing your products in real-life contexts. Unlike standard product images with plain backgrounds, lifestyle images present products in dynamic settings, helping potential customers envision how the product can fit into their own lives.

### Why is it important?
Lifestyle images are crucial to your Google Shopping ad campaigns because they:

- **Attract attention**: High-quality, context-rich images are more appealing and stand out among plain product images.
- **Tell a story**: They provide context, inviting the customer to imagine what it would be like to own or use the product.
- **Boost engagement**: Engaging visuals increase click-through rates and conversions.

Studies have shown that [emotionally engaged customers have an average of 306% higher customer lifetime value (CLV)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-retail-study-shows-marketers-under-leverage-emotional-connection-300720049.html). Lifestyle images help in creating these emotional connections by telling compelling stories that resonate with customers. For example, consider the emotional impact of displaying a plain barbecue grill against a white background versus showing a family spending quality time together with the grill. The second image – the lifestyle image – creates a much stronger emotional impact.

## 5 best practices for using Google Shopping Lifestyle Image Link
The Google Shopping Lifestyle Image Link gives your ads an opportunity to connect with potential customers on an emotional level. To get the most out of it, here are 5 important best practices to keep in mind:

### 1. Use high-quality images
Ensure your images are high-resolution and professionally shot. High-quality images reflect well on your brand and significantly improve customer perception. Poorly composed images can harm your brand’s credibility and deter potential customers. 

Google Shopping recommends using lifestyle images with a minimum resolution of 600 x 600 and aspect ratio between 2:0 and 2:3. Use your largest, highest-resolution images for the lifestyle images link (up to 64 megapixels or 16 MB file size).

**When uploading lifestyle images to Google Shopping, make sure to use the supported file formats:**

- GIF (.gif)
- JPEG (.jpg/.jpeg)
- PNG (.png)
- BMP (.bmp)
- TIFF (.tif/.tiff)

### 2. Ensure relevance
Lifestyle images are more effective when they present your products in real-world settings rather than against plain white backgrounds. Choose images that showcase your product being used or presented in a natural environment. This approach helps your products stand out by providing context and making them more relatable and visually appealing.

For instance, camping gear should be shown in a camping environment. This relevance helps customers quickly understand how the product fits into their lives and meets their needs.

### 3. Maintain consistency
Keep a consistent style across all your lifestyle images to create a cohesive brand image. Consistency in photography style, color palette and overall aesthetic builds brand recognition and trust, ensuring your marketing materials look unified and professional.

### 4. Focus on the product
While the background and setting are important, the product should remain the main focus. Ensure the product is clearly visible and prominently placed within the image. Avoid busy backgrounds that distract from the main item.

### 5. Optimize for mobile
Mobile shopping continues to rise. By 2027, [62% of all online sales will be completed via a mobile device](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/ecommerce-statistics/). This is why it’s so important to make sure your ad images are optimized for viewing on smaller screens. Test images on different screen sizes to ensure they remain clear and high-quality. Compress high-resolution images to maintain quality while minimizing load times.
![Image_01 (8).jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/P3VdmcgSRxZFNI99DlNu)

## Add a Google Shopping Lifestyle Image Link in 3 steps
Adding a lifestyle image link to your Google Shopping feed is straightforward. Here’s how to do it:
Prepare your image: Create a high-quality lifestyle image that meets Google’s specifications.
Upload to your website: Host the image on your website or a reliable third-party service.
Add the link to your feed: In your product feed, add the URL of the lifestyle image to the appropriate attribute: (lifestyle_image_link).
![Image_02 (6).jpg](https://media.graphassets.com/YpDzgeeSRziXrZvWtgzm)

## Engage with customers through lifestyle images
The [Google Shopping](https://www.channable.com/integrations/google-shopping) Lifestyle Image Link is a powerful feature that can significantly enhance the appeal and performance of your product listings. By following best practices, you can create engaging, high-quality visuals that capture attention, drive conversions and even increase customer lifetime value.

Maximize the impact of your Google Shopping ads by integrating lifestyle images. As a result, you’ll offer customers a more engaging shopping experience that will help connect them with your brand and keep them coming back for repeat business.

Maximize ad performance with Google Shopping Lifestyle Image Links

PPC Automation | Channable Blog

Google Ads | Channable Blog

Bol Ads | Channable Blog

Amazon Ads | Channable Blog

Insights and Analytics | Channable Blog

Performance Segmentation | Channable Blog

Dynamic Image Editor | Channable Blog

API and Marketplaces | Channable Blog

Feed Management | Channable Blog

Events | Channable Blog

Podcasts | Channable Blog

Webinars | Channable Blog

Media | Channable Blog

Company Updates | Channable Blog

eCommerce Industry | Channable Blog

Google updates | Channable Blog

Industry News | Channable Blog

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Travel

Whitepaper

Today, countries are slowly relaxing their travel restrictions as the general population carefully considers their next vacation. But things have changed. The future of travel is definite but uncertain. For travel companies and eCommerce businesses reliant on the travel sector, how they prepare for this unknown is crucial.

Drawing from the experience of Channable and their clients, this white paper intends to help you prepare your business for the future of travel in eCommerce. Discover which eCommerce practices are best to employ, insights on the direction travel in eCommerce is heading, and what is required to remain competitive in this sector.

**Download the industry insights article: Travel in 2021 and beyond**
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Travel in 2021 and beyond: An eCommerce Perspective

Download Channable's 2021 eCommerce calendar and enjoy valuable info, insights, and tips that you can use to refine your business’ eCommerce strategy.

**Channable's eCommerce calendar 2021**
<br><br/>
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Channable's eCommerce calendar 2021

## What is Smart Shopping?

*Smart Shopping is Google's automated solution that integrates product ads, smart bidding strategies, and remarketing. It's a type of campaign that utilizes machine learning algorithms to optimize your shopping campaigns.*

For far too long, setting up shopping campaigns has been a series of long, complex, and, frankly, dull tasks. Setting up campaign priorities, identifying negative keywords, and setting up bidding strategies, are probably tasks most digital marketers of yesteryear still have nightmares about. 

With Smart Shopping campaigns, you no longer need to perform these tasks. You merely need to set a campaign goal and a budget. After which, the Smart Shopping campaigns will start using its machine learning algorithms to optimize your campaigns with automated bidding strategies and the ideal ad placements. It’s that simple. And in the end, this will help you free up loads of time. Time you can use to focus on matters that are more important or beneficial to your business or life in general. You could refine your marketing strategy or even go for a walk on the beach.  

Smart Shopping campaigns are ideal for eCommerce companies with smaller budgets or who have less time to strategize and manage their campaigns. 

![Blog-image_Smart Shopping_resized_1_smart shopping mobile display_2.svg](https://media.graphcms.com/u4VzjrLQRo6E4qwY1hmk)

*Smart Shopping campaigns will feature both in Product Shopping Ads and Display Ads (e.g. remarketing ads and similar audiences through Google Search, Display Network, Youtube, and Gmail).*
 
## Is there a catch?
*A small one.*

At first glance, Smart Shopping might seem like the right path to go down. However, there is a small tradeoff between ease-of-use and campaign control that you should definitely take into account. 

With Smart Shopping campaigns, it’s not possible to set negative keywords or specify on which devices you want to be visible. Those tasks are all set by Smart Shopping’s algorithms that optimize your campaigns towards your goals.

When developing this feature, we talked to a lot of agencies and marketers who have already set up Smart campaigns on Google. Even though the lack of control was received with caution, they did concede that Google’s algorithms are effective when best practices are followed. 

## Optimize your campaigns with smart bidding strategies

Smart bidding strategies are the key feature of Smart Shopping campaigns. When setting up your campaigns, Google gives you the option to choose between two different strategies. Choosing one over the other will determine how Google's algorithm optimizes your campaigns. The two options are:

![Blog-image_Smart-Shopping_02_EN.svg](https://media.graphcms.com/GVg7E9QZysbIq3cagMCw)

If your main campaign driver is to optimize towards sales value, then you should choose **Maximize Conversion Value**. Choosing this option will maximize the number of conversions by determining exactly which of your products is most likely to convert, then to promote and make it visible to potential customers.

The downside of this strategy, however, is that there is no way for Google to know what your profit margins are on a sale. If you do want to take this into consideration, the **TargetROAS** strategy is the better option to choose. 

Setting up with TargetROAS will determine what type of campaign Google will run for you. For example; by setting a **low TargetROAS** goal on products you want to promote, you essentially tell Google that you are willing to spend a lot of advertising budget to make these products more visible. You can even decide to **set the TargetROAS to less than 1** if you are willing to make a loss with your sales as long as you’re more visible through advertising. 

Let’s simplify it further. Assume you choose a TargetROAS strategy with a relatively low TargetROAS of 3. In this example, you are telling the algorithm that for every one euro of advertising budget you spend, you want €3 of revenue back in return.  

Choosing the ideal smart bidding strategy is completely up to you. You can even combine them with the standard shopping campaigns in order to test out and find the winning formula. 

## Why feed management and Smart Shopping Campaigns are a great fit

Smart Shopping Campaigns are incredibly smart! However, they are only as smart as the information you provide them with. You can therefore easily state that feed health is the foundation for succeeding with Smart Shopping Campaigns. 

If your product feed is not in a great condition, then Google's machine learning algorithms will have a harder time optimizing your campaigns. It is therefore crucial that you ensure that your product feed is optimized and [eligible to serve](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7052112?hl=en). This is where feed management and tools like Channable suddenly become very handy.

With tools like Channable you can utilize built-in feed templates for more than 2500 different advertising and price comparison platforms. A template for Shopping Ads that works perfectly with Google Merchant Center is no exception and you can even set up a [top-quality feed](/blog/create-quality-google-shopping-feeds) in no time. Not only will this result in greater feed health, it will also help Google better to determine when and where products should show up in searches. 

## So, where do we go from here?

Well, if you are relatively new to Channable and feed management, then we would recommend to first take a closer look towards our blog named: [What is Feed Management and why do I need it?](/blog/blog-what-is-feed-management-and-why-do-you-need-it) This blog gives you a great introduction to Feed Management while explaining all its benefits along the way. 

On the other hand, if you already know quite a bit about feed management, already have a healthy feed or maybe you are already a client or partner of Channable, then you might jump right ahead towards our guide named: [How to set up Smart Shopping Campaigns with Channable.](/blog/how-to-set-up-smart-shopping-campaigns-with-channable)

Take your Shopping Ads to the next level by using Smart Shopping Campaigns

For quite a bit of time, we have been familiar with the four keyword match types: *Exact match, broad match, phrase match*, and *broad match modifier*. But before we know it, we have to say goodbye to the broad match modifier as Google has announced they will bring its behaviour into the phrase match type. 

> To simplify the keyword portfolio and help advertisers reach more relevant user searches, we are bringing behaviors of broad match modifier (BMM) into phrase match, and phasing out support for BMM, tells David Wihl from the Google Ads API Team, source: [Google Ads Developer Blog.](https://ads-developers.googleblog.com/2021/02/changes-to-phrase-match-and-broad-match.html)

It is no secret that many advertisers have been experiencing lots of overlapping behaviour between the two match types in the past. Therefore, it seems only logical that Google will bring both match types together and thereby give advertisers an easier way to gain more control and a better reach. 

To give a more detailed explanation of what a pairing between the two means we would like to refer to Google´s very own example of a moving company that wants to be found by people interested to move away from the city of New York and up to Boston. Using the optimized phrase match, the moving company can now reach people who want to make this exact move, even without reaching people who want to move the other way around. Check out the illustration below for more details.

![About changes to Phase match and BMM final V3-01.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/9r1wuGgsSE2759pCA5I2)
Source: Google, [Making it easier to reach the right customers on Search](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10346549)

## What can users expect from these changes?

Obviously, this depends a lot on the individual users' usage of both phrase match and/ or Broad match modifier. Let's try to set up two scenarios: 

1. **Users who to a greater extent uses phrase match**
    
    These users should expect to see an incremental increase in both clicks and conversions. The reason for this is because of the added queries to which keywords will now be eligible to match. For example, “vacation on Ibiza” as the updated phrase will begin to match “vacation hotels on Ibiza”, which was previously only eligible for broad match modifier in the past. 

2. **Users who to a greater extent uses broad match modifier**

    These users should expect to see a slight decrease in clicks and conversions. The reason for this is due to these broad match modifier types where the modifier was only added to one part of the keyword, for example, football +shoes.

    Furthermore, Google will also start to consider the order of the words when it has some importance to the meaning of the keywords. Therefore, for some matches that were previously matched by a broad match modifier, these will be filtered out. To shortly go back to the illustration from Google before, this is also what you see at the very bottom of the illustration (the optimized phrase match will not catch “Boston to New York” but only “New York to Boston” because this has importance to the keyword and the advertiser). 

*Note*: all changes to broad match modified and phrase match will **not** have an impact on negative keyword match types.

## When will these changes happen and is there anything you need to do?

As mentioned in the introduction, Google has already taken the first steps to move the behaviour of broad match modifiers into the phrase match. They will start with the languages English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, and Russian before continuing in Q2 2021 with all the other Google Ads languages. Google expects to have the new phrase match fully updated in July 2021.

But is there anything you need to do? *Only a tiny bit*.

At Channable we will also start phasing out the creation of broad match modifier keywords, meaning from July 2021 you will no longer be able to create these types of keywords. What this also means is that Channable will no longer be able to send broad match modifier keywords to Google, meaning you will have to make a decision with your setup, if you are using these types of keywords. Maybe they need a conversion to phrase match or some other type?

We know this task can be quite challenging, especially if you run multiple Google Ads generators at the same time. To smoothen the transition just a tiny bit we will be releasing a bulk-convert button later in May 2021. With this button, you will be able to convert your broad-match modified keywords to other types of keywords all at once. 

[tip]**A few tips in the end:**

1. With all this in mind, we recommend all users decide which keyword types they want to convert to. Phrase match might be the most straightforward option, but we will leave the choice fully up to you.
2. Going forward, we likewise recommend all users stop creating new broad match modifier keywords.
3. As traffic might fluctuate a bit, depending on your keyword usage, we recommend monitoring the performance and make budget adjustments if needed.
4. If you are concerned about losing coverage, try to use broad match keywords in combination with a smart bidding strategy. This will most likely help you generate more relevant searches that also meet your performance goals.[/tip]

New changes to phrase match and broad match modifier - What does that mean for you?

For this whitepaper, feed management tool Channable is joining forces with Retail Assist on a project to arm you with the best eCommerce knowledge. With key sector stats, industry insider tips, as well as an eCommerce overview, this whitepaper is here to help your retail business improve its speed to market – and to increase your chances of success in the ever-changing retail landscape.

Discover more about the importance of speed to market with the following sections:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**A brief history of eCommerce trends**
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Facts and figures of the history of eCommerce and where it is today</li>
</ul>
</li>
 	<li>**The future is fast-paced**
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Insights from Channable + retail Assist's survey for retailers on market expectations and issues.</li>
 	<li>What internet giants Amazon and Google are introducing to shape the future of retail</li>
</ul>
</li>
 	<li>**The importance of speed to market**
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Working examples of industry successes and failures</li>
</ul>
</li>
 	<li>**How to keep on top**
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Tools and tips on staying ahead</li>
</ul>

### Request the whitepaper
[form id="08b2db28-b68e-40d0-8314-8eb59f30b159"]

Check out <a href="https://omio-retail.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OMIO's PIM system</a> to get your data ready for feed management and read up on <a href="/blog/blog-what-is-a-pim-and-why-might-i-need-one" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">how PIM systems and data feed management tools can work in harmony</a>. If you're after more guides on speeding up your time to market, <a href="/blog/blog-explained-googles-products-for-advertisers-whitepaper" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brush up on all the Google products</a> you can utilize to increase your exposure online or <a href="/blog/blog-4-ways-improve-quality-score" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">4 ways to improve your quality score</a>.

Survival of the fastest: the importance of facing speed to market head on [whitepaper]

<h2>What are KPIs or performance indicators?</h2>
We all understand what a “Performance Indicator” is. It’s a fact or figure that tells us the benefit or advantage we get from a particular action. So far so good. For example, a performance indicator for physical activity at the gym would be the maximum number of beats per minute our hearts can pump. So, we have some data that gives us some information that tells us what to do depending on that data: working out harder or taking a break to prevent a heart attack. In the business sense, it’s the same. A KPI will give us data and depending on what it tells us, is how we’ll act and what kind of strategy to prepare.

To better define what it is,** a performance indicator is a tool that precisely determines the relevant health of a business or an eCommerce shop in our specific case**.
<h3>Characteristics of all good KPIs</h3>
The performance indicators of a business should be:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**Measurable**: can you even imagine “unmeasurable” metrics?</li>
 	<li>**Quantifiable**: something that can be measured or quantified. If we were talking about money, we would quantify it depending on the currency: EUR, USD, etc.</li>
 	<li>**Specific**: only measure one specific thing. Let’s not overdo it.</li>
 	<li>**Measurable in time**: we should be able to choose if we measure it by the day, week, month, or year.</li>
 	<li>**Relevancy**: depending on the business type.</li>
</ul>
The first thing we should do as an online business owner is to figure out what KPIs interest us. Start with a consultant or auditor for the eCommerce shop. However, if we do not have the resources for an audit, there are a few performance indicators that about 90% of businesses find it useful to measure. Pay attention!
<h2>Basic KPIs to bear in mind if you have an eCommerce</h2>
Let’s finally get the checklist we’re really looking for. What do I have to keep an eye on to see if my online store is doing well?

<img class="size-full wp-image-24937 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/A8yHagCReKmnd88VhWkA" alt="" width="674" height="447" />
<h3>ROI: Return on investment</h3>
Return on investment is in the name, but to get things straight, this KPI will tell us the **economic value generated as a result of any marketing activity**. In other words, this indicator will measure the results of our investment. Basically, whether we have made a profit or not depending on what we’ve spent. This KPI is quite interesting if we invest in Google Ads and/or Social Ads campaigns since we will be able to figure out if it’s worth it to continue spending money on them, increase/decrease our investment, or get rid of it altogether.
<h3>Average Order Value (AOV)</h3>
Easy. It’s the result of dividing sales by the number of transactions; thus, obtaining an average value of each sale either globally or through different and specific channels. If we **segment it by channels**, we’ll get information on whether your customers are spending more (on average) on certain channels and try to understand your target audience better.
<h3>Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)</h3>
This KPI gives us the “**engagement**” and this is the capacity that a brand or product has to create in order to establish a solid relationship with its consumers or users. This metric gives us an idea of the total number of purchases that a potential customer would make over a period of time if they remained loyal to the brand or product, but remember that this KPI is relative! A customer who buys a little over many years is more interesting for us than someone who only buys once and spends more money. What we try to achieve with this indicator is to organize a future projection based on the behavior patterns of our own customers.
<h3>Cost per Acquisition (CPA) or Cost per Share</h3>
We sell, yes, but that process requires a series of actions that cost us an investment of money, time, and resources. In other words, we don't get our sales for free. With the CPA (Cost per Acquisition) we know how much it costs us to get a new customer and how much those strategies that we make to get new contacts (what in marketing we know as leads) based on a **buyer’s persona**.

We will see the real impact of our paid advertising campaigns, which are almost always necessary and beneficial if we do them well. If we don't know how to do a good PPC campaign (because let's be honest, it's something complicated), we can resort to <a href="https://www.cleverecommerce.com?utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.channable.com%2F&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=guestposting&amp;utm_content=guestpost_essential_ecommerce_kpis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">free tools or apps that help us with these investments in getting paid traffic</a>.
<h3>Sales Conversion Rate</h3>
This is the star figure, the one that shows us at the end of the day **the profitability of our eCommerce shop**, and our goal, of course, is to make this number as high as possible. It is obtained by dividing the number of sales by the number of visits to a channel. However, don’t worry because normally this rate does not exceed 2% in most businesses, so if you get a number lower than 3 or 4% ... You're doing fine!
<h3>Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate</h3>
Data from various studies indicate that** the abandonment rate of shopping carts/baskets is 79%, a very high figure**. Why? It could be due to the shipping costs or the lack of information about a product -- this is why we must always try our best to understand our goal as much as possible with a good customer journey and a good buyer in mind, as mentioned previously. How many people put something in the shopping cart but then leave it there and exit out? This is an important piece of data, especially to know the reasons and make the necessary improvements in our eCommerce shop so that this percentage can be reduced as much as possible.

Now that you know the most important KPIs to measure the performance of your business, you may want to <a href="https://www.cleverecommerce.com/ecommerce-blog/ecommerce-conversion-rate?utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.channable.com%2F&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=guestposting&amp;utm_content=guestpost_essential_ecommerce_kpis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">know more about how to increase the conversion rate of your eCommerce shop</a>. Okay, maybe your brain is fried after all those numbers and indicators, but at least knowledge doesn't take up space!

Essential metrics you must pay attention to if you own an eCommerce business

If you have an online shop, there are more and more events that you have to mark as important on the calendar. Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, Christmas, summer sales, and for the last few years, Amazon Prime Day. In 2015, <a href="/integrations/amazon-product-feed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amazon</a> wanted to innovate the sales seasons by offering great deals that were only available for 30 hours. This way the marketplace not only joined the “sales bandwagon” but made Amazon Prime Day a highly anticipated date for their loyal Amazon Prime customers.

<img class="size-full wp-image-26829 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/jVuKzBjQGaYU0jcQr5bv" alt="" width="600" height="787" />
<h2>What is Amazon Prime Day?</h2>
Amazon Prime Day is an annual event that is celebrated in 18 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and China. For approximately 30 hours, people can buy all kinds of products at very low prices.

In order to enjoy Amazon Prime Day, you must be an Amazon Prime customer. The offers are changed and renewed throughout Amazon Prime Day, so customers have to complete purchases quickly for their desired products. It is estimated that in 2019 approximately **40% of the products came from small/medium businesses** that use Amazon as one of their online sales platforms.

It is possible to find discounts on all kinds of products, although the biggest offers are found on Amazon-brand products, especially those related to the electronics sector. In 2019 the best sellers were Echo Dots, Fire TV Sticks, and Kindles.

Historically, it has always been celebrated during the month of July. However, this year due to the uncertainty experienced by COVID-19, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/02/amazon-delays-prime-day-until-october-due-to-coronavirus.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the date has been postponed several times</a>. With the huge increase in orders that Amazon received during the first half of the year, it was impossible to stage an event as popular as Amazon Prime Day. In the absence of official confirmation, everything indicates that it will be held in October, but we are still waiting for a final date.
<h2>Why should you participate in Amazon Prime Day?</h2>
Amazon Prime Day 2019 was a resounding success, becoming the largest event in Amazon's history; even surpassing Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday 2018. In 2019 more than 1 million offers were available worldwide.

While Amazon never discloses the revenue generated by Amazon Prime Day, there is that suggests its great growth year on year. For example, it’s predicted that over 100 million products were sold in 2018. However, in 2019 the number of products sold is said to have almost doubled reaching 175 million.

This large number of purchases implies a large number of returns. According to Adobe Digital Insights, 30% more products were returned in 2018 than during Amazon Prime Day 2017. This means that sellers must have an incredible logistic service to be able to handle this event with the required guarantees.
<h2>How can you sell your products on Amazon Prime Day?</h2>
First and foremost, if you still don't have your catalog integrated into Amazon, you definitely should in preparation for Amazon Prime Day and in general. In the following video, we explain the 6 steps you should follow to create a quality listing for Amazon in a quick and easy way.
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k24FayMRioY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
Once your listing is integrated into Amazon, you need to improve the visibility of your products to make sure you stand out from the competition. Competition is fierce, especially on a day as important as Amazon Prime.

Here are some of our best tips that can help your business succeed on Prime Day:

- Create attractive titles for your products including keywords and relevant attributes such as brand, color, material, and size.
- Use Amazon Pay Per Click to give your products a jump-start.
- Reduce shipping times, response times, and the number of faulty orders to reach the Buy Box.
- <a href="/blog/blog-improve-opinions-amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Improve your verified reviews on Amazon</a>.

Check out our other blog in which we offer you more tips you should implement to help you to <a href="/blog/blog-tips-for-advertising-your-products-on-amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">advertise your products successfully on Amazon</a>. With Channable's feed manager, it’s simple to configure your Amazon listing. You can also manage all your <a href="/products/marketplace-integrator" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amazon orders directly from your eCommerce platform</a>, and even configure the <a href="/integrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">listing for other marketplaces</a>. If you have any further questions, <a href="/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our dedicated team</a> is more than happy to help.

Amazon Prime Day - What to expect and how to profit from it

<a href="https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/en_uk/about/search-ads-360" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Search Ads 360</a> (SA360) is the part of the <a href="/integrations/google-marketing-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Marketing Platform </a>that enables advertisers to plan, measure, bid, and manage search ads on Google, Bing, Yahoo Japan, and Baidu. As it is part of the Google Marketing Platform, users can easily jump to and integrate data from other products in the Google Marketing Platform such as Analytics 360, <a href="https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/en_uk/about/display-video-360" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Display &amp; Video 360</a>, or Optimize 360. SA360 makes it more efficient to manage PPC in one place, as well as with a familiar interface.

[caption id="attachment_18660" align="aligncenter" width="500"]<img class="size-full wp-image-18660" src="https://media.graphcms.com/J0wUOBMR5aXrpCSfNqAz" alt="channable google marketing platform " width="500" height="352" /> <a href="https://www.blog.google/products/marketingplatform/360/introducing-google-marketing-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Source</a>[/caption]
<h2>What makes SA360 different?</h2>
Advertisers with a significantly bigger budget and larger, dynamic inventory benefit most from SA360’s offering. This is because, in addition to managing ad campaigns for many search engines (multi-platform management), there are a few notable features that make SA360 appealing:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**ADVANCED BID STRATEGIES**
The bid strategy options in SA360 are more advanced and intricate for a more effective ad campaign. Auto bidding is powered by Google’s machine learning technology. There are various options for bid strategies including revenue and conversion options. SA360 also integrates with conversion tracking analytics, which can be used in building a bid strategy. Furthermore, there are advanced targeting options and even formulas to make a customizable bid strategy. In addition, as SA360 is multi-platform, your bids can be unified across all search engines.</li>
</ul>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**INVENTORY MANAGEMENT**
With inventory management, advertisers are able to distribute ads on an individual inventory level (e.g. per SKU) in inventory campaigns.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>What are inventory campaigns? Search Ads 360’s inventory campaigns are similar to traditional ad campaigns, but they automatically change when your product inventory changes.</blockquote>
To get started with inventory campaigns, you need to supply Google with your inventory. Your inventory needs to be supplied in a feed that meets the standards of Google. <em>BEWARE</em>, often, your feed is not in the right format to be correctly uploaded into Google so using a data feed management tool like Channable is recommended to improve your setup experience.
<h2>Improving SA360 with Channable</h2>
<a href="/success-stories/tui-channable-improve-group-wide-collaboration-save-time-offer-flexibility" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Channable client TUI has had plenty of experience with using Channable</a> to make the most out of SA360’s inventory campaigns. TUI began using SA360 because it could help centralize the whole TUI group’s PPC in one platform. “We use Search Ads 360 in order to be able to advertise all our stock. All our keywords, all our combinations, all our hotels, all our destinations, all that is done in a dynamic way.”

However, the team discovered it had the issue of having non-complementary feeds. Whilst it is possible to manage modifications in SA360, TUI found the SA360 interface and setup was far from ideal. “That’s where Channable came in place because we’re way more flexible doing it, it’s faster, and the UX is way better.” Once TUI was able to build the perfect feed in Channable, it was simply a matter of connecting the feeds in SA360 and then deciding what to send out and where to advertise.

In addition to using Channable to meet SA360’s feed standards, TUI improved their use of SA360 because it is easier to manage what inventory is sent to SA360. “Why should we advertise a certain town on Crete if we only have 5 departure dates available to that specific destination? From a PPC perspective, if you know that something is most likely to occur, you can put it in the feed.” Without Channable, TUI would only be able to react after a sales opportunity ends e.g. stop advertising a flight with only a few seats left.
<h2>Getting started</h2>
To use SA360, you will need to contact <a href="https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/en_uk/about/contact-us">Google’s sales team</a>. Once you have access, Channable can help you get started with SA360 faster and save you time. TUI has also seen improvement in expenditures by using Channable with SA360. Channable has attributed to a huge number of savings in terms of conversion expense. <a href="https://app.channable.com/login">Sign up to Channable today</a> to begin building the perfect feed for SA360.

If you only like the sound of SA360’s inventory management feature and only want to focus on Google Ads and/or Microsoft advertising or have a lower budget, <a href="/products/ppc-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">try Channable’s PPC tool</a>. With Channable’s PPC tool, you can build campaigns, ad groups, and ad copy with your inventory values. Unlike Google’s custom pricing, Channable’s PPC tool starts from<a href="/pricing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> €99 a month</a>. <a href="/contact">Contact the team</a> for a free demo and exclusive access.

How can you improve your use of Search Ads 360? - TUI & Channable

<p style="text-align: left;">It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially in the world of eCommerce. Which also makes it more important to distinguish your offers from competitors.With our last-minute tips, you can easily upsell your business this season and make customers fall for your offers. 'Tis the season for promotions, services, and offers online shoppers can't resist.</p>


[caption id="attachment_19015" align="alignnone" width="800"]<img class="wp-image-19015 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/NajjTqrAQrC7O7u7X96R" alt="Last minute holiday tips" width="800" height="1333" /> Our list to finish the year strong[/caption]

6 jolly last-minute tips [infographic]

Valentine's Day has surpassed Easter as the biggest eCommerce event in the beginning of the calendar year. And it is still growing in importance - especially for online marketing. The perfect V-Day purchase in 2020 will be made last-minute but it will have a personal touch. Catering to such a dynamic, heartfelt market is no problem with data feed management and PPC automation. Learn how to equip your online shop and lead the way towards the perfect Valentine's experience for your customers.

![Infographic](https://media.graphcms.com/Iop9j6vBQ5uUpGX2YQag)

[center][button link="https://media.graphcms.com/N74xii6iRvqRQGs21tUw"]See full infographic[/button][/center]

V-Day is not only for lovers [infographic]

Italy is one of the fastest growing European countries for eCommerce. According to the B2C E-Commerce Observatory, eCommerce in Italy generated €27 billion in 2018, showing an increase of 16% compared to 2017.

Channable wants to help shed some light on this, potentially unknown market for your business. You can read more details about the situation of eCommerce in Italy, such as what payment methods are the most used, which sectors are the most demanded, and, above all, which platforms are the most in demand.
<h2>What are the benefits of selling online to the Italian market?</h2>
<ol>
 	<li>You will find less competition than other markets with more experience in eCommerce, such as Germany and the United Kingdom. Around 20% of online stores generate 70% of online sales. With much less competition, it will be easier to stand out.</li>
 	<li>The mentality of the Italian buyer is changing. Every day there are more and more online shoppers and more purchases are being made on smartphones. Currently, about 24 million people shop online in Italy.</li>
 	<li>Italian brands cannot address this increased demand, so there is room for foreign brands that offer new and innovative products.</li>
</ol>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-20243" src="https://media.graphcms.com/KZqyqe6lTj24aMp2rkm2" alt="eCommerce in Italy" width="2923" height="1689" />
<h2>The Italian market, how does it work?</h2>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**<em>Payment methods</em>**</li>
</ul>
You should consider the following payment methods. According to Icepay, you cannot ignore the Italian CartaSi credit card if you want to sell your products and services in Italy. Together with MasterCard and VISA, they are the most used cards. We must also highlight PayPal and payment on delivery or payment upon delivery. Prepaid cards such as Postepay or Italian mail are also common.
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**<em>Purchase hours</em>**</li>
</ul>
You should not forget that in Italy there are big differences between the north and the south. An example being work schedules. In the north they usually finish work at 6:00 pm, while in the south they end much later because of the break for lunch. Translating to online shopping schedules that are also different.
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**<em>Catalog in Italian, YES or YES</em>**</li>
</ul>
The vast majority of the population speaks Italian, so they will feel more comfortable completing the purchase if the information of the products or services is available in Italian. Therefore you should consider the option of translating your webshop, especially if you use comparison websites such as Google Shopping.
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**<em>Amazon, the indispensable marketplace</em>**</li>
</ul>
As in many other countries, Amazon is one of the undisputed leaders in the Italian market. You should not forget that with the Channable API connection you can send <a href="/integrations/amazon-product-feed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">your listing of products to Amazon</a> in minutes.

Other very used channels are Zalando, eBay, Wish, ManoMano and Privalia, which we also have connections with all these online platforms. You can send your optimized and updated product listing through a feed or API connection, depending on the channel. Check all the <a href="/integrations?country=italy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">list of channels available in Channable</a>.
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**<em>Most used shipping companies in Italy</em>**</li>
</ul>
Regarding the ranking of the most used shipping companies in Italy, we can highlight these 6: DHL, BRT, TNT, Savino del Bene, CEVA and Saima Avandero.

If your eCommerce webshop is developed with PrestaShop, Magento, Shopify or Woocommerce, you may want to know that we have <a href="/products/marketplace-integrator" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">order connections</a> with all of them. That means that you can manage Amazon and eBay orders directly in your webshop, centralizing marketplaces orders in one place and making their management much easier.

As you know, shipping products can be the best point of contact with the customer. That's why you might be interested in using a platform like <a href="https://www.qapla.it/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Qapla</a>. Thanks to this Italian tool you can take advantage of the delivery of the order status to include information on other products, increasing the possibility of doing upsells and cross sells, improving this way the brand awareness and loyalty.
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**<em>Most demanded sectors</em>**</li>
</ul>
The sector with the highest growth in eCommerce in Italy compared to 2018 figures is for the food sector, which has grown 40%, followed by the home and decoration sector, which increased by 30%. However, we cannot forget that tourism, fashion, electronics and the beauty sector still reign.
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**<em>Other advise</em>**</li>
</ul>
Italian consumers have high expectations about customer service, but they are often patient, they have no problem with receiving orders in 3 or 5 days. However, on many occasions they assume that shipping will be for free. In addition, it is important to offer simple solutions for returns, especially for the fashion sector where returns are around 40%.
<h2>eCommerce in Italy, last figures</h2>
According the the last "Osservatorio eCommerce B2C 2019" (Osservatori Digital Innovation - Poli.Mi. and Consorzio Netcomm), online purchases in both Italian and foreign online shops have reached 31.6 billion euros, which represents a 15% increase from 2018. The purchase of products has increased by 21%, compared to the purchase of services, which has only increased by 8%. This phenomenon has caused a considerable increase in the number of shipments. In terms of transactions, the value of the purchase of products has reached 18 billion euros, compared to 13.5 billion generated in the services sector.
<h2>Where to start?</h2>
It is true that breaking through into a new market can be intimidating. But if you have enough information that allows you to control the situation, everything will be easier. It is always good to start with a SWOT analysis, which allows you to discover the weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities of your company to face that new market that you want to explore. We hope that the indications offered in this article about the situation of eCommerce in Italy will help you to configure this analysis and future strategy of your company in the Italian market.

The keys to expanding your online business in Italy

The best ecomm strategies include these 7 easy-to-implement tactics that help you to:

*   Show up in the right place at the right time
*   Select and sell on multiple shopping portals with a click of a button
*   Use inexpensive online advertising more effectively to promote your products
*   Automate the process with real-time order to delivery information at your fingertips

7 tactics to increase profitability from eCommerce stores

You’ve no doubt heard of eBay. Alongside Amazon, it is one of the biggest marketplaces in the world, and it’s an attractive sales channel for many retailers. But are you selling on it? That decision is up to you but a few tempting facts include that there are over **182 million buyers (1)** on eBay worldwide, eBay users spend an average of **07.22 minutes per visit (2)**, you can easily [sell variants](https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/creating-listings-variations?id=4150), create detailed listings, and assign different profiles to products within minutes by listing with Channable’s latest eBay integration. 

By choosing to send your products to eBay with Channable, you will be able to upload masses of products with optimized listings in minutes.

## Variants support

Channable supports sending products as a product group with variants. This is a useful function if you have a certain product in many different sizes or colors. Instead of uploading them as separate items, you can set up product groups with Channable. What’s even better about this possibility, is that you will only need to pay the one monthly eBay listing fee for the whole group. [Learn how to set up product listings for eBay with our step-by-step tutorial](https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002829565-How-do-I-create-product-listings-for-eBay-)

## Supply eBay with every single detail

Channable’s [attribute builder](https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360030477513-What-does-the-attribute-builder-do-) is the bread and butter to structuring, building, and sending your information via APIs to channels, such as eBay. Channable offers a complete attribute builder for all of eBay’s categories (and there are many). This gives you the flexibility to optimize your eBay listings by providing the buyer with any and all information they can need. Any retailer will know that today, information is vital in the buyer’s journey. [Read more about how to set up attributes with eBay](https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002829565-How-do-I-create-product-listings-for-eBay-)

## Shipments and stock updates

If you choose to also opt for an eBay [order sync](/products/marketplace-integrator) in Channable, you will see that Channable will send shipment and offer updates between your online store and eBay. Streamlining your order processing. 

**Do you have multiple profiles on eBay?**

Good news, Channable gives you the flexibility to configure different profiles for selling products. This means that you needn’t only link your products to one payment, shipment or return profile - but with any! This feature is a little more fiddly, but nothing Channable’s technical support can’t help you accomplish. 

**Keen to get started?**

If you haven’t already, sign up to Channable in seconds with your email address. Once you’ve [created a project](https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002825365-How-do-I-set-up-a-new-project-) and [imported your items,](https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002825625-How-do-I-import-products-) you can start setting up an eBay connection in the API tab. Full instructions can be found on [the Channable support site](https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002829565). If you’re already using Channable’s eBay connection and want to migrate to our newest version, please contact your customer success manager or our support team via [support@channable.com](mailto:support@channable.com).   

1. [https://www.oberlo.com/blog/ebay-statistics](https://www.oberlo.com/blog/ebay-statistics) 
2. [https://www.similarweb.com/website/ebay.com](https://www.similarweb.com/website/ebay.com)

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vlDgoNVXacg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
***Callum explains you in this video how to get started with eBay in Channable.***

The most seamless integration to eBay

Google has grown beyond the modest search engine it began as. Whilst the consumer mostly uses it to search for results, images, items, flights, and so forth, businesses are more acquainted with Google’s vast portfolio of products. Many of the Google products accept <a href="/blog/infographic-product-feed-for-online-marketing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a data feed</a> of inventory or information to simplify, optimize, and even enable usage. Channable offers many different feeds for Google. It can be tricky to understand the difference between each and where a data feed comes in.

This whitepaper will clarify what each Google product does, who it is for, how you can use it, and how a <a href="/products/product-feed-management-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">feed management tool</a> is used. The following Google products will be covered:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Google Shopping</li>
 	<li>Google Shopping Campaigns</li>
 	<li>Google Display</li>
 	<li>Google Ads</li>
 	<li>Google Search Ads 360</li>
 	<li>Google Analytics</li>
 	<li>Google Manufacturer Center</li>
 	<li>Google Play Books</li>
 	<li>Google Product Ratings</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Download the Google products whitepaper</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">Complete the form below to receive the Google Products whitepaper in your inbox.</p>
[form id="be174dcc-6133-4eb1-b71c-72c177cffc8d"]

Use Channable to generate your feeds for all your Google needs and speed up your scaling process. <a href="https://app.channable.com/companies/14426" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Create a free trial accoun</a>t today and ask one of our teams to give you an <a href="/demo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> in-depth demo</a> on how to build the perfect feeds for Google.


Explained: Google’s products for advertisers [whitepaper]

Social media networks have become an everyday norm for a large portion of the globe. Whether it’s a way to kill time when you’re waiting, discovering new products or hobbies, or a way for you to keep in touch with your loved ones. People are spending hours a week on their devices. <a href="/blog/blog-why-integrate-social-media-into-your-marketing-strategy">No wonder social media platforms</a> are becoming the hot spot for businesses to reach and connect to their audiences.

Keeping on top of all the networks and how to advertise on them can be a struggle. Being visible and found on social media networks is a full-time job. Using an optimized product catalog feed can save you time in getting started, so you can concentrate on converting viewers. This comparison of the biggest social media networks (<a href="/integrations/facebook-product-feed">Facebook</a>, <a href="/integrations/instagram">Instagram</a>, <a href="/integrations/pinterest">Pinterest</a>, and <a href="/integrations/snapchat">Snapchat</a>) can give you a good indication of which platform will work best for your offering, and help you generate an optimized feed to advertise faster.

![channable---Réseaux-sociaux-pour-le-E-commerce-EN.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/9upbXbgwSCFTzRb65GpQ)

If you would like to read more about <a href="/blog/blog-why-integrate-social-media-into-your-marketing-strategy">advertising on social media platforms</a> or <a href="/blog/blog-get-the-most-out-of-pinterest-advertising">advertising specifically on Pinterest</a>, Channable has written a few <a href="/blog">blogs</a> on the subject.

Itching to get started with advertising on social media channels with Channable? <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sign up for a free trial account today</a> and <a href="/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">get in touch</a> with the team to schedule a free demo.

<em>Read this in <a href="/nl/blog/infographic-hoe-kun-je-jouw-social-media-advertising-synchroniseren-met-je-online-winkel">Dutch</a> or <a href="/de/blog/infographic-synchronisieren-sie-ihre-werbung-auf-social-media-mit-ihrem-online-shop">German</a>.</em>

How to sync your social media advertising efforts with your online shop [infographic]

There are many shipping methods, matching the different types of customers you have. Many consumers look for the most reliable shipping method, although the price also influences the choice of the chosen shipping.

For instance, many Americans prefer faster shipping over having the absolute cheapest option. Of course, delivery time is a determining factor to a certain extent. The large online retailers and their express delivery methods have made everyone, as consumers, more and more demanding in this regard. 44% of consumers perceive same-day delivery as a sign of trust and are willing to pay more for this method.

We understand that with so many options it can be overwhelming to make a choice and meet all the requirements demanded of your clients. However, we are here to help you make that choice! Below is a list of 6 key points to help you create a strategy that best suits your online shop.
<h2>6 key points to consider when creating your shipping strategy</h2>
**1. Carriers and shipping methods **

Not all products sold online today have the same characteristics. When considering the most appropriate shipping method for the items you sell in your online shop, you should not only focus on the product itself, but also on consumers. What kind of customers do you have?

Depending on the type of customer and the type of product, consumers will not be surprised to have to wait a couple of days until they receive their order. Therefore, a carrier with ultrafast shipments and very expensive rates may not be the best choice. Some customers will focus more on economic factors than on delivery time, while others will simply take what is presented. Our tip? Know your customers and their needs, and then offer the best method to meet their needs.

**2. Shipping costs**

Shipping costs are one of the most decisive factors when completing a purchase process. The US is a particularly demanding country with regard to shipping costs.

Free shipping is the best option to get customers to complete their purchase. However, you have to take into account certain factors so that absorbing shipping costs on behalf of the customer does not result in losing money.

Free but controlled shipping costs are an excellent marketing strategy to target who can access free shipping without a loss for your business. For example, shipping can be free or not depending on the location, weight, and total of the order.

In the US, a common practice is to offer free shipping when standard delivery is chosen or if a product is over $20, for example, but may require payment in other countries or for an expedited option.

When determining different methods, consider the all rates that carriers apply and stay within a margin that benefits your business.

**3. Automating the shipping process**

It is estimated that the average time spent processing an order is around 10 minutes. From the moment a new order enters the system until the package is ready to be picked up, the carrier must perform a series of tasks that many retailers continue to handle manually. However,<a href="https://www.sendcloud.com/process-orders?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=blog_channable" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> automating the shipping process</a> can save up to 3 minutes per order.
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Shipping rules: configure custom shipping rules to detect the appropriate shipping method for each type of order.</li>
 	<li>Automated pick-ups: with an automatic shipping list you can instantly schedule a pick-up for your orders once enough have been placed.</li>
 	<li>Creating and printing labels: nobody should be “copy and pasting” or typing the addresses of clients separately. Automatically creating a label list is essential to help the flow of your products.</li>
 	<li>Documents, tariffs, and taxes: the bane of every retailer, customs and tax forms, invoices, and personal income tax / VAT. There are now tools available to automatically generate these documents.</li>
 	<li>Automated update emails: no longer will you have to worry about keeping the customer aware of the purchase process, as these emails are automatically sent at predetermined intervals, updating the status of the order at all times.</li>
</ul>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-20693" src="https://media.graphcms.com/RApkF27KTUiHRZAaWDQv" alt="Emails seguimiento pedidos" width="2392" height="1028" />

**4. Tracking emails**

A satisfying shopping experience does not happen by just clicking a button and filling in some fields. Up to 90% of follow-up emails are opened and read. This presents an opportunity to promote other items, sell more items, and build customer loyalty.

One sneaky idea is to add related articles, banners, or information about your business in the mail with the shipping information. The chances of customers opening and seeing this information will be high.

![article-image-ckgijxfko06np0b07eik47qtn-9485.jpg](https://media.graphcms.com/CThAg2SSRTSGcfClf5er)

**5. Return strategies**

67% of consumers read the return policy before deciding to buy from an online shop. For 84% of them, this is one of the most important factors when making a purchase online. It is important that the customer can access clear policies about the return period of a product and what are the options to return it. Your return policy must appear in a visible place on your website and be written in a clear and concise manner.

<a href="https://www.sendcloud.com/return-portal?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=blog_channable" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Create your own return policy with different methods</a> for different countries or types of shipping, offering options that fit the needs of your customers. Can you afford to offer free returns or should return costs fall on the customer? Depending on the nature of your products, you can also consider a subscription model that includes free returns to subscribers as an advantage of their membership.

Finally, it is important to create an organized and detailed return form. Collecting the reasons for each return, which specific products are returned and the reason. Just as you manage each order that leaves, you must keep track of each item that is returned.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-20703" src="https://media.graphcms.com/3Y232MpQvJYUgOQLOhQ0" alt="Devoluciones de pedidos" width="1288" height="1103" />

**6. International strategy**

Many online shops want to take the international leap and introduce their business abroad. A good international strategy may begin with the <a href="/blog/blog-amazon-netherlands-whattoexpect-howtoprepare" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amazon EU seller programs</a>.
The most important points to consider for a good international sales strategy are the following:
<ol>
 	<li>Negotiating international rates is essential when agreeing with carriers on shipping rates abroad.</li>
 	<li>Transparency in shipping methods and delivery times is another factor to consider. Customers want to know the details about delivery time and shipping costs before making a purchase. This way you will avoid abandoned carts from unexpected expenses or duty tax fields that can appear at the last moment.</li>
 	<li>Applying for European legislation is essential when you are going to make international shipments within the European Union. <a href="https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/shipping-delivery/index_en.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check with the official website of the European Union</a> to ensure that your shipping process meets the requirements.</li>
</ol>

How to create a successful shipping strategy

Google Ads offers many extensions to make your ads stand out even more. Price extensions and sitelinks are two possibilities. With these extensions, your ads will stand out even more and enrich your ad copy. Potential customers are more inclined to click on your ads and therefore the click-through rate will be generally higher!
<h2>What are price extensions?</h2>
Price extensions allow you to highlight some of your products and/or services. They are displayed under your ad as a kind of menu, and the price will be shown too. See it as a showcase of the items you want to put in the spotlight! For example, products that are on sale, or relevant for a certain season or holiday. Users can browse through that menu and click on a product or service that interests them. They will then be taken directly to the page of that specific item.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21605" src="https://media.graphcms.com/arLy0koPS4ej6LEAWgV8" alt="" width="771" height="395" />A working example is imagine you’re selling electronics, including laptops. You could set price extensions for any type/brand of laptop, such as Apple, Asus, or Toshiba, with a "starting from" price. If you have a couple of laptops on sale, then you could set price extensions for each laptop and its promotional price. You can make it as specific as you want!

**Advantages of price extensions**
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Price extensions display well on computers and mobile devices. Make sure that the pages to which the price extensions lead to are also optimized for mobile devices!</li>
 	<li>There are no additional costs. A click on a price extension costs the same as a "normal" click on your ad.</li>
 	<li>It requires less effort to update your ads with new information. You don't have to rewrite your ad copy, you just add price extensions. You will also not lose any performance statistics because of this.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Price extensions in Channable</h2>
Google Ads <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037375474-How-do-I-add-price-extensions-to-Google-ads-">price extensions are available in Channable </a>and can be implemented easily Now you can dynamically highlight your items in your ads. The different elements of a price extension are: "headline", "description" "landing page", and "price". In Channable, these fields are completely dynamic. This means that you can generate many price extensions based on your product feed. Note: In Channable, price extensions are created at ad group level.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21595" src="https://media.graphcms.com/a25NGHQdS9OproncG6rS" alt="" width="1200" height="743" />

Some of our customers already use the Channable price extension feature. Erik, Acquisition Marketing Lead at international online travel company Travix, says "With the price extension feature in Channable we can automatically and widely add relevant price extensions in Google Ads at the ad group level. The feature is easy to set up and with the rules in Channable, we can customize it as desired. "

Travix, uses Google Ads for Cheaptickets.nl, which has a very large and rapidly changing inventory. "We are now using the feature to communicate the prices of other departure airports in our advertisements. We see an improvement in efficiency because the extensions are updated daily, so this saves us manual work. But, we also see a nice performance improvement in which the ads with price extensions achieve a higher CTR than ads without price extensions, "says Erik.

Nick Oltvoort, head of Advertising at digital agency, and <a href="/partners">Channable Gold Partner</a>, Adwise, is also happy creating price extensions with Channable. Especially to keep the prices up to date, something that is not yet easy to set manually through Google. He says, "we think it is a top feature, which allows us to keep the prices in the price extensions up-to-date with feed-based campaigns. Google has not yet made it easy to automate this quickly, so you often see in accounts that prices are no longer up-to-date after a while. This takes extra time to manually check and periodically track, which is a waste of time that you prefer to put into strategic work."

In short, deploying price extensions through Channable will save you a lot of time in keeping everything up to date. In addition to price extensions, it is also possible to use another Google extension with Channable: sitelinks!
<h2>What are sitelinks?</h2>
Sitelinks <a href="https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011084639-Adding-Sitelinks">are additional links</a> that are shown under an ad in the search results, and can lead people to specific pages on your site. They are extremely useful if you want to add extra links to website pages to your ad, for example, to a specific product page or a page with your opening hours. This allows potential customers to get faster to the pages of your website that are relevant to them. In addition, your ad with sitelinks occupies a more prominent place among Google search results, pushing other ads down. Your visibility is therefore also increased!

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21635" src="https://media.graphcms.com/BPkl6wXwQXmg91hBDa9Q" alt="" width="1500" height="997" />

**Advantages of sitelinks **
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Sitelinks display well on computers and on mobile devices. Your ad can show up to six sitelinks on a computer and up to eight on a mobile device. The minimum number of sitelinks is two.</li>
 	<li>There are no additional costs. A click on a sitelink is billed as a "normal" click on your ad.</li>
 	<li>It requires less effort to update your ads with new information. You don't have to rewrite ad copy, you just add sitelinks. You will also not lose any performance statistics because of this.</li>
 	<li>You gain insight into the specific clicks and you, therefore, know what your potential customers find most interesting.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Sitelinks in Channable</h2>
Add dynamic sitelinks <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010996874-How-do-I-add-sitelinks-to-Google-ads-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">to your ads using Channable</a>. All fields from a sitelink, the "link text", "link URL", and the two descriptions can be built entirely with dynamic fields. This means that you can generate many sitelinks based on your product feed. Note that in Channable, sitelinks are created at the ad group level.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21600" src="https://media.graphcms.com/NxlVfGHQmy5mriDvuIR3" alt="" width="1654" height="1024" />

Do you want to significantly increase your CTR? Are you ready to automate your ads and campaigns with <a href="/products/ppc-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Channable's PPC tool</a>? Create your own free account <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> and / or <a href="/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact one</a> of our Channable's sales teams for more information.

Increase the CTR of your ads with price extensions and sitelinks

On 28th April 2020, the <a href="https://docs.magento.com/m2/ee/user_guide/sales-channels/google-ads/google-eol.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Shopping ads Channel will be disabled and removed from the Magento Marketplace</a>. If you had been using the Google Shopping ads Channel extension, **Magento has recommended searching for alternative extensions** in the<a href="https://marketplace.magento.com?_ga=2.47602919.1536390789.1587384265-1906944811.1586434258" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Magento Marketplace</a> that meet your needs, and/or migrating your catalog manually to the Google Merchant Center and Google Ads.

If you’re a Magento retailer who was using the Google Shopping ads Channel,** your product data will not be sent to the Google Merchant Center** and **your Shopping Campaigns will no longer be synced**. The ads will continue to run as they were set up, but they will not be updated.

You can easily send your product data to the Google Merchant Center if you have a Google Shopping feed at hand. You may need to create one to fit Google’s requirements, or even <a href="/blog/create-quality-google-shopping-feeds" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">optimize it to ensure you’ll be creating high-quality ads</a>.

However, it is highly recommended by Magento to explore alternative extensions to minimize disruption to your Google Shopping campaigns. Channable’s PPC tool is one such alternative that can be set up within a day and gives you <a href="https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011005320-How-do-I-create-shopping-campaigns-from-Channable-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">supreme control on your Shopping ads</a>.
<h2>How can Channable help?</h2>
<a href="/products/ppc-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Channable’s PPC tool</a> can be used in a similar way to the Google Shopping ads Channel and even offers additional benefits such as back up templates, keywords generation, <a href="/blog/google-expanded-ads-with-channable" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sitelinks, and price extensions</a>. Channable can be found in the Magento marketplace and offers a seamless integration thanks to its <a href="/integrations/magento" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Magento plugin</a>.

Users can create ad groups per product for Google Shopping campaigns and ads in mass. The Channable PPC tool provides you with the power to advertise at a product level, enabling more control over which products are advertised in Shopping Campaigns, the bid for each product, and negative keywords per item.

Having full control lowers ad spend on products with a low ROAS, improving campaign performance. In addition, any new products added to the product feed will be automatically added to the Google Shopping Campaigns. Channable’s Shopping Campaigns can help you utilize Google Shopping Campaigns to its fullest potential without the need for a dedicated team or an advanced online advertising background.

If you’re a Magento retailer that has been affected by the discontinuation of Google Shopping ads Channel, Channable would like to offer the first month of Shopping ads created by Channable for FREE. Just use the promo code** MAGENTOGSC _2020** when you create an account in Channable. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">This promo code will be valid until 15th June 2020</span>. For more information, <a href="/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">please get in contact with a member of our sales team</a>.

Channable’s offering for all those affected by the end of Magento’s Google Shopping ads extension

As an online marketeer, you know the struggle of selling online. You have your own website, but that is not enough. You want to advertise on price comparison websites, marketplaces, affiliates and have lots of SEA campaigns running. To do so, you need a data feed - ideally one that is linked to your website and your actual shop system. This data feed can be used for your export platforms. But because the data feed requirements vary per platform, it is necessary to adjust your feed according to the standards of the platform.

For this task many people use feed management tools, like Channable. In a tool, like Channable, you are able to edit your feed with rules that are based on IF-THEN statements. <em>IF your price is empty, THEN exclude the product from the data feed.</em> Some rules will be specific to certain channels because they have specific requirements. Other rules might be needed for all exports in general, so it can be a real time saver to put them into the newly implemented master rule groups.

Master rule groups is a feature that Channable recently introduced. Normally, you would create rules for the export channel you have chosen. Whereas with master rule groups, you can create several groups and execute them for multiple exports. These rules are very convenient if you want to apply changes that are needed for multiple channels. Per export, you can select which master rules you want to apply. Below we’ll show a couple of examples of how you could use this new feature.
<ol>
 	<li>**Exclude seasonal products**
It’s winter, there is snow outside and your data feed contains winter coats but also beachwear, swimming suits and other summer fashion. At this time of year, you only want to advertise products that are relevant for this cold weather and exclude anything that is related to summer. With master rules you can easily do that for your entire product feed and won’t have to worry about it per channel.<img class="aligncenter wp-image-13271" src="https://media.graphcms.com/4p7Ff5RRCByWA1yWZllA" alt="" width="1200" height="558" /></li>
 	<li>**Exclude unwanted**
Does your feed contain HTML or textual discrepancies (e.g. unwanted capitals)? Do some items lack information like images, price etc.? These are issues in your feed that you certainly want to eliminate for any export. Use the master rules and you’ll save even more time!</li>
 	<li>**Exclude blacklisted products**
Some brands or categories are not meant to be advertised, so you usually blacklist them. Even if you work in travel, you might want to exclude certain destinations. Create a master rule group for the items you want to blacklist and be done with it forever!</li>
 	<li>**Exclude parent items**
Parent items or configurable products can be excluded in advance, so it’s easier for you to advertise only on the products on that you want to advertise.</li>
</ol>
In our <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360015726134-What-are-master-rule-groups-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">help center</a>, we explain how to implement master rules in even more detail.

One master rule to rule them all

Feed-based marketing is becoming more accessible to marketers thanks for product feed management tools. <a href="/blog/find-the-perfect-feed-management-tool">Product feed management tools</a> enable data feed optimization that enables optimized advertising on your chosen online marketing channels. Channable offers a <a href="/products/product-feed-management-tool">product feed manager</a> and therefore knows all about feed-based marketing. Channable's international expertise in the field of digital marketing and its product feed management tool is used by many industries for a lot of different marketing purposes.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-13083 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/RNkFvZ4YTZqqXewtOcFg" alt="product feed Channable" width="600" height="1800" />

If you want to know more about how feed-based marketing can be useful for your business, <a href="mailto:support@channable.com">don't hesitate to contact us</a> for more info or <a href="/demo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">for a demo</a>!

And if you like this infographic, feel free to share it on social media!

What is a product feed in marketing? [infographic]

It was time to make the health check section a bit more user-friendly. Therefore, it has been renamed from "health check" to "quality check" and of course it has had a little upgrade at the same time.
<h3>What has changed</h3>
The quality check functionality is more extensive. You can now click on the items affected by the issue. Once you click, the tool will show you all the items that lack the specific information.

As examples speak better than words, let’s say that 39 items lack a description in your Google Shopping feed. With Channable’s quality check, you can now see exactly which ones, and you can even use the search bar to flick through them. The next step is still yours to make and would be to go to add this missing information by using the rules section to make your feed better and more complete.

<img class="size-full wp-image-13469 alignnone" src="https://media.graphcms.com/botDK95gRuHyREQMZRpu" alt="New channable functionnality: quality check" width="1902" height="770" />
<h3>Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger</h3>
Not only is it easier for you to check the errors in your feed, but this functionality is even faster! Test it with your feeds to see how fast it is and start using it to improve the data in your export feeds.

New Channable feed quality check will give you more insights

<h2>Why is there a new Fnac API?</h2>
The Fnac **Products** API is the new API and it allows you to send unknown products (EAN and other important information) to Fnac. No more “product not found” errors! It only needs to be used once so that Fnac can add the product to its database. Fnac will receive and upload the item(s) and all its accompanying information into the Fnac system.

The other Fnac API (the one that has been in Channable a long time) has been renamed Fnac **Offers** API. It is used for creating, updating or deleting product listings/offers on Fnac. You can optimize product information, control flow, sync stock levels and provide Fnac with all the vital information they need in order to sell your products e.g. shipping costs. If you wish to use <a href="/products/marketplace-integrator">Channable’s order connection</a> for Fnac, a feature that synchronizes order information from Fnac to your online shop, then a Fnac Offers API is necessary.
<h2>How do I do it?</h2>
You will first need to create a Mirakl account. You can then create the new Fnac Products API in Channable and complete the attribute builder stage with all the required attributes. Then you just have to click “Run now” in the API overview and Channable will send the new products and their information (EANs, title etc.) to Fnac.

Once this has happened, the Fnac Products API can be paused. Simply because the new products will be in the system. There is no need to send them again and it will help keep the Channable tool running smoothly.

You will then need to create a <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004172333" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fnac Offers API</a> to control and modify the products offers you want on Fnac.
<h2>More information?</h2>
For a more visual and detailed guide on how to use the new Fnac Products API, check out the <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019296454-How-do-I-add-unknown-EANs-to-Fnac-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">help center article</a> we’ve written. There is also a <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004172333" target="_blank" rel="noopener">help center article</a> for creating product listings for Fnac.

Send new products to Fnac with Channable’s Fnac Products API

Whilst there are multiple differences between both marketplaces and comparison sites, Channable identifies that both can bring you great benefits to your online sales.

<img class="wp-image-15450 size-full aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/XxFFscdZSjOwsK0I7nkg" alt="marketplaces vs comparison sites" width="800" height="1905" />

Feel free to share this infographic on the social media network of your choice.

Channable offers connections to more than a thousand marketplaces and comparison websites around the world. Take a look at the <a href="/integrations">different possibilities</a> that you have in Channable and choose the ones that fit best with your online sales strategy.

Marketplaces VS Comparison Websites [infographic]

Search advertising marketing automation tools were introduced to reduce the time and effort spent on tasks that could be done by anybody. They are there to enable the optimization of processes, costs, and efforts. Naturally, there will be certain processes that businesses will prefer to be handled by a real marketer. By identifying what those are, you can start to draw up a list of what you expect from a marketing automation tool, the essentials, and what would be nice for it to do. Not all tools are perfect, but knowing what aches and pains it can soothe are worth knowing.

Automating the generation of search ads is one method of marketing automation for search advertising. Whilst the functionalities of each search ad generation tool differ, they all aim to save time, lower CPA, and increase ROAS/ROI. Channable’s PPC tool is no exception and focuses on being a marketing automation tool for** feed-based automation** for both search and shopping campaign creation. But what does that actually mean? And how is it different from other tools?

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15188" src="https://media.graphcms.com/gnKmvF1pR96iL5eDifFj" alt="" width="1070" height="515" />
<h2>What can you do with the Channable PPC tool?</h2>
As the Channable PPC tool is a feed-based generation tool, you can use it for aspects of search advertising that can be generated from item attributes imported via a data feed, plugin or API. These aspects include:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Campaigns</li>
 	<li>Ad groups: medium and/or long tail</li>
 	<li>Ad copy</li>
 	<li>Shopping Campaigns</li>
 	<li>Keywords</li>
 	<li>Negative keywords</li>
 	<li>Basic targeting</li>
 	<li>A default CPC</li>
 	<li>Sitelinks</li>
</ul>
Using an ad generation tool is useful if you need to generate a large number of ads that are still unique for the right audience. Managing ads for thousands of items can be time-consuming. Not only when it comes to creating the ads but also having to keep them up to date and pausing irrelevant ones.

Channable’s tool ensures that your ads are up-to-date and relevant as you can use dynamic information in your feed to create the above-mentioned list.

For example, if you wanted a campaign for each subcategory or destination you offer, simply use the field ‘subcategory’ when building the campaign template in Channable. There is also a template for ad copy, so you can create unique ads from one template because of the dynamic information contained in your feed.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15186" src="https://media.graphcms.com/4aK3vBMYTT6ibH5oPXV7" alt="" width="1070" height="489" />
<h2>What will I still have to do?</h2>
Bid Management, budget, and advanced targeting are not included in the Channable PPC tool. Although Channable can be used to set a default CPC or targeting, we recommend you finetune this in your Google or Bing ads manager. Do not worry, adjusting CPC and targeting will not result in any errors in Channable.

Furthermore, if Channable is unable to help you create certain campaigns, ad groups or keywords you can still manually create them in your ads manager. As these manually added ads will not be linked to Channable, they will not be affected by Channable and will remain in your ad account intact.

Finally, campaigns and ad groups that are created in Channable, **cannot** then be edited in Google/Bing. This is because the synchronization between Channable and your ad manager will be lost. Therefore, ads will not be refreshed as they will no longer be recognized by Channable. This will ultimately result in an error in Channable.

When choosing a tool, you need to think about what it is you want it to assist you with, what’s necessary and what is nice to have. If you’re looking for a solution to help you manage and create the right ads, with relevant keywords, and a clear and comprehensible structure in campaigns and ad groups, then Channable’s PPC tool could be the best option.

The dynamic nature of the PPC tool means that the campaigns, ad groups, ads, and keywords are always cohesive with your site and relevant. So long as you’re aware that there will be certain aspects like bid management, budget and targeting that you will still have to do manually. Furthermore, remember a tool is there to compliment and help you but you will still have full control and can revert to manual when necessary.


Why use a marketing automation tool to automate search ads?

In order to be “where your buyers are” marketers are investing more and more in the growing list of online channels to advertise on. From marketplaces and comparison sites to affiliate networks and social media platforms, the struggle today is creating unique ads for all these channels and keeping them up to date.

Pinterest is a social media network that has seen exponential growth in recent years and has begun to offer advertorial space for brands. Users, or aptly named “Pinners”, use Pinterest to search for inspiration, information, and entertainment. As an advertiser, your first goal should be to be discovered. Once you’ve accomplished that, you’ll want to convert pinners to buyers. Looking into advertising on Pinterest could be the next step to achieving that.
<h2>Why use Pinterest?</h2>
Pinterest is no longer a social network, it’s a search engine. Pinterest’s never-ending boards encourage visual discoveries and personalize the results based on a user’s interests. This engrossing way to entice users into spending hours scrolling and building their own pinboards introduces them to new brands every second. Pinterest is a great way to build brand awareness, boost favorability, shift perceptions, and get people to buy. One brand, gofeminin.de, recorded an impressive 20% of traffic coming from Pinterest, compared to only 2% from other social media platforms. Albeit, the conversion funnel may be longer with Pinterest, but awareness is the first step. Using Pinterest’s advertising option can further help improve your chances of conversion.
<h2>Why advertise on Pinterest?</h2>
There are many benefits to advertising on social media platforms. Namely, because social media is a fast and effective way to be in front of your target audience. At the time of writing, there were over 250 million Pinners worldwide. However, if Pinterest’s vast audience isn’t enough to persuade you to advertise on Pinterest, there are many other appealing factors depending on your target audience and goals.

If your target market is women between 25-50, advertising on Pinterest will most definitely be interesting for you. Brands such as IKEA, Boursin, and Hunter have found value in advertising on Pinterest. Their Pinterest ads helped to increase intent to purchase, heighten visibility during high sales seasons, increasing offline sales, and more.

By advertising on Pinterest, you are able to pay to promote your images (pins) to appear higher, and more frequently, on Pinterest boards. Your advertisement/promoted pin appears as an image with a short description and a link to the product on your website. A user is able to save this pin and it will be seen in other people’s boards too. Further increasing visibility and engagement.
<h2>How to get started with advertising on Pinterest?</h2>
The first step is to upload your products into Pinterest via Pinterest Shopping. Pinterest Shopping, aka Catalogs, allows “Pinners” to discover, save, and eventually buy your products via Pinterest. In order to list your products on Pinterest for shopping, you need to supply Pinterest with your product catalog/product feed. You can then generate hundreds of product pins.

To advertise on Pinterest, you will have to choose to promote a pin to a shopping ad. Simply choose which pins/products you would like as Shopping Ads through the Pinterest Ads Manager. These pins then become “promoted pins”. Pinterest uses a pay per click model, so you will only pay when a user clicks on your pin. The Pinterest Ads Manager works similarly to other ad managers, you will need to set a campaign, ad group, budget, time frame, etc.
<blockquote><em>Good to know! Advertising on Pinterest will mean your pins promoted status will come to an end. However, the pin will remain on Pinterest forever. Meaning your products will always be on display, generating only more views and clicks.</em></blockquote>
Converting your existing product feed into a Pinterest compatible one is really simple if you use a tool like Channable. It's merely a matter of uploading your product feed into Channable, choosing Pinterest as a feed, completing the steps to ensure Channable completes the Pinterest feed with the correct data from your original product feed, and then voila - you will be provided with a new feed URL that is Pinterest ready. This will save you a lot more time in becoming listed so you can start advertising on Pinterest faster.

Remember, Pinterest is visual. For every image you supply in your product feed a separate pin will be made. You can have multiple images for one product. Simply include them in your Pinterest product feed as additional images. If you have a separate feed with images you can easily combine it with your master product feed in Channable. You can use any pin to advertise on Pinterest.
<h2>Our tips for advertising on Pinterest</h2>
<h3>Create Pinterest titles and descriptions</h3>
Most likely the content in your pins will match what is listed on your site. To make your Pinterest advertising more relevant, consider adapting titles and descriptions. Write ad copy specific for Pinterest and consider excluding any overly generic images that wouldn’t generate as much attention as your fancier ones. These modifications can be simply done in the rules section of Channable.
<h3>Use keywords</h3>
It’s possible to use your Google keywords to improve your discoverability and advertising on Pinterest. You can pop them in your titles, descriptions, and even the image itself. Alternatively, experiment with Pinterest’s own search bar and see what the auto-completion suggests. If you use Channable, you can modify titles and descriptions for Pinterest without having to change your master feed.
<h3>Clickbait</h3>
Being found on Pinterest is just the first step, you also need to ensure that your pin gets clicked and saved. Anything that stands out is sure to give you the upper hand. Consider the following:
<ol>
 	<li>Big text in the image</li>
 	<li>Colors that POP</li>
 	<li>Text blocks in images</li>
 	<li>Keywords in images</li>
</ol>
<h3>Less isn’t always more</h3>
The Pinterest inventory seems unlimited. Therefore, ensuring that you have a sufficient reach will require you to post frequently. Some marketers recommend 20-30 pins a day. It may seem a lot, but reposting is also acceptable.
<p style="text-align: center;"> <img class="alignnone wp-image-15365" src="https://media.graphcms.com/qrlkgMmcR72xBLSxHzXs" alt="Pinterest advertising tips channable" width="176" height="329" /> <img class="alignnone wp-image-15364" src="https://media.graphcms.com/zBAwJROmQeKyYhUuiaY7" alt="pinterest advertising channable" width="176" height="327" /><img class="alignnone wp-image-15363" src="https://media.graphcms.com/er1fEhBcQOSQFDJN9Q82" alt="pinterest ads channable" width="98" height="330" /></p>
By making relevant ads for Pinterest you will also increase the value of using it as an online marketing channel. Pinterest advertising can be sped up with Channable. Save yourself time and use Channable to manage your online marketing channels so you can easily scale and spend more time on making ads more relevant.



Get the most out of Pinterest advertising

Get ready to reach more customers, sell more, and still relax this sale season.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15271" src="https://media.graphcms.com/ISlJCWtBStiIPSmrlSvL" alt="" width="800" height="2133" />

Feel free to share this infographic on the social media network of your choice.

Channable offers connections to more than a thousand marketplaces and comparison websites around the world. Take a look at the <a href="/integrations">different possibilities</a> that you have in Channable and choose the ones that fit best with your online sales strategy this summer.

Tips for Summer Sale [infographic]

Being a Google premier partner often requires you to be on top of the latest Google developments, but you’re also eager to use them. <a href="https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7684791?hl=en-GB" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google’s responsive search ads</a> are the next biggest development in Google Ads, and Channable has ensured that the responsive search ads template is available in its <a href="/products/ppc-tool">SEA tool</a>. Roos Rabenberg from marketing agency <a href="https://www.yellowgrape.nl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yellowgrape</a>, a Channable Partner, has already been busy experimenting with responsive search ads in Channable and cared to share the experience so far.
<h2>What are responsive search ads?</h2>
The responsive search ads feature is Google’s AI ad structure that will adapt to the internet user depending on what the technology has evaluated as most effective. Roos shared that “by entering 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, Google Ads will automatically test the combinations and display the best performing ads to the right customer. Responsive search ads maximize the relevance of the ad to the search term of the customer. More relevance means that your advertisement can enter more auctions. More auctions lead to a higher probability of the advertisement to win, which results in an increase in impressions and traffic.”
<h2>Why would someone want to use responsive search ads?</h2>
Google says that responsive search ads allow you to display more relevant messages to your potential customers and may even improve performance. For Roos, “Responsive search ads are of great value to each advertiser out there that wants to maximize the probability of conversions. Before, advertisers needed to decide whether or not an advertisement was relevant or performing well. Now, we let a machine decide which ads are performing best based on a multitude of variables that is impossible to take into account as a simple human being. It not only saves time, but it also leads to better customer experience in Google.”

Functionality wise, responsive search ads can be desirable because you are able to:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Create flexible ads that can adapt to different device sizes</li>
 	<li>Save some time as you provide a set list of headlines and descriptions and Google will optimize the ad</li>
 	<li>Reach more people and increase ad group performance as combinations of your headlines and descriptions can generate more ads to compete in auctions and match more search queries</li>
</ul>
<h2>Why use Channable for responsive search ads?</h2>
Channable can be used to generate responsive search ads with dynamic information that updates the ads automatically. Dynamic fields use the information in your data feed to customize ads. One template can generate hundreds of variations of ads, headlines, and descriptions.

Yellowgrape was one of the first Channable clients to put Channable’s responsive search ads template to the test. Channable’s template was quickly deemed to Roos and the team as a valuable complement to starting with responsive ads as they realized “when using static ads, it can be hard to use up-to-date product information in your advertisements. In order to differentiate your ads from competitors, one must work with a feed management tool such as Channable. Creating advertisements in Channable can be done on different levels, such as brand-, category-, brand + category, and product level. By using keyword-related variables in a responsive search ad allows an advertiser to show relevant and up-to-date ads. This creates realistic expectations for the consumer. **Relevance level: 100%. Disappointment level: 0%.**”

<img class="alignnone wp-image-16656 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/O1ZxcbCyTFOUixU8jVBc" alt="channable responsive search ads" width="652" height="249" />

Channable’s SEA tool has proven to help improve relevancy, personalization, and save time. With the responsive search ads template, Channable has strived to ensure even more efficiency and the means to support even higher quality ads. Please<a href="/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> get in contact</a> if you’re interested in Channable’s SEA tool and using Channable to generate responsive search ads. You can also <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open an unlimited free trial account</a> to get started.



Why use Google’s responsive search ads?

Adapting the numerical data in your product feed to the specifications of all your chosen online marketing channels can be a challenge. Prices, discounts, promotions, taxes, and fees come in different formats with a variety of different decimal separators. Imagine having to modify all figures to comply with Google Shopping, Criteo, and Amazon’s required format because yours is different.
<h3>How you could do it before?</h3>
Channable has always been able to help you modify your numerical information. You could create a set of rules to ensure the modifications would be applied. Combing rules such as ‘<a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827945-Rule-round-number" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">round number</a>’ and any <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002818089-Rule-calculate-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘calculate</a>’ rule can help improve your information in your data feed. Unfortunately, it was not guaranteed that numbers in your data feed with irregular decimal separators would be successfully modified.
<h3>Channable’s awesome new rule</h3>
As the Channable team is made up of perfectionists, it was important to make this experience as efficient as possible. Therefore, what you could previously do in 4 clicks now only takes one. This revolutionary reformat number rule allows you to switch your decimal separator to the format you desire. Here’s how it looks in the tool:

<img class="size-full wp-image-16471 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/m9Mx4yqYQXa7HpbjyEAK" alt="Format number rule in Channable" width="1339" height="518" />

<em>Note: It is important that this rule is always the last numerical rule that you apply. For instance, if you’re wanting to modify the process with a discount percentage then it is most convenient to use the reformat number rule later.</em>

Channable’s rules allow you to make powerful modifications to your data. There is a long list of rules that you can apply to help you to easily improve the data in your product data feed. Modifying descriptions, optimizing titles, and filtering out products with low stock levels are just some examples of the options available. Interested? Feel free to <a href="mailto:support@channable.com">contact the technical support team</a>, who will be happy to advise you on which rules can help you to optimize your feed.



Reformat the numbers in your feed

Google is undeniably the current search engine leader. According to <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stat counter</a>, 92% of internet searches were made with Google in 2018 worldwide. With such figures, it’s no surprise that advertising on Google is a favorite for online merchants. The success of this type of advertising is not only due to Google Ads, but also the unstoppable growth of Google Shopping.
<h2>What do product ratings in Google look like?</h2>
Product ratings on Google Shopping appear as a star rating. Written reviews can also appear in the organic search results in Google.
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17038" src="https://media.graphcms.com/X2wrtnSkSUSPlkGxpPBu" alt="" width="1387" height="911" />

The rating is displayed on a scale that ranges from one to five stars. Ratings focus mainly on different aspects such as quality, materials, product features, user satisfaction, etc. Keep in mind, these ratings are for the product specifically not the seller. According to <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6059553?hl=en-GB" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google</a>, the overall rating is compiled from various sources.

By clicking on product ratings, a potential buyer will be brought to the Google Shopping product page where all reviews are displayed. In addition to the ratings, this product page also displays the list of sellers/online shops that stock the item, prices, special offers, shipping information, and seller ratings.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17022" src="https://media.graphcms.com/MNwMId3SlSzFkgj9eXIw" alt="" width="1333" height="446" />
<h2>How do Google Product Ratings work?</h2>
Unlike the seller’s ratings, product ratings are specific to that individual product. Naturally, delivery experience, returns policy, and customer service all factor into a buying experience, Google product ratings are intended for the products themselves and not the sellers.

These product ratings are supplied by third parties, which can be different sellers, marketplaces, review sites, etc. To associate ratings to each product, Google uses unique product identifiers, such as GTIN or other data such as the SKU, the brand, manufacturer number (MPN), and the product URL.

If a search is very generic, for example “red t-shirt”, an overview of different models will be shown. When you click on one of the models, the ratings of the sellers will appear. Whereas, if a search term is more specific, includes the brand name or the specific seller, then only the ratings for this seller will be displayed.
<h2>Advantages of integrating product ratings into Google Shopping</h2>
<em>**Ratings and reviews can help you distinguish yourself from the competition.**</em>
Online shoppers are strongly influenced by the opinions of other consumers. Products with ratings are more distinguishable than those that do not, which improves conversions and therefore sales. If your listing has many positive reviews, it will be easier for you to sell.

<em>**More informed consumers**</em>
Opinions do not just allow one product to stand out against another, it also helps consumers make a decision. In most cases, product descriptions provided by sellers are often impersonal and partial, which makes customers wary. Therefore, customers value and trust the opinions of fellow customers more. Especially, when reviews provide information that is missing from the product description.

<em>**Improve your conversion rate**</em>
Customers who come to your online shop through Google Shopping are more likely to buy.
<h2>Steps to integrate reviews into Google Shopping with a Google Product Ratings feed</h2>
The first question you need to ask is: Do I have enough product reviews? You need to be able to supply <a href="/blog/infographic-product-feed-for-online-marketing">a feed</a> with a minimum of 50 reviews for all products, but where do you get them from? You can gather them from your own online shop, an external review site that you work with, and Google customer reviews.

Once you have enough reviews, follow the steps below:
<ol>
 	<li>First, you need to have a Google Merchant Center account that is linked to your online shop. If you do not yet have an account, you can find instructions on how to set one up in <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/188924" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google’s support center</a>.</li>
 	<li>Before you upload the feed, you need to complete <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/contact/product_ratings_interest_form?hl=en&amp;visit_id=637000781696320879-1333004373&amp;rd=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google’s Product Ratings Interest form</a>.</li>
 	<li>Create the feed containing all the reviews. Google accepts it in an XML file format. Use Channable’s feed management tool to easily create such a file, notably as the required fields are already built into the tool. Meaning you can compile a Google Product Ratings feed in a few minutes.</li>
 	<li>Import the newly created XML/Product Ratings feed into the Merchant Center.</li>
</ol>
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17027" src="https://media.graphcms.com/Zu2vREKoTDydrlDq1pV2" alt="" width="658" height="518" />

With Channable, you can modify your product data feed to the specifications of many Google products. You can create the perfect feed for Google Shopping, Google Display, Google Product Ratings, and even the Google Manufacturer Center. You can also set up the structure of your Shopping campaigns or create thousands of ads for Google Ads with the dynamic Channable SEA tool that uses information from your product feed. Channable is the most complete tool for managing all your marketing efforts on Google.

How to embed product ratings into Google Shopping?

Google Shopping merchants received an announcement late January that Google will no longer support integrations with BigCommerce, <a href="/integrations/magento">Magento</a> or <a href="/integrations/prestashop">Prestashop </a> vendors from 20th March 2018 onwards. Google Merchants received an email from Sales &amp; Orders stating that the decision was made: “in order to better focus on solutions that will make the Shopping ads onboarding a more seamless experience. We’re continuing to work with e-commerce platforms to explore more frictionless integration opportunities.”

However, this does not mean the end for Google selling for webshop owners. The use of third parties to generate feeds and build API connections for Google Shopping remains supported.
<h2>Channable supports Google feeds and API</h2>
Channable has long supported feed generation and is continuously improving an API connection with Google Shopping. So rest assured, you can continue to sell on Google Shopping, as well as over 1000 more channels, and enjoy many more of Channable’s other features such as <a href="/products/marketplace-integrator">order connections</a> and <a href="/products/ppc-tool">SEA tool</a> for dynamic text ads and shopping campaigns.

With Channable you can optimize your product information to increase your discoverability on Google Shopping with our unique rules. So you can make sure that your titles and image links are optimized, before you appear on Google Shopping.

Channable wants to help everybody that has been affected by Google’s decision. We’ve created a special promo code* to ensure that you remain on Google Shopping as fast as possible. We will set up your Google Shopping feed free of charge when you use the promotional code: <b>GOOGLE_PROMO2018</b>. Hurry, <em>**this code expires 1st April 2018**</em> - and no, this is not an April’s fools joke. After you<a href="/signup"> create an account </a> , enter the code at the set up and one of us will be in contact asap to discuss the finer details. Make sure to take a look at your new feed and experiment with our rules to make your products shine!
<h2>Prestashop and Magento Channable Plug-Ins</h2>
If you have a Prestashop or Magento shop you can directly import your data feed into Channable with a plug-in. The plug-in incurs <i>no additional costs</i> and you can make use of any of our <a href="/pricing">monthly subscriptions</a> starting at 19 euros a month. It’s possible to import products into Channable if you use BigCommerce with an XML import. Once your import is complete, create a Google Shopping connection with just a few clicks. Channable's API connection is continuously being developed to ensure that a more seamless integration is offered.

Feel free to <a href="mailto: support@channable.com">contact us</a> if you have any questions regarding our tool, how our connections work or to have a good old rant about Google’s decision

Channable’s solution to Google’s decision to drop BigCommerce, Magento and Prestashop API connection

GDPR. Those 4 dreaded letters. The<a href="https://edps.europa.eu/data-protection/data-protection/legislation/history-general-data-protection-regulation_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> General Data Protection Regulation</a> has instilled a certain amount of frenzy in the past few months. It is a new EU regulation introduced to harmonize data privacy laws across Europe to protect and empower EU citizens. But it needn’t be as scary or stressful as the media make it out to be (who would’ve guessed?). Admittedly, it was about time to update online data protection regulations, the previous one having been put in place a whopping 23 years ago. A time before Google (just), Facebook and Amazon.

The GDPR is being put into place to regulate the collection, storage, transfer and usage of personal data. For people, this is great news. For companies, this may mean a lot of paperwork but also an opportunity for companies to shine light on how they process personal information. Accordingly, these types of companies are coined **controllers** or **processors**, depending on what they do with the information. The **controller** determines the purpose and means of processing the personal data. **Processors** basically process personal data on behalf of the controller.

Naturally, due to the industry Channable is involved in, Channable is a processor as it processes a certain amount of personal data e.g. names, email addresses, and, if you use the order connection feature, order shipping information. Channable has received many inquiries into the actions that are being taken in preparation for GDPR. So to be more efficient, this post will cover how Channable is affected by GDPR and what you need to do.

Firstly, Channable holds the personal data of its users e.g. names and email addresses. This data is stored and encrypted in Channable’s servers. Therefore, a new privacy policy has been created to better communicate how Channable uses the personal data that you provide. In order to continue using Channable’s tool, you will need to agree to the new privacy policy which can be found in the tool.

The other personal data Channable processes is related to our order connection feature. As a processor, Channable doesn’t interpret or use the personal data that is received from order connections. However, as many of Channable’s clients are sub-processors/controllers and have inquired about documentation, Channable has created its own Data Processing Amendment (DPA) to save you time and effort.

To see whether you will need to read and sign the agreement Channable has made, just follow the flowchart below.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9035" src="https://media.graphcms.com/8Zv5m2ZzQXiqfLKapxQb" alt="" width="800" height="1028" />

Depending on where you ended in the flowchart you will either have to do:

1) read and accept the new Privacy Policy

2) and read and sign the DPA

The new documents can be found in the tool under Company settings &gt; Legal &amp; compliance.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9020" src="https://media.graphcms.com/yoHaWbwQTGLkEg1eORRP" alt="screenshot channable GDPR" width="721" height="448" />
<h3>The new and improved Privacy Policy</h3>
Our reviewed Privacy Policy makes it clearer for you to know what data Channable stores about you, how it is protected and how you can amend/delete it.

Here's a brief summary of the Privacy Policy:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>If you use Channable, Channable may ask or gather personally identifiable information from you (e.g. email address, phone number, address) in order to contact, identify and invoice you</li>
 	<li>Channable may also collect information that your browser sends (e.g. IP address, browser type, browser version, the pages in our tool that you visit, the date of your visit) in order to improve the Channable tool or its website</li>
 	<li>Channable will never sell or trade any personal information to third parties</li>
 	<li>Channable will do everything in its power to protect and secure your personal information</li>
</ul>
Some ways your data may be used:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>To deal with inquiries you send to Channable</li>
 	<li>To create and administer records of how you use Channable</li>
 	<li>To provide you with information and access to resources that you request from Channable</li>
 	<li>To provide you with technical support</li>
 	<li>To improve Channable’s website</li>
 	<li>To improve Channable’s customer service</li>
 	<li>To send you more information about the company and new possibilities within the tool (via newsletters that you opted in to receive)</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Data Processing Amendment</h3>
For customers who benefit from our order connection feature, the DPA will be found in the tool, awaiting your approval. The document explains what Channable does with all the personal data that is retrieved from the order connections.

In short the DPA document states:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Channable uses 2 kinds of different "personal information": 1) information for delivering technical support and 2) information of clients' customers in the form of order information</li>
 	<li>Channable processes the personal data from order connections to provide you with order synchronization and with technical support if you seek it</li>
 	<li>Channable will not accept sensitive data (data that can be used to uniquely identify someone) for processing</li>
 	<li>Channable allows you to delete personal data at any given time on request whilst you’re a paying client of Channable</li>
 	<li>If you decide to stop using Channable and notify us of this termination, Channable will destroy or return any of your customer data that is in its possession if requested. Any deleted data will be properly deleted 30 days after the subscription has ended.</li>
 	<li>The security measures Channable currently has in place to protect your data are: the pseudonymization and/or encryption of personal data, the ability to ensure ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of data processing systems and services, and regularly testing and evaluating whether these measures are effective</li>
 	<li>The staff at Channable that work with personal data comply with Channable’s security measures</li>
 	<li>If a data incident occurs, it will be immediately communicated to you via email</li>
 	<li>If you would like to request an audit to verify our compliance with GDPR you are welcome to but you are responsible for any costs and you can only request it once in 12 months.</li>
 	<li>Within Channable, you are able to access customer data, correct any inaccurate customer data, restrict the processing of it and export or delete it</li>
 	<li>You authorize us to use sub-processors (though they’re only allowed to access and use customer data to the extent that they’re contracted to). A list of our sub-processors can be found in the document as they are subject to change.</li>
</ul>
You will need to agree to the new Privacy Policy, and potentially the DPA, to continue using Channable’s services.

Hopefully now you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that Channable has always prioritized data protection and privacy. Everybody at Channable tries their utmost best to deliver a service that you can trust in. If you’re not yet a customer of ours, feel free to <a href="/signup">create a free trial account </a>or <a href="mailto:support@channable.com">chat to one of our support members</a> to find out more about how Channable can make selling online a piece of (safe) cake.

A small update on what to expect from Channable’s GDPR preparations

Bing may be responsible for a modest <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share/all/united-kingdom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7.24% of the share from the search engine market in the UK</a>. But at the beginning of 2018 the search engine platform was counting, on average, <a href="https://secure.bingads.microsoft.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6 billion monthly searches</a>. Therefore, there is no need for us to explain why there is definitely huge potential in using Bing Ads to reach your customers. Before telling you how to master Bing Ads and explaining to you how Channable can rock your Bing Ads, here is a little bit more insight into the service.
<h2>What are Bing Ads?</h2>
Bing Ads is essentially Microsoft’s version of Google AdWords. Similar to AdWords, Bing Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising system. It is part of the web search engine called Bing. Signing up to Bing Ads is free, you’ll pay only when someone clicks on your Text Ads. As Bing says: “no click, no charge”.
<h3><em>Text Ads</em></h3>
Once you’ve created your Text Ads in Bing, they will appear on the top or to the right of Bing, Yahoo, and MSN search results.
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="alignnone wp-image-9920 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/NaT8jbT361rGWTIjudCA" alt="" width="600" height="405" />
<em>How a text ad appears on Bing.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Your ad position will be determined by different factors such as how high your bid is compared to your bidding competitors, your click-through rate or how closely your ad and website fit with the keyword. Similarly to AdWords, you can target your ads to geographic locations, times or days of the week, etc.</p>

<h3>**<em>Product listing Ads</em>**</h3>
Again, similar to Google, you can create Bing Shopping ads and use Shopping Campaigns to organize, manage, and bid for your Product Ads. Like with the Google Merchant Center, the Bing Merchant Center allows you to create Product Ads for each of your items. Product Ads showcase your items in a larger format with images, text, pricing, etc. Don’t mistake them with Text Ads (see the above picture for an example).
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="alignnone wp-image-9925 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/qnpjJuVmQty2PXRNFevY" alt="" width="600" height="405" />
<em>How a Product Ad will appear on Bing.</em></p>

<h2>Why should you use Bing Ads?</h2>
Of course, you don’t tell someone to “Bing” something but rather “Google” it. However, there are still good reasons for you to start using Bing Ads:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Bing Ads can connect you to millions of internet users that are NOT using Google.</li>
 	<li>The competition is lower than AdWords and therefore Bing Ads is known to be “cheaper” than AdWords.</li>
 	<li>If you're already using Google Adwords, you can easily sync your campaigns to Bing Ads, but this comes with constraints*.</li>
</ul>
* <em>Imagine you want to create a specific campaign for Bing, this option will prevent you from it. But if you are using Channable and our SEA tool, you can copy your ads’ templates to the Bing Ads generator and still manage your ads specifically for Bing exactly as you want them to be.</em>
<h2>Bing Ads within Channable</h2>
Maybe you already know that Channable has a <a href="/products/ppc-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener">special SEA</a> tool that enables you to create thousands of dynamic ads for AdWords based on the information in your product feed. Therefore we thought, why not offer a similar feature for Bing Ads!
Here a handful of reasons why it’s a good idea to use a tool like Channable to create your Bing Ads:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>The SEA tool is very intuitive and user friendly, which helps you to create your campaigns effortlessly.</li>
 	<li>Automatically create thousands of customized Bing Ads based on your feed with the ad template.</li>
 	<li>Everything will be updated automatically: Channable retrieves all new information from your feed daily or even up till every hour and updates your ads accordingly.</li>
 	<li>New items are automatically added, into the right campaign and ad group, and with the correct advertisement.</li>
 	<li>You decide which (dynamic) attributes you’d like to use in your text ad (i.e fluctuating price, brand, title or stock).</li>
 	<li>Create your own A/B testing template: generate different ad templates for your items in just a few clicks to see which ad performs better.</li>
</ul>
In Channable, there are two ways to easily generate your Bing campaigns.

1) As mentioned above, you can copy rules and templates from Channable’s AdWords generators into your Bing Ads generators. After that, you can fine-tune the ads for Bing, within Channable, in anyway you like.
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="alignnone wp-image-9926 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/EHzyTZGdT6adCDKTVPpg" alt="Bing Ads Channable" width="600" height="372" />
<em>Push thousands of custom ads for all of your items to Bing.</em></p>
2) Generate your campaigns for Bing from scratch, based on the feed containing all your items’ information. The first step in creating ads is selecting the level on which you want your campaigns to be generated (i.e. brand level - would create a campaign for every brand in your feed). The next step is to simply construct your Bing ad groups, ads, keywords and negative keywords. Channable’s Bing ads generators and templates make advertising with Bing simple and easy to implement.
<p style="text-align: left;">So, if you already know <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/categories/115000528889-Dynamic-Ads" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how the SEA tool works within Channable</a> you can get started right away! If you don’t have yet a Channable account, <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign up here</a>. If you do, <a href="/contact">contact us </a>to enable the Bing feature for you and start setting up your Bing campaigns, as it works pretty much in the same way! Awesome, right?</p>

Why you should consider using Bing Ads

**Sell in the land of watches and chocolate**
From 2012 to 2017, the e-commerce sector grew by 53% and this trend will continue over the next few years. Even if it took the Swiss a bit longer to use online marketplaces, nowadays Swiss consumers love to shop online. Last year, they spent almost 9 billion Swiss Francs (spread amongst only 8 million inhabitants) on the internet. In 2017, almost 20 percent of all online sales were made on webshops from abroad. According to <a href="https://blog.carpathia.ch/2018/02/20/vsv-gfk-zahlen-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carpathia</a> over the next three years, foreign trade is expected to rapidly increase by another 20 percent. Now is the perfect time to start an expansion into Switzerland. Do you want to jump on the bandwagon? You can profit from the success of international marketplaces and the trend of shopping from abroad if you join the Swiss market now.

<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-11682" src="https://media.graphcms.com/FXBWIwi8TPeZ83bG49H2" alt="" width="900" height="512" />

**The Swiss particularities**
International online retailers are on the rise and are unstoppable. But, how do you conquer a market that is resilient? This is a question raised by many online retailers who want to sell their items in Switzerland. Swiss people like Swiss products but competition from abroad is increasingly putting Swiss online retailers under pressure. The Swiss online marketplaces have to compete with vendors and marketplaces from abroad. The online marketplace, Digitec Galaxus, is still the market leader but international players in e-commerce are catching up. Players such as Amazon - who only launched in Switzerland in 2018, Zalando and AliExpress were all in the top 10 top-selling marketplaces in Switzerland last year.

Foreign vendors must make an extra effort and offer good deals to convince Swiss citizens to commit to purchasing. Alongside logistical and administrative hurdles there are further obstacles such as insufficient product information. Product specifications must be communicated as clearly as possible, which can be solved easily with a feed management tool if international vendors want to successfully sell their goods and services in Switzerland.

**Climbing over the Matterhorn to reach the Swiss market**
Cross-border trade in Switzerland requires some knowledge in the areas of VAT, customs clearance and logistics. In many cases, it pays off to work with logistics partners who are specialized in offering tailor-made solutions.

**What are the most important points to consider when trading online from abroad to Switzerland?**
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**Language:**
Multilingualism is an important feature of Switzerland as there are 4 official national languages spoken in the small country. If your online shop is available in at least two languages (German and French are the majorities) you already have an advantage in the Swiss market.</li>
 	<li>**Currency:**
The goods and services should be offered in Swiss Francs. Not only the price but also the payment methods are decisive. According to the ecommerce news magazine, bill payment is the most popular method, but credit card, PayPal and PostFinance should not be missed. If you sell your products only on marketplaces, no need to adapt the currency on your website, because the sale will take place directly on the marketplace. Problem solved!</li>
 	<li>**Customs and shipping:**
When importing your products, you must complete a customs declaration for each parcel with the price of the goods in Swiss Francs. For each package there is an import and sales tax. That sounds pretty complicated and laborious? That's why there are logistic solutions that pick up orders in your existing warehouse in Europe and process the entire import customs clearance. You don’t need a warehouse or company location in Switzerland to offer customers the same ordering convenience as Swiss e-commerce retailers. For returns, you will receive a refund for the import duties. More information can be found at the <a href="https://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/en/home/information-companies/declaring-goods/importation-into-switzerland/courier-by-post--online-shopping--mail-order-company.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swiss Customs Administration</a>.</li>
 	<li>**Taxes:**
Value added tax (VAT) is very low in Switzerland. It amounts to 7,7% of the assessment basis. A reduced rate of 2.5% applies for certain goods (e.g. edibles, books, magazines and medications).</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-11793 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/c1WUFI3zTdSZU1cpjqzw" alt="" width="555" height="1024" />

**The most lucrative Swiss marketplaces**
The <a href="https://www.galaxus.ch/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Digitec Galaxus AG</a> and <a href="https://www.ricardo.ch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ricardo</a> are the main Swiss marketplaces in the e-commerce market.
<ul markdown>
 	<li>**Digitec Galaxus**
Digitec Galaxus AG is the largest online marketplace in Switzerland. With about one million active customers, Digitec Galaxus is the #1 online store in Switzerland. It had 861 Billion revenue on the platforms digitec.cg and galaxus.ch in 2017. Both marketplaces offer a broad and growing sortiment. Digitec Galaxus works with established and select vendors. As a retailer, you pay no basic fees but will be subject to a sales commission, when you sell an item. For EU merchants Galaxus offers a customs clearance solution, the EU hub. Read more about <a href="https://www.galaxus.ch/en/page/become-a-merchant-12462">how to become a merchant</a>.</li>
 	<li>**ricardo**
ricardo.ch is more than just a marketplace, it’s an online auction house and has a very high reach in Switzerland. The listing of products on ricardo is free. You only pay a commission fee of 9% on each sale.</li>
</ul>
The following channels are also very popular in Switzerland: Amazon, Zalando, AliExpress, Wish, Facebook, Shopping.ch and Google Shopping.

Channable offers marketplace connections to Digitec Galaxus and ricardo, and links to many other Swiss online sales channels. With our tool you can adapt your product data according to the requirements of the marketplaces and list your products automatically on the channels.
Do you want to start selling in Switzerland? <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get started</a> and conquer the Swiss market!

How to conquer the Swiss online market

The first Black Friday was in 1951, the first Cyber Monday in 2005. While these days were mainly a US phenomena for a long time, in the last couple of years Europe also joined the hunt for perfect deals. In 2017, 91% of UK retailers offered Black Friday deals (as opposed to 81% in the US). In the EU, customers spent 508 percent more on Black Friday than they did on an average Friday. Revenues are increasing every year, so it’s the perfect time to join the bustle! With our 6 tips, you won’t miss out on the hordes of customers.
<h2>Get started</h2>
Everything starts with a plan. Think about what your marketing budget is, what your discount will be, which products are relevant for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and where you want to sell or promote: marketplaces, comparison websites, affiliate networks, social advertising, etc.
<h2>Be seen where it’s relevant</h2>
To reach as many potential customers as possible, you’ll want to be seen. This might already be a challenge on normal days, but for the kickoff of the holiday sales you'll be in need of additional exposure. Channable’s got your back! Decide which platforms are relevant for your business and get there with Channable. Easily send your product feed in to more than <a href="/integrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2500 marketplaces, price comparison websites and affiliate platforms</a>. One of the advantages of using a feed management tool for increasing exposure is that your product data (prices, stock, etc) on platforms are synchronized with your website. Pretty relevant during a period where you offer sale prices and stock level might vary, right?
<h2>Filter &amp; optimize your products</h2>
Depending on the platform, you have to decide if you really want to advertise all products - or only the ones that are on sale, top sellers or premium products. You could <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827265-What-are-examples-of-common-rules-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">filter products</a> and only send e.g. products over €50 to Amazon. Or, how about automatically <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827585-Rule-append-value" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">adding the word ‘SALE’ to every title</a>, or adding the original price into the description? That’s all possible without hassle. Learn <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmI9QpxXZsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">how to optimize your product feed</a> before exporting it! Don’t forget to <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002817249-How-do-I-filter-items-using-rules-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">exclude items</a> that are out of stock.
<h2>Advertise anywhere</h2>
In addition to the people who are already browsing price comparison websites or marketplaces, you might want to reach the shoppers who haven’t decided yet and surprise them with your Black Friday deal. Think: Facebook Ads, Google or Bing Text Ads, Google Shopping or display ads through affiliates. How do you use them without spending days creating campaigns? Easy, with Channable you can adjust your product feed to the needs of the export platform, even set up entire search campaigns, ad groups and ads <a href="/products/ppc-tool" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">with a few clicks</a>.
<h2>Show what you’ve got</h2>
It’s important to display the most recent stock level so that customers don’t try to order products that might be sold out. Many export platforms fetch product information once a day, even Channable does by default. That means that your stock level on export platforms can be a day old. To always have the latest stock information, Channable offers extra runs. This way your product information gets updated up to 24 times per day. Therefore, customers won’t leave your site disappointed after they realize that your product is sold out. Check out Channable’s <a href="/extra-runs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">holiday promotion</a> for extra runs! Note: Make sure the export platform allows multiple updates a day if you want to benefit from the extra runs.
<h2>Sell fast, send fast - The aftermath</h2>
Congrats, you’ve made it through Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and you’ve sold more than you expected! That’s awesome. The money has been made, now you have to please your customers by sending them their new goods as fast as possible. With Channable’s order connections, all your orders from various marketplaces can be imported automatically into your shop system . No more copy-pasting addresses, or manually updating stock numbers. A direct API-connection between your online store and the marketplace syncs everything automatically. At the time of writing, Channable supports order connections with Magento, Lightspeed, WooCommerce, Divide, Prestashop and Shopify shops. If you are not using any of the mentioned shop systems, you can connect your shopsystem to the Channable API. Read more about <a href="/products/marketplace-integrator" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">order connections</a>.

Ready to begin the sale of the year? <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Start your Channable trial now! </a>

How you can get the most out of Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Channable is a tool that can convert your <a href="/integrations/xml-converter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">XML</a> to <a href="/integrations/csv-converter">CSV</a> (or even your Google Spreadsheet or TXT file), but the tool can be used for much more than just converting a file. This data feed management tool is perfect for managing, editing and working on your data. It will give you all the freedom to tweak your data in the easiest way possible and convert from many different types of files to a custom CSV or other. Channable can be THE solution for these issues: you face problems such as modifying data in hundreds of different Excel files, you have to combine data from different files with a different format, or you are facing difficulties editing fields in your file with the Excel formulas, etc.
<h2>On the import level</h2>
You can easily import your XML to convert it into a CSV later on. This is not the only supported format: XML, CSV, TXT or Google Spreadsheet are also accepted. The big advantage of Channable is that you can import more than one file and all of them can be with a totally different format. This is very useful if your data is spread across many files that are in different formats. Simply, import, combine or merge your XML, CSV, TXT or Google Spreadsheet.

<img class="size-full wp-image-12545 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/yKRP7GKTSIOGU2T1lvDa" alt="With Channable convert any file to create a new custom CSV" width="945" height="170" />
<em>Have a look at a short instruction here:</em>
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kb6YMUa7XtI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>Edit and adapt all your data</h2>
One of the best features in Channable is the rule section. In that section, you can easily manage your data. This can be done with our IF-THEN statements, which are extremely powerful and yet so easy to use.
<h3>A non exhaustive list of what you can do with these rules:</h3>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Set up actions which allow you to filter on data</li>
 	<li>Exclude data you don’t want to include in the CSV</li>
 	<li>Enrich your data by appending values such as an optimized description or brand name in any field</li>
 	<li>Limit a field to a certain amount of characters</li>
 	<li>Enrich your data by adding columns (fields) and filling them as desired</li>
</ul>
<img class="size-full wp-image-12550 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/ebgLsKPKQImaASL1REwx" alt="Combine values with Channable rules" width="1327" height="496" />

This is one idea on how to use the rules within Channable but the possibilities are endless and it is way more user-friendly than Excel. If you want more ideas on what can be done, check out <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/categories/115000535005-Rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our guides</a>.
<h2>Export your custom CSV</h2>
Once you’ve modified the data within the rules section, you can either export all the fields or select which ones you want to export to your new CSV. This way, you’ll avoid having too many useless fields in your newly made custom CSV file. Furthermore, decide in which order you want your data or what will be the names of the columns.

There are more conversion options in Channable than just XML to CSV; you can also create a TXT file, another XML file (also a unescaped XML file), a JSON file or even a RSS feed.

<img class="size-full wp-image-12548 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/2qUJDIKzQAK81VzzNL4Y" alt="Convert XML to csv with Channable" width="1174" height="136" />

Want to use Channable to manage your data? Then <a href="/pricing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check which plan would suit you best</a> and <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get started now</a>!

Convert any file to create a new custom CSV

Google’s expanded ad template was introduced mid-2018. An <a href="https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7056544?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expanded Google ad</a> allows advertisers to write three headlines, as opposed to two, and an additional description of 90 characters. The ability to expand ads was <a href="https://www.iprospect.com/en/us/our-blog/googles-expanded-text-ads-are-now-bigger-and-better/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">warmly welcomed</a> by the marketing commuting and Channable saw to implement the expanded text ads structure immediately. The additional headline and description are optional but give marketers an extra 120 characters to communicate more information.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-12963 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/M8kWlwFnS82xHKXtv5k0" alt="" width="1500" height="561" />

This option to share more information is great news. Especially if your ad headlines currently only contain vital information and you feel limited for creativity. For example, you currently advertise on the brand name and your own USP but have little room for much else. This third headline gives you the option to add a second USP such as free shipping, a call to action, or temporary information such as seasonal promotional messages. With Channable’s dynamic template, automating expanded text ads and modifying a third headline is simplified. Notably as you can communicate dynamic information such as price or availability without pausing ads.
<h1>Sitelinks are also here!</h1>
To further improve your ad and click through rate, use sitelinks. They are also available in Channable’s ad templates. Sitelinks appear as additional URLs in a search ad and can provide users with immediate access to e.g. your phone number, your opening hours, special offers. You can have up to six sitelinks, and a minimum of two.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-12964 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/ZMjfY0vUQ36qbjJFE9OQ" alt="" width="1500" height="997" />

Sitelinks are great as you can edit them without creating new ads or losing performance data of your ads. Sitelinks also help you get a better understanding of your clicks and what information your potential customers want the most.

Improve and automate your Google ads with Channable’s dynamic expanded ad template. Then, watch your ad performance and click through rate boom. For a demo of the SEA tool, just <a href="/demo">fill out our demo form</a> and a Channable expert will be in contact asap.

Channable’s new and improved ad template: Google expanded ads and sitelinks

<h2>What’s new?</h2>
If you’ve activated <a href="/products/marketplace-integrator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Channable’s Order Connections</a>, you’ll already be benefiting from the synchronisation i.e. of order information, stock levels, track and trace status, from a marketplace such as Amazon or Bol.com straight into the backend of your online store.

The order information that Channable processes can now be downloaded as a CSV file.
<h2>Why would I want orders in a CSV?</h2>
Whilst an overview within Channable is very nice, many of you requested whether you could easily extract the information for your own information processing.

Having the CSV can be useful for your own documentation, reportage and record keeping.
<h2>How do I do it?</h2>
There’s a handy “Download as CSV” button in the bottom right corner of the order overview page within Channable. You can set a specific date range for the download, as otherwise the default is the previous month.

<img class="size-full wp-image-12541 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/vqzlfGPQSWEP1BQ8KLNh" alt=" Download Orders as CSV within Channable" width="1320" height="705" />
<h2>More Information?</h2>
For a screenshot and some more information about finding the order connection in Channable you can take a look at <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013185094-Download-orders-and-order-returns-as-CSV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the help centre article</a>.

New Feature: Download Orders as a CSV

In the Netherlands alone, approximately 124 million kilos of textiles per year end up in rubbish tips and are incinerated, which makes reusing clothes deemed fundamental in today’s mass produced society. The trend is not a new one but it’s one that deserves promotion. Year on year unsustainable, fast fashion is having lasting effects. A clothes swap is an event that can stimulate reusing clothes and improve the CO2 footprint of individuals. Afterall, as the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
<h2>But how?</h2>
Channable’s marketing team took responsibility to schedule the event, hunt for resources - everything from sourcing hangers and mirrors to what refreshments to serve - and manage correspondence with the charities.

The charity chosen to raise money for was Make-A-Wish. A charity that Channable has long supported and is particularly important to certain employees. Make-A-Wish is an organization that goes about fulfilling the wishes of terminally ill children.

In addition, any left over clothes were donated to the ReShare movement by Leger des Heils (The Salvation Army). Leger des Heils is the largest clothing collector in the Netherlands and recycles around 26 million kilos of clothing a year, either to new owners or breaks materials down to be repurposed.

&nbsp;

<img class="wp-image-14152 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/fE1nTRxBQAW5DzdaanjJ" alt="clothes swap channable" width="461" height="346" />

&nbsp;
<h2>The day</h2>
The evening itself was a lot of fun for everyone involved. It consisted of prosecco, sushi, laughs but most importantly clothes swapping. Everyone at the office contributed to the mountain of clothes that was up for grabs. In return, everyone walked away with many new items and yet over seven bags of clothing were salvaged and donated. In addition, over 130 euros was collected and donated to Make-A-Wish.

It is Channable’s honour to be able to participate in more sustainable initiatives and support the projects that are important to its colleagues. To read more about what other sustainable contributions Channable has made to society, check the CSR page.

<img class=" wp-image-14149 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/4NwlF4GjQuaSTsIBfCbv" alt="Channable clothes swap " width="500" height="375" />

Channable clothes swap: Spring cleaning never felt so good

<h2>Move around</h2>
From the beginning of Channable, there has been standing desks. For those who are not familiar with this concept, it’s a desk that can be altered in height. It means you do not have to be bound to sitting at (or, in some not so exceptional cases, lying on) your desk; providing you with the choice to sit or stand whilst working. When Channable moved offices in August 2017, it recognized people’s enthusiasm for these height adjusting desks and ditched all other types of desks, to make sure everybody would always have the possibility to switch up positions throughout the day.
<h2>Move even more</h2>
There are many kinds of people; one kind loves to stretch and flex their muscles more than the others. For that reason, as of May 2018, yoga sessions are hosted at the beautiful Channable office once a week. A qualified yoga instructor leads an hour of Vinyasa Yoga, to ensure that the Channable yogis move every muscle, providing relief to all the aches and pains that come with desk jobs.

<img class="wp-image-14160 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/lpZo6sCUSuGooqPaxGJe" alt="Channable yoga" width="491" height="368" />
<h2>Relax to the max</h2>
To start 2018 in the best way, Channable’s employees had the pleasure of welcoming Esther. Ever since, Esther has become everyone's favorite person to see around the office. You may be wondering, who Esther is? Well, Esther is a masseuse! Everyone at Channable gets to enjoy twenty whole minutes of pure relaxation during their workday.

Esther mentions on her <a href="https://de-stoelmasseur.nl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> “I love to give people some time to themselves in which they can relax and reenergize”. Isn’t that all that a company could wish for? A team of relaxed and energized people, able to give their best.
<h2>The Channable soccer team</h2>
Next to weekly yoga classes, Channable also has a footy team that plays every week. The team, ‘Rentable’, consists of men and women from both Channable and Rentman and plays every Wednesday evening against another local company or team of friends. Whereas ‘normal’ soccer seasons tend to have a break during winter and summer, these die-hards play a match every week, three seasons a year, come rain or shine. If you’re ever in the neighborhood and recognize our orange/blue kits; come see some winners in action.

<img class="wp-image-14161 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/z1htz57lR6qbzgdhhXtF" alt="" width="495" height="329" />

If none of the above suit you, there are many other hobbies or after-work activities to be found at Channable. Many Channable employees regularly play Ping Pong, and really test their skills at the biannual tournament. Next to that, there are groups that meet to batter opponents in squash, battle on the padel court, and climb to new heights in bouldering halls.

For some, sports are just not their thing. These Channable employees can often be found hanging out at the in-house bar or playing a heated game of FIFA. Even better still? Channable’s doors are open to their friends, family, clients, prospects and more, so feel free to join if you want to see how Channable play!

Channable loves its people

<h2>Recognize, encourage and appreciate</h2>
It can be difficult for young artists to start a career and gain visibility. That’s why Channable wants to offer a platform with this initiative. Channable has opted for a collaboration with the Fine Art course at the HKU. Hanging the works from this creative resource in Utrecht makes Channable proud.
<h2>New in old</h2>
At the HKU, the students of the Fine Art program learn to develop ideas, translate them into visual work and display their own style. In January 2018, Channable started a project to alternately hang the artwork of Fine Art students in its offices. This gives the third-year students an opportunity to display their art on the walls of a beautiful old building in the center of Utrecht. Consequently, the employees and visitors of Channable can enjoy the creations from the latest art generation from Utrecht. The art pieces are on loan to Channable, which means the student is financially compensated for their decorative contribution to the Channable office.
<h2>Introducing the latest artist</h2>
First up is Robin Speijer. She caught our eye with the special details she incorporates into her paintings.

[caption id="attachment_14244" align="aligncenter" width="267"]<img class="wp-image-14244" src="https://media.graphcms.com/LaCvvtizQA2YR62b5WSN" alt="laces robin speijer" width="267" height="345" /> Robin Speijer. Laces, 2017.[/caption]
<blockquote>"I am fascinated by details and I paint different textures enlarged on canvas or panel. Soft materials, such as hair and textiles, are often the subject of my paintings. During my process, I collect many photographs from which I make a selection and frame a detail. I search for certain combinations of colors, light, contrast, and levels of sharpness. I then make a series of paintings in which I depict the material in various ways."</blockquote>
<em>You can view more of Robin's work here: <a href="https://robinspeijer.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://robinspeijer.com</a></em>

The second young talent is Bas Heinen. Bas has been drawing since childhood and was 21 when his art was chosen for the Channable office. In order to be able to work more with contrasts and colors, he started painting and in 2015, he started the Fine Arts course at the HKU.

[caption id="attachment_14249" align="aligncenter" width="313"]<img class=" wp-image-14249" src="https://media.graphcms.com/BSeQrN2eQpqP6ZhZJYFu" alt="Blue morning Bas Heinen" width="313" height="290" /> Bas Heinen. Blue, Morning, 2018[/caption]
<blockquote>"I am interested in depicting the environment with an emphasis on nature. In my paintings, the focus is on creating a serene representation of my impressions on canvas. The works exhibited at Channable offer a moment of peace in the hectic lives of the Channable team. During the painting process, I examine various ways in which nature can be depicted. In each series, I try to work with light, contrast, and depth in different ways, to convey the atmosphere as accurately as possible."</blockquote>
&nbsp;

Young company supports young artists

It's getting colder outside and we are slowly approaching Christmas. Millions of people are looking for the perfect gift for their loved ones. As many people don't want to leave their house to participate in the Christmas shopping marathon, they order their presents from home - online. So the question is: Is your online store ready for the Christmas business? With these tips, we are sure you will succeed and sell more.
<h3>1. Your homepage</h3>
**Responsive design**
Ever tried to scroll from one side of a homepage to the other on a mobile device? Then you know - it's not fun. Nowadays, responsive design is a must for every homepage and online store. Make sure to offer your potential customers the best homepage experience and invest in a responsively designed website.

**Optimize website speed**
3 seconds is all you have - this is the maximum amount of time it takes a website user to leave when a page is not responding. Increase the speed of your website and improve your user experience to encourage browsing and purchasing.

**Christmas design and festive layout**
Get potential customers into the Christmas spirit. Change teasers and slideshows into a winter wonderland, feature seasonal products and display high-quality pictures, graphics and/or videos. These will grab the customer’s attention and result in a longer stay on your homepage, which could lead to higher conversion rates.
<h3>2. Products</h3>
**Promote best-sellers**
Do you have any best-sellers that continually perform well throughout the year? Make a special promotion presenting them as an "often bought by others" or apply a discount on those products. If they sell well during the year, they will probably also perform well over Christmas.

**Modify product descriptions**
Add value to your products with holiday-specific pictures or modified product descriptions. Add for example "Perfect for Christmas" or "the perfect Christmas present" etc. so your products appear on the search terms "Christmas" or "present".

**Stock**
Prepare for potential stock shortages! Get an alert before your stock falls to zero. By increasing your minimum stock level, you will be able to process your orders without stress or stock shortages. Exclude products which are out of stock to make sure that only available items are shown. You can update your data several times a day on those marketplaces to ensure that your products are shown with up-to-date information on price comparison sites, display ads or others. Another way to encourage customers to finalize their purchases is to post how much stock you have left.
<h3>3. Increase traffic</h3>
**Rethink your advertising strategy**
lure more visitors to your e-commerce platform with the help of Google AdWords or remarketing to reach a higher conversion rate. With Channable you are able to optimize your product feeds and even feed based text within minutes.

**Place your products on price comparison sites**
Consumers will compare your prices on the internet. So make sure to be found on any price-comparison site that is relevant for your business.

**Consider selling on marketplaces**
Have you just started a web store and people don't know about you yet? Then consider selling your products on online marketplaces. Each month, there are millions of unique visitors on Amazon, Cdiscount or eBay <a href="/integrations?channel=marketplace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">(you can find more marketplaces here)</a>. Take advantage of their name, amount of visitors and customers to sell more!
<h3>4. Deliveries</h3>
**Communicate delivery times**
Have you ever been desperate for your package to arrive on time? Then you know how crucial it is to communicate the exact delivery time. Check the delivery deadlines with your couriers prior to guaranteeing delivery before Christmas to your customers. Communicate all the delivery times, even if they are after Christmas day.

**Free delivery and packaging service**
Free delivery is one of the top reasons to buy online and spend more money (as shoppers are saving on delivery costs). Also, make your customers happy by offering free gift wrapping, for example for Amazon you can easily share this information in Channable’s attribute builder. Regular shoppers will appreciate the service. Don't forget to buy enough wrapping paper and scotch tape!

**Return policy**
Offer free returns and a longer return period than usual. No need to stress people out during their Christmas break to return unwanted presents. Give them at least 30 days to return their unwanted gifts.

So, are you ready for this year's holiday shopping? If you need help on optimizing your product feeds, setting up your marketplaces or feed based text ads, let us know. We will support you by setting up your first product feed in our feed management tool. Test it now for free and ask for a demo from one of our experts. Happy Christmas selling everybody!

How to sell more: Get ready for the online holiday shoppers

<h3><b>An insight into today’s job industry</b></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The job industry is a dynamic and fast paced market with vast numbers of job vacancies opening and closing daily. Job agencies are also faced with the huge task of managing job ads for multiple markets, cities and even countries. The magnitude of online job vacancy data feeds has led to an increase of issues. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Issues such as: displaying and paying for job ads that have already been fulfilled, not reaching the correct candidates, not meeting the specifications of a selected job board or other platform and finding that individually uploading, modifying and pausing ads is (inevitably) time consuming and expensive.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Display advertisements, text ads and job boards, are just a few channels and methods of how jobs vacancies can be spread. However, they in turn are coupled with their own issues. If you want to reach the maximum number of people in your market, you’ll want your ads to be visible on as many outlets as possible. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Creating new job ads every time a vacancy is opened is an ordeal in itself. But the moment those vacancies are filled, it is necessary to go through and pause or update every single ad on every single platform. Luckily, some of these platforms allow you to upload your feed, happy days! Unfortunately, the necessary information is different for every job board, so lots of time is spent filling it in manually. Furthermore, remember those text ads you wanted to create on job level...good news, there is a way to simplify the process. </span>
<h3><b>Introducing: Feed management possibilities for advertising jobs</b></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Data feed management tools like Channable can provide both employers and job agencies with the means to ease the process of:</span>
<ul markdown>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ensuring that job vacancies are posted at the appropriate time to the right audience</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Automatically pause job adverts that have already been fulfilled</span></li>
 	<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Save time, money and resources by using only one dashboard to advertise job openings everywhere online</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">By using Channable as a middle man between your data feed and the places for displaying job openings, stakeholders of the job industry can relax. The information can be smoothly managed during the day, minimizing the need to manipulate it manually out of office hours.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">But don’t take it from a blog post, Blue Mango Interactive is a marketing agency for Randstad, one of the world’s leading HR service providers, and also a happy Channable client:</span>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">"With more than 4,000 vacancies in 26 different industries in 2,402 cities continuously throughout The Netherlands, Randstad is one of the biggest job boards in The Netherlands. Thanks to Channable's ad generators, we can create, activate and pause all these Randstad vacancies automatically and in real time with very specific and dynamic keywords, ad copy and landing pages."</span></i></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gemma van Dorst - Search Specialist at Blue Mango Interactive</span></i></p>
</blockquote>
<h3><b>Using Channable to help post your job ads</b></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">So how can Channable help you? First and foremost, it provides you with the means to optimize and fulfill your data feeds according to the specifications of over a thousand channels, including Google and Facebook. These platforms attract many applicants and offer versatile recruitment opportunities. Many agencies also turn to third parties like job boards to list their vacancies. But displaying on multiple channels is also beneficial for re-marketing strategies, as you can control what information gets shared on which platform. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Custom CSV files can be created in Channable too. This is a true time saver if you want to organize and segregate your data feeds into i.e. market specifications. Extracting all jobs of a certain criteria from your master feed and placing them into one custom CSV enables you to create specific rules for only that criteria without having to import a second master feed. Perhaps you want to separate student jobs from executive jobs, and place them on different channels to reach the right target audience - this can all be easily arranged with a Channable custom CSV! </span>
<h3><b>How to advertise job vacancies with dynamic text ads in Channable</b></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Creating text ads at the individual job level can be a real nuisance. Merely setting up the ad is time consuming but the process is further extended when monitoring the ads to ensure they’re up-to-date and relevant. Their continuous adjustments make it further time consuming and costly, which is why our tool can be a blessing. By partnering Channable and your data feed, you can automatically generate dynamically templated campaigns, AdGroups, text ads and keywords that will then be automatically paused when fulfilled. This is because the information will already be in your data feed.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You’re in control and can decide which fields from your feed you’d like to use. Do you want a campaign on city level and ad groups on vacancy level? Or do you want campaigns on industry level and ad groups on city level? Make your life easier and <a href="/signup">give it a try</a>. Use one template for hundreds of ads! See our example below of how you can create potentially hundreds of unique ads depending on the industry, region and number of vacancies; your data feed will fill in the blanks.</span>

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-7585 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/pPxqhcRWSIyR4n7EqevW" alt="" width="1067" height="466" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Ads are automatically paused within our tool based on the smart rules you set up. Set up the right templates for the right campaigns and let the Channable text ads feature do the work. You specify when to pause ads; for example, if a vacancy is fulfilled or when there are less than 5 vacancies in a city or branch, because you can even create branch specific ads. Channable has the potential to specify your AdWords ads to your taste.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Channable offers this feature for <a href="/products/ppc-tool">Google Ads</a> and will also soon launch this feature for Bing Ads, which is perfect if you serve markets and target audiences where Bing is favoured. Channable’s got your back. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Channable works hard to streamline everyone's online experience, not just the obvious contenders. Data feed management can help the job industry with its core business. We invite you to try it for yourself with our</span><a href=""><span style="font-weight: 400;"> free trial</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and discover how else Channable can improve your online job vacancies.</span>



Advertise Job Vacancies Online with a Feed Management Tool

Have you tried using Google Analytics in Channable’s rule functions? Users who have coupled with their Google Analytics account can use this information as creatively as you like. You can either specify the selection you make (“if”) with Analytics variables such as sessions, conversion rate, bounce rate, revenue or transactions, or create actions (“then”).

<img class="alignnone wp-image-7649 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/YUenyT4SqKjIT5Qe2W6N" alt="" width="872" height="378" />

Skip straight to rules and go ahead and experiment with using Analytics in the “if” or “then” section. Adding Google Analytics information to your feed with a custom label can help you differentiate certain products i.e. bestsellers or lower-converters. Create new custom labels in setup&gt;edit mapping to use in the “If” or “Then” part of your Google Analytics rule to differentiate certain products.

In the example below we create a new field called <b>bestseller</b>. So any product with a conversion rate greater than 3 will now have the value yes in the bestseller field. This is the information we can then transfer to i.e. the Shopping or Facebook feeds by adding the bestseller field in the finalize step. Why? Because you can then easily push certain products based on the performance within your AdWords or Facebook Business Manager account.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-7650 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/JNAzXUiJSnGyYWodbe9Q" alt="" width="1244" height="347" />

As of the end of 2017, you can now use the Google Analytics variables in the “Then” section to execute actions. Create statements such as calculating actual return on ad spend (ROAS) to measure the efficiency of your digital advertising campaign by using our mathematics rules.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-7651 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/uvCfhhKQ42pqaObpVfJg" alt="" width="872" height="378" />

&nbsp;

Finally, analytics can be added to your feed in the finalize step so you can send this information to your platform of choice.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-7652 size-large" src="https://media.graphcms.com/OAe9gwjhR3KrhpH6dtTg" alt="" width="900" height="674" />

If you find a creative way to include Google Analytics in your rules, <a href="mailto:support@channable.com">let us know</a>! We love hearing how you use Channable.

Quick tips to using Google Analytics in Rules

This is how it looked before:

<img class="alignnone wp-image-7658 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/YZjIbmChTI26b6hHf5Ze" alt="" width="364" height="365" />

And this is where you can find the Shopping campaigns tab now:

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7747" src="https://media.graphcms.com/WdpKUM7NSJ6hpP8meaGy" alt="" width="1444" height="780" />

Find Shopping campaigns in its own tab

Running ads on <a href="/integrations/facebook-product-feed">Facebook</a> and <a href="/integrations/instagram">Instagram</a> is one way to go, giving you the chance to reach the right people this season. Learn more about the power of these platforms and how you can use your holiday catalog last-minute to create ads that capture attention in no time.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-18324" src="https://media.graphcms.com/IwH0ymEoTZSg4xXmvVO9" alt="" width="800" height="1014" /> <img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-18330" src="https://media.graphcms.com/vHOXIOzeRXegfDuB55Du" alt="" width="788" height="1024" /> <img class="aligncenter wp-image-18335" src="https://media.graphcms.com/Q9rRN1b6S92WOyWhhURM" alt="" width="800" height="1185" />

Last-minute Christmas Ads for eCommerce [infographic]

If you are working in <a href="/integrations/google-adwords-tool">Google Ads</a> or <a href="/integrations/microsoft-advertising">Microsoft Advertising</a>, you’ll no doubt know their character limits by heart: 30 for headlines and 90 for descriptions. But what does that look like visually?

We know you are busy people and don't have time to count each character - especially if you’re using dynamic fields in Channable’s ad generators. Therefore, Channable has included a visual warning in the SEA tool template builder for when you exceed the limit.

The visual warning will turn the field in question red and will notify you what the character limit is. Even better still, if the error occurs because you are using a dynamic field (those blue and pink ones), Channable will display which percentage of the values exceed the character limit.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15225" src="https://media.graphcms.com/YkKyowfREGHumMMGggDy" alt="" width="1000" height="548" />

For instance, if you decide to use the title field as the headline 1, but 10% of your titles are longer than 30 characters, Channable will display a warning reading “Around 10% of values are longer than 30 characters”. This will save you jumping back and forth between the preview and the ad groups steps. To fix fields that exceed character limits, you can either create rules to shorten the values or use the handy back-up templates.

The character limit percentage warnings will be displayed in the ad template section AND the sitelinks section.

Make your ads more relevant, faster, and error-free with <a href="/products/ppc-tool">Channable’s SEA tool</a>. Curious to know more about how you can benefit from ad generation and Channable’s SEA tool? Get in <a href="/contact">contact </a>with one of Channable’s sales representatives for a <a href="/demo">demo</a>.


Be limited by characters no more!

Nowadays, people rely more and more on technology. Simultaneously to the rise of technology’s demand, the market for second hand and refurbished electronics is also booming. Buying electronics online has become a regular habit for many consumers. Electronics and appliance specialists have been significantly affected by the rise of internet retailing. It’s become necessary for them to adopt a multi-channel strategy in order to survive this new evolution. Find out how a data feed management tool can help you to master selling online.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9400" src="https://media.graphcms.com/ock2rMkWTyrU1dX1Ti8z" alt="Sell electronics with Channable" width="800" height="485" />
<h3>Stay on top of managing your channels</h3>
If you have a large amount of products and if the information on your ecommerce website changes frequently (i.e. new products, price and stock changes), then a data feed management tool is necessary for managing your online projects. This tool will indeed automate the whole management process and help you to keep all your ads and listings updated.

For example, within the electronics industry, price matters. Vendors will know about the price war on certain platforms. If your pricing is dynamic and changes often throughout the day, Channable can offer to run your feed multiple times a day to make sure your price is always updated on every platform you sell your goods on. Another useful trick with a data feed management tool: if your stock runs out, you can create a rule to “pause” your ads on marketplaces or price comparison websites, avoiding useless costly clicks for products with no stock left.
<h3>Increase your online visibility</h3>
Marketplaces, price comparison websites and search engines are very useful for increasing your online visibility to the widest range of buyers possible. Electronics and their accessories can be rather expensive and consumers like to compare prices before making their choices. In order to reach more customers, it is necessary to have your ads on a range of platforms, but preferably with minimal effort (see above). Channable has connections to over <a href="/integrations">2500 channels</a> that you can manage from one dashboard.

<img class="wp-image-9375 size-full aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/IPQ9iDgxQkSxqiHrTzmt" alt="Channels for electronics" width="723" height="197" />
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Some platforms where you can sell your electronic items</em></p>

<h3></h3>
<h3>Instantly create perfect product listings</h3>
Using a data feed management tool to display content rich ads for electronic goods is vital for conversion. So, how can you do that?

Within your product feed, it is likely that you don’t have all the specifications of your products in separate fields. If you weren’t already aware, consumers find electronic’s specifications very important. For smartphones, the RAM size (GB) is vital; for a fridge, its the consumption of kW; for a computer, the core speed (GHz), and the list goes on for all electronic appliances or pieces of technology. However, this kind of product information might be in the title or even in the description. With Channable you can easily extract this information and place it in it’s own field to be modified in order to make it match the marketplaces’ requirements. No need to manually copy-paste individual product information into the marketplace’s ad creator as Channable will send products instantly to the marketplace through a feed or a direct connection.
<h3>Analyze your performance</h3>
Channable also gives you the opportunity to discover which items are your top sellers for each comparison website and search engines that you display your items on. This information can be really insightful and help you choose which items you want to advertise. You can <a href="/blog/blog-analytics-insights-for-better-performance">connect Channable to your Analytics</a> and use all the performance information to optimize your sales.
<h3>Make sure your strategy covers all the (mega)bits</h3>
Up until now, we’ve mainly touched upon how to make the best product ads for marketplaces and price comparison websites. But you shouldn’t forget retargeting in your multi-channel strategy.

Data feed management tools can help you to create feeds for affiliate platforms and, ultimately, save bundles of time. Imagine a potential customer visits your website and buys a new camera. With the help of affiliate platforms or display networks you could target this visitor again with ads about matching lenses or SD cards. Whenever they visit a photography blog or are browsing their social media pages, they would see your ad. This kind of paid marketing is much more efficient as it reaches people already interested in your items.
<h3>Make the most relevant Paid Ads yet</h3>
A data feed management tool will help you to organize and structure your AdWords and Bing Campaigns, both text ads as well as Shopping Campaigns. What is actually very special in Channable is that you have the ability to<a href="/products/ppc-tool"> create dynamic text ads</a>, based on the product information in your feed. Enabling you to advertise on long tail keywords without the manual hassle.
<h3>A data feed management tool is all you need...</h3>
A tool like Channable will facilitate any electronics seller’s digital marketing. Channable will enable you to automate all the processes and create perfect, optimized ads for your online marketing strategy, which includes price comparison, marketplaces, affiliates and AdWords. Get in contact for more information by emailing us at <a href="mailto:support@channable.com">support@channable.com</a>, or <a href="/signup">sign up</a> for an unlimited free trial to test it out for yourself.

Why a feed management tool can be a blessing for selling electronics online

Who doesn’t love a good old checklist to get themselves organized? At Channable, we want to make this summer season easier for you. Therefore, we have prepared a checklist with 10 relevant tips you can implement for your business.

Fill out the form below and grab the chance to download the full checklist!
<br><br/>
[form id="efcd23c2-b1d9-4276-a60f-24aa2b546dc4"]

Summersales checklist 2021 - 10 tips you shouldn't miss!

<blockquote> **UPDATE**: <a href="https://www.amazon.se">Amazon.se</a> is now live! To set you off for a great start, we have summarized the key benefits and how you can prepare for this exciting launch.</blockquote>
<h2>Start setting up your product listings now</h2>
With the news that <a href="https://tamebay.com/2020/09/seller-central-is-now-available-in-sweden.html">Amazon</a> has already released the Seller Central Sweden,<span style="font-weight: 400;"> you can already start preparing your product listings today. At Channable we are pleased to announce that we have finalized a real-time API connection that enables you to create and push your product listings directly to Amazon.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">By utilizing the API connection through Channable, it doesn’t only enable you to push the products. It also enables your product data and stock information to be automatically and instantly updated as soon as a product gets sold either via the Amazon marketplace or via your own webshop. </span>

<img class="size-full wp-image-27047 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/KqhekgzT5GZ4hhQHSepJ" alt="Amazon Sweden Channable" width="830" height="201" />
<br><br/>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">

Seize the opportunity by setting up product listings now. This will give your business a great start.  </span>
<blockquote><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">See also: </span></i><a href="/integrations/amazon-product-feed"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How can I make Amazon product listings with Channable?</span></a></blockquote>
<h2>Use rules to enrich your listings and filter out products</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Setting up product listings manually on Amazon can usually take up quite a bit of time. Especially if your webshop has a large offering/inventory. By utilizing the integrated API from Channable you can automate a large part of this process to significantly decrease the time spent on creating product listings. For instance, take advantage of the built-in </span><a href="https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011077260-What-does-the-attribute-builder-do-"><span style="font-weight: 400;">attribute builder</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to easily meet attribute requirements. Or, utilize the many </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQGAdEr5TfA&amp;feature=youtu.be">powerful rules</a> that can help enrich your listings as well as filter out products you don't want to list. </span>

<br><br/>
<img class="size-full wp-image-27056 aligncenter" src="https://media.graphcms.com/gNTsSrxFSyao6QJxpRZC" alt="Amazon Sweden Rules" width="464" height="176" />
<br><br/>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">By using rules to automate the creation of product listings, you do not only reduce the time spent but also gain greater control of the flow of products you send to Amazon Sweden. As soon as you set up a rule, the integration will give you immediate feedback which will maximize the impact of your listings as well as minimizing the eventual cost. </span>
<blockquote><span style="font-weight: 400;">See also: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQGAdEr5TfA&amp;feature=youtu.be"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Video: How do Channable rules function</span></a></blockquote>
<h2>Handle all orders directly in your own webshop</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Selling products on Amazon usually means you need to handle all orders from the marketplace itself. However, what if we told you that it does not have to be this way? What if we told you that with Channable, we retrieve all your orders and send them directly to your own platform/webshop allowing you to handle everything from there?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">By adding an </span><a href="/products/marketplace-integrator"><span style="font-weight: 400;">order connection</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to your Amazon Sweden API, your orders will be synchronized to your online shop, meaning you can finally say goodbye to copy-pasting and hello to automatically received order information. Utilizing the option to add an order connection will not only free up time spent on order management but will also help increase the overall efficiency regarding your Amazon efforts.</span>
<blockquote><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We could say that now we don't have to take care of order management. Channable takes care of this task automatically. We only have to take care of our customers and prepare the picking of the order. Channable is also in charge of the tracking, which is more and more important to Amazon” </span></i>

From Wapalli use-case</blockquote>
<h2>Why list your products on Amazon Sweden?</h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Are you new to selling products on Amazon? And, with all the buzz around Amazon Sweden, are you thinking about trying it out? If so, then you are definitely not the only one. Try reading the stats in the illustration further below. Selling products on marketplaces such as Amazon can not only create more visibility for your products, it might also open up a whole new revenue stream for your business. However, before making any quick decisions, it might be a good idea to </span><a href="/blog/increase-sales-marketplaces"><span style="font-weight: 400;">evaluate your marketplace strategy</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span>

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19873" src="https://media.graphcms.com/0mkOoDqHTfSvq5tlHzvk" alt="" width="1234" height="372" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">On a global scale, Amazon has about </span><a href="https://www.marketplacepulse.com/amazon/number-of-sellers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2.3 million active sellers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> worldwide on its platforms combined. Obviously the American version is still the most popular with more than 461.000 active sellers, but the French and Italian versions are not far behind with 234.000 and 227.000 active sellers.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">At first, this landscape might seem pretty competitive. But as Amazon is continually creating features to optimize the distribution of revenue between sellers, it might be a good idea to consider joining the movement.  </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">What could also be relevant to take into account is the fact that when Amazon enters a new market, many consumers will quickly swarm to the marketplace and create a revolution in the product searches. Usually, when consumers have easy access to Amazon, you will often see them using Amazon as their first touchpoint to discover and potentially make a purchase. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, by looking at some of the numbers concerning the launch of Amazon Netherlands, which happened earlier this year, it is quite interesting to see that it is not only consumers who swarm to the marketplace. In fact, since the launch of the Dutch marketplace, Amazon has reported an increase of </span><a href="https://www.marketplacepulse.com/amazon/number-of-sellers"><span style="font-weight: 400;">87.422 active sellers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> making it the fastest-growing department relative to its marketplace size.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">With all this being said and as a last remark, keep in mind that the consumer is always right. Being present in the channels where your consumers are can be crucial for the success of your business. If Amazon Sweden experience the same growth rates as some of its former market launches, it might be a good reason to look into the possibility to list your products here.</span>
<blockquote><span style="font-weight: 400;">See also: </span><a href="/blog/blog-tips-for-advertising-your-products-on-amazon"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Are you looking for some tips on how to advertise your product on Amazon? </span></a></blockquote>

Amazon is coming to Sweden: Are you prepared?

## Four key personalization practices of PPC
Google estimates that [purchase intent increases by 15%](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-gb/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/new-research-on-advertising-automation) and CTR is 30% higher with hyper-personalized ad content, compared with ads utilizing basic personalization. There are two main ways to create hyper-personalized ads. The first is to create ads that target specific individuals with specific items:
![Image Pasted at 2021-3-16 16-36.png](https://media.graphcms.com/meCvbOqQRPq7CUNTeq4N)
*This ad is perfect for customers looking for a specific men’s running shoe. Notice the extra sitelinks underneath for hyper-hyper-personalization? [Learn more about sitelinks](/blog/blog-increase-ctr-ads-with-price-extensions-and-sitelinks).*

The second is to create ads related to current trends and events:
![Image Pasted at 2021-3-16 15-27.png](https://media.graphcms.com/lei0Km7wSqWZk2NMZKcG)
*You need to take advantage of the extra traffic created by big events like the FIFA World Cup or the Superbowl. Customers scramble to buy jerseys, footballs (both kinds), and more!*

So, what are these four personalization practices of PPC advertising that you need to be implementing right now?

### 1. Create both general and specific PPC ads
The most successful eCommerce businesses create generic ads that are ideal for those who are still in the research phase. As well as more specific ads for people who know exactly which items they are looking for. These ads targeting specific individuals with specific items are key for improving CTR. 
![Capture d’écran 2021-03-16 à 16.43.20.png](https://media.graphcms.com/lX76yB5VSu2dAYu6FGT8)
*In the image above, you can see the layout for creating dynamic PPC ads in Channable.*

Applying a streamlined process to personalize your ads will save you both time and money. Leading eCommerce businesses can quickly create both catch-all general ads and refined dynamic ads that utilize data such as gender, brand, and price to be more relevant for potential customers. 

![Sitelinks EN samen.png](https://media.graphcms.com/NNpxV68nTwfA5trhOCzA)
*Adding sitelinks to your ads allows you to personalize further by showing more of your product catalog. They also take up more space, pushing other search results out of sight if you claim the top spots.*

### 2. Take advantage of high search volumes
Taking advantage of high search volumes is going to increase your CTR. You need to plan and create campaigns for popular events that will impact your potential customers’ buying habits. On top of this, you need to be in a position to react quickly to unplanned events which have the same effect on potential customers. 

Leading eCommerce businesses quickly adapt and even create entire campaigns to take advantage of the increased search volume. For example, sporting goods retailers set up PPC ads that take advantage of traffic created by sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, the Superbowl, and the Olympics.

### 3. Create hyper-relevant ads using 3rd party data
Following on from the awareness created by popular events, leading eCommerce businesses also take advantage of more spontaneous situations. For example, sporting goods retailers create ads advertising the jersey of a specific player almost immediately after they score a match-winning goal or touchdown. This is the epitome of hyper-relevant PPC ads that are bound to have a high CTR. 

Another example is that leading eCommerce businesses use weather data to push certain items that will have a temporarily high search volume due to the weather conditions. Have you ever noticed that when it’s forecasted to rain you are far more likely to see items such as wet weather running gear or umbrellas? 

All this is not by chance. Using 3rd party data, leading retailers set up ads that react to spontaneous moments in a sporting event or take advantage of weather conditions and it really works to improve CTR.

### 4. Never display out-of-stock items
With eCommerce being a booming industry, it is difficult to keep on top of out-of-stock items. The only way to overcome this is to [retrieve orders in real-time](/products/marketplace-integrator). Whether a customer buys from Amazon, eBay, or Google Shopping, the stock levels of leading retailers are automatically updated, and PPC campaigns are instantly paused when stock levels hit zero. 

## Start automating feed management and PPC ads
All of the above and more can be achieved through one simple-to-use [PPC tool](/products/ppc-tool) offered by Channable. 

If you would like to learn more about the eCommerce businesses that are using Channable fill in the form below to download the one-pager. You’ll find testimonials, customer results, and more info about the tool itself. 

<br><br/>
[form id="1cee69f6-856f-4cae-8e48-e4902f8942d8"]




How can your eCommerce business create personalized PPC ads that improve CTR and ROAS?

# The importance of choosing the correct location targeting
Location targeting helps focus your advertising to find the right customers for your eCommerce business, and will hopefully help you increase your return on investment (ROI) as a result. Channable realized the need for a more complete setup within dynamic text ads and Shopping campaigns and updated [our PPC tool](https://www.channable.com/products/ppc-tool) with expanded options to select or exclude more specific targeting locations based on [region, city, zip-code, or places of interest](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1722075?hl=en). This blog will break down some basics about location targeting and we will explain the benefits of this new all-in-one campaign set up in Channable.

## Location targeting basics
Targeting ads is an essential part of a successful advertising campaign. Google Ads offers different ways of targeting your ads, but this blog is focused on geographical targeting, one of the most popular targeting setups. Location targeting lets you select specific locations where you want your ads to be shown. By default, you are able to choose if your ads are shown to people located in the specified area (Location of presence), to those who have shown interest in your targeted locations (Area of interest), or both. You can select entire countries, and/or areas within a country such as cities or territories.

- Targeting your ads to a *country or multiple countries* can be a good idea if you provide products and services to those large areas. Targeting entire countries allows you to receive more ad exposure than you would by targeting a few individual cities or regions within a country.
- Targeting *specific areas within a country* allows you to target specific regions, cities, or postal codes. This option is very useful for businesses that serve a local neighborhood, that have special offers in selected locations, or sells products in selected regions or cities.

What should you consider when selecting location targeting?

1. Be sure to target the locations where you can find your customers—which isn't necessarily in the same place that your business is located. 
2. Be careful with using very specific locations because it might not meet Google targeting criteria, meaning that your ads may only show intermittently or not at all. 
3. Keep your language and location targeting settings consistent. The language selected should be the same as that is used for the copy of your text ads and shopping ads.
4. Sometimes it is easier to be clear about what locations you don't want to target and simply exclude them from a larger region. For example, a sales promotion might not be applicable to only one or two cities within a country.

## How Channable can now help you to configure the location targeting?
With the fast expansion of eCommerce and ever more complex and local-focused marketing strategies, it is essential to adapt your advertising efforts to certain areas. Channable is aware of this new priority in the market and aligned with our goal of simplifying the process of creating dynamic PPC campaigns in our tool, we have decided to extend the options to select more specific targets. 

Until now our [PPC tool](https://www.channable.com/products/ppc-tool) offered limited targeting options based on country and language. If a business does not serve/sell country-wide or would like to focus the advertising efforts on certain areas within a country, targeting regions, cities, or postal codes, all these settings were not available in our PPC Tool. Clients had to manually adjust all location targeting options in Google Ads after they have created the dynamic campaigns within Channable. 

With the implementation of this new feature, users can select or exclude more specific targeting locations based on region, city, or zip-code directly in the tool. Creating a **more complete setup** of dynamic campaigns that can be achieved, **reducing the need of switching** between Google Ads and Channable and thereby providing a **higher ease-of-use** and an **increase of the ROI** immediately.

## How to set up the location targeting in Channable?

Channable offers three options to synchronize your targeting, meaning that apart from adding location targeting to new campaigns, you can also overwrite the ones that are already included in Google Ads. You are also able to choose if the ad should be shown to people in your target location or who've shown interest in your targeted locations (Location of Presence or Area of Interest).

In the following image you can find an example of how regions, cities, or postal codes can be added or excluded in the tool. But if you need more specific info about how to configure the location targeting in Channable’s PPC tool, please [check our help center article](https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010965080-Configuring-Campaign-targeting-settings).

![Targeted locations 2.png](https://media.graphcms.com/pUJGZe9QiCcyOManAS4l)

[tip]NOTE: Apart from location targeting based on fixed lists, Google offers more advanced location options like radius targeting, audience targeting or targeting locations in bulk. These advanced options are not available in Channable, but we are currently working to include them in the near future. We will keep you updated with further details.[/tip]

If you are already generating your PPC campaigns using Channable, be aware that from now on you will be able to configure the location targeting directly in the tool. This new feature, together with the new option of [adding bidding strategies](https://www.channable.com/blog/more-roi-for-your-ads-choosing-the-right-bidding-strategy), will allow you to have a greater use of the Channable PPC tool. Do you want to learn how to configure the location targeting  and the bidding in the tool? In the following video, Robert Smit, our product owner, will guide you through the new settings:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VEHMS5WGJ0E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


If you are just getting started and you would like to start creating dynamic and automated campaigns for Google Ads, feel free to start a [trial account](https://www.channable.com/signup) with Channable. 








Increase the return of your campaigns by targeting the right audience

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Some examples of when a data feed is used in online marketing for travel include:</span>
<ul markdown>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="/blog/blog-why-integrate-social-media-into-your-marketing-strategy">Using social media</a>, like Facebook or Instagram, for retargeting and prospecting</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Advertising with affiliate platforms such as Criteo and TradeDoubler</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">PPC campaigns for Google Ads and/or Microsoft advertising</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Retargeting campaigns with Google display</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Many of Channable’s clients operating in the European travel industry, such as <a href="/success-stories/norwegians-innovative-automation-based-on-channable-feeds">Norwegian Air Shuttle</a>, Pierre et Vacances/Center Parcs, and RIU hotels, are using Channable to perfect their complex data feeds. Channable has now become an integral part of their digital marketing strategies. Whilst their strategies differ, Channable has proven to be the perfect solution for a large portion of their online marketing activities. Their uses of Channable will be covered in this blog to provide other travel industry players with the possibilities feed management can open and problems it can solve. </span>
<h2>Create specific accommodation ads for each social media audience</h2>
Social networks, such as [Facebook](https://www.channable.com/integrations/facebook-product-feed), Instagram, Pinterest, or Snapchat, allow companies to reach their target audiences in a more specific and profitable way, compared to traditional channels. Many travel sector brands supply the social media networks with a manually created Excel or CSV files containing their offerings to benefit from the platforms advertising opportunities. However, each platform serves a different audience, and a travel company will need to ensure the right message is sent per audience. Therefore, it is necessary to tailor the file to the different audiences, but it is no easy feat.

By using a tool like Channable to easily restructure a feed and select which information is necessary for each social media channel, digital marketers in travel can properly make use of the potential social media platforms have to offer. In Channable, travel companies can even create separate projects to create feeds from information in different languages or for different countries.

Once the information is well structured, creating a travel data feed for each social media channel is simple. Channable has two tips that can help in creating personalized feeds for a travel company’s social media strategy:
<ul markdown>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Group services (hotels, routes, etc.) without making changes to the original feed. This way you can easily promote only certain services.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Add additional images and information by <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002826285-Can-I-combine-multiple-datafeeds-">combining import</a> feeds. You may have a separate feed with additional images. Instead of modifying your master feed, simply combine it within Channable’s setup step. You can then include a load more information to further personalize your messages. </span></li>
</ul>
<h2>Add UTM tags to measure website traffic easily</h2>
Jasnina, head of measurement and online attribution at RIU Hotels, identified Channable’s ability to add UTM tags as a perfect solution for measuring traffic and results. “<em>The correct measurement of traffic is fundamental, and this is achieved thanks to the possibility of customizing UTM tags. These tags allow you to define the hotels in each feed based on the measurement parameters that we want to indicate. In this way, it is very easy to analyze the traffic that comes from the different marketing channels we use</em>.”

<img class="alignnone wp-image-15701" src="https://media.graphcms.com/pDoTxvpJTlC3C7s1Eo6b" alt="" width="977" height="535" />

<span style="font-weight: 400;">UTM tags provide travel businesses with more exhaustive performance data. They can then adapt marketing strategies based on the results obtained. It is easy to see which hotels and destinations are performing well in the countries that they are advertised in.</span>
<h2>Retarget to lower cart abandonment</h2>
It has been proven that retargeting can help improve sales, as it assists in retrieving website users who showed interest but did not yet purchase. Affiliate networks such as Criteo or TradeDoubler help to remain on those potential customer’s radars. In addition, display actions, like the one offered by Google, can help you achieve this goal. Retargeting is especially valuable for companies in the travel industry, as customers are more likely to be comparing prices and finalizing details before securing reservations.

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Channable has the specifications of over 2500 <a href="/integrations">channels</a> including hundreds of<a href="/integrations?channel=affiliate"> affiliate networks</a>. The built-in platform makes adapting your information to the requirements of the channel easy, so you can utilize more channels, faster. </span>
<h2>Automate Google Ads campaigns to generate more conversions</h2>
Channable’s SEA tool is a travel business’ perfect accompaniment for Google Ads or Microsoft Advertising. As it enables users to generate campaigns, ad groups, ads, and keywords from the information in a product feed. The simple template lets you build each level of your campaigns with dynamic values or static text. For travel companies, this can save heaps of time as hundreds of ads will be generated for every item in the feed. Maximizing each offering’s visibility with minimal effort.

<em>**Group offers/advertise the cheapest prices**</em>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">With Channable, you can group hotels by city or flights by destination. You could even go on to select the cheapest flight in the group and advertise on that price. For example, the headline of your ad could read “Flights to **New York** from **€80**.” As Channable fetches your import feed daily, the price will be updated accordingly. </span>

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15702" src="https://media.graphcms.com/vMxZekdR0OxynUDNNdLG" alt="" width="528" height="483" />

<em>**Ads updated constantly**</em>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">By updating the feed and therefore ads daily, the correct information will always be communicated. In addition, rules can be implemented to ensure that any service that is low in availability or undesirable is suppressed and its ads will be paused.</span>

<em>**Keywords created automatically**</em>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Generating keywords from information in your feed is another common usage of Channable by travel companies. According to Ole Henrik Hasle, global digital media strategist at Norwegian, "<em>by including all possible routes and combinations, we went from 18,000 keywords created manually to 200,000 keywords. Thanks to this we were able to optimize our ads and improve the performance of our marketing budget</em>." Through combining two fields e.g. ‘to’ and ‘from’ cities to create keywords, Norwegian appears in more people’s search results.</span>
<h2>Create custom CSVs/XMLs for segmenting, organizing, and more</h2>
With a large data feed, travel companies often need to further dissect the feed into manageable data. Potentially per region, per KPI, or per price point. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&amp;v=kb6YMUa7XtI">Transforming the data into a simple CSV or XML</a> file is easy in Channable. By applying rules to the data, you can specify which data needs to be in the file and what is excluded, modify any names/descriptions (e.g. modifying the destination name ‘Charles de Gaulle’ to ‘Paris’), translate currencies to symbols, etc. As well as creating custom files for internal use, some travel companies build CSVs for other channels such as TripAdvisor.

Read more about our client’s success on our <a href="/success-stories">success story page</a>. If you work in the travel industry and are itching to get started with Channable’s easy-to-use tool, create a <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">free trial</a> or just <a href="/contact">get in touch</a>. Channable can help you save time, which can be better spent on optimizing your strategy.

We have also created a special white paper focused on the Travel industry, where you can learn how to optimise for a successful data feed and how to automate your PPC campaigns thanks to Channable's feed management and PPC automation. Download and read all about it here:

<br><br/>
[form id="f9230338-ab7e-406b-a78f-7ddc3f8baa3d"]



Top feed marketing tips for travel companies

# The importance of choosing the right bidding strategy

Channable´s clients are now able to configure their optimal bidding strategies directly in our [PPC tool](https://www.channable.com/products/ppc-tool). 

We know it is easy to become overwhelmed with so many different bid strategy options offered by Google Ads, that's why we have created this blog to give you some insight on which bidding strategies work best for your business, how Google Smart Bidding abilities can help you to increase your conversions and the benefits of configuring your most important bidding strategies directly in Channable. 

## How to determine your bidding strategy?

Google Ads offers multiple ways of bidding that you should choose very carefully depending on the goals you have in mind. Most advertisers focus on clicks, impressions and conversions.  Which one should you choose based on your goals? 

- *Strategy based on clicks*. Using cost-per-click (CPC) bidding will help you generate traffic to your website.
- *Strategy based on impressions*. If your goal is to increase your brand awareness and visibility of your ads, this strategy might be the one you need.
- *Strategy based on conversions*. This is a more advanced bidding method, and you will pay Google for a determined conversion or action (it could be a purchase, email sign-up, phone call, download, etc.). In order to measure interactions, you need to have [conversion tracking](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6308).

If you want to focus on conversions, **you should consider using Smart Bidding** to save time, improve performance and avoid errors setting the biddings. Smart Bidding is a kind of automated bidding that looks for ad auctions that are more likely to hit your KPIs.

[tip]Find more info in [Google Help Center](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2472725) about how to determine a bid strategy based on your goals[/tip]

## Finding success with Smart Bidding

Smart Bidding is a set of automated bid strategies that use machine learning to optimize your conversion goals. On top of the machine learning capabilities, it takes into account info like device, location or time of the day to create tailor bids depending on the search context. 

Let's see the most important automated bidding options you have available with Google:

- *Target cost per action (CPA)*: helps you get as many defined actions (sign-ups, app installs, reservations) as possible at or below the target CPA you set. This is handy if you want to control the amount you spend on certain actions"
- *Target return on ad spend (ROAS)*: helps you get more conversion value or revenue at the target return on ad spend (ROAS) you set. This definitely requires a bit of calculating to determine your optimal return, but it can be a powerful method to measure your ads true effectiveness. 
- *Maximize Conversions*: helps you get the most conversions for your campaign while spending your budget. This is probably the easiest strategy to set up. All you need to know is your maximum daily budget, that you are willing to spend on text ads. 
- *Maximize Conversion Value*: helps you to maximize the total conversion value of your campaign within your specified budget. 
- *Enhanced cost per click (ECPC)*: helps you to automatically adjust your manual bids to try and maximize conversions. For example, Google can increase or decrease your bid based on the likelihood an ad drives conversions. Bids will ultimately be averaged out to achieve your budget limit.

Some users associate Smart Bidding with a lack of control on the campaigns, meaning that you totally rely on Google’s algorithms to get your targets. However, Google's algorithms are effective when best practices are followed. Smart Bidding will save you tons of account management time and advanced artificial intelligence will help you achieve great results for your PPC campaigns.

[tip]Find more info in Google Help Center about [Smart Bidding](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7065882?hl=en) and how to pick [the right bid strategy](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6167148?hl=en)[/tip] 

## How can Channable help you to configure a bidding strategy?

Channable is aware of how important it is to choose the right bidding strategy for a PPC campaign in order to achieve the highest results. That´s why from now on you will be able to establish your bidding strategy directly in Channable. With this new setup in our PPC tool, we are a step closer to helping you achieve your campaign goals with less time and effort. 

Until now the only bidding strategy available was the manual CPC option. Meaning that all the bidding had to be configured in Google Ads. But thanks to this new feature we give clients the option to choose an array of bid strategies beyond CPC directly in the tool, based on their conversion and click goals of a campaign: 
![Bidding.png](https://media.graphcms.com/IeAfTmK8RNCrHf3n3ZGV)

As you can see above, all the Smart Bidding options described before (except the Target ROAS) are available for use directly in Channable. 

You do need to keep in mind that these bidding strategies will be added to Google Ads when setting up new campaigns in Channable, meaning that any updates of that value need to be done in Google Ads directly. 

[tip]In the following link you will learn [how to configure a campaign in Channable](https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010964780-Configuring-the-Campaign-settings), including the bidding strategy.[/tip]

Being able to set up your bidding strategy directly in the tool will give you** more independence from Google Ads**, simplifying the set up of your dynamic campaigns. Consequently this will help you **save time and effort **creating new campaigns. **Maximize the return and help you reach your goals faster** are just some of the positive results of managing your bidding set up process within Channable.

If you are already generating your PPC campaigns using Channable, be aware that from now on you will be able to configure the bidding strategies directly in the tool for all your new campaigns. This new feature, together with the new option of [adding location targeting](https://www.channable.com/blog/increase-the-return-of-your-campaigns-by-targeting-the-right-audience), will allow you to maximize the use of Channable PPC tool. Do you want to learn how to configure the bidding and the location targeting in the tool? In the following video,  Robert Smit, our product owner will guide you through the new settings:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VEHMS5WGJ0E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Just getting started and would like to start creating dynamic and automated campaigns for Google Ads, feel free to [start a trial account](https://www.channable.com/signup) with Channable. 



More ROI for your ads choosing the right (smart) bidding strategy

In April 2020 product listings on <a href="/blog/blog-google-shopping-free-ads-what-you-need-to-know-for-ecommerce">Google Shopping have become partially free in the US</a>. This change refers to the Google Shopping tab that you can find on top of your search page. Important to know: The good old paid Shopping ads will continue to exist and the new organic listings will be complementary. Using both free product listings and Shopping ads together is the new recommended practice by Google.

The shift to free search results in the Shopping tab is intended to help merchants connect with more customers. Since the launch in the US, <a href="https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-europe/powering-economic-recovery-through-retail">Google reports</a> that merchants have seen an average of 50% more clicks and 100% more impressions across free listings and ads on the Shopping tab. Small and medium-sized sellers are said to profit the most from this increase in engagement.

Slowly but surely, this new structure is being rolled out in other parts of the world, including Europe, starting mid-October 2020.
<h2>What will change and how does it affect me as a merchant?</h2>
<ul markdown>
 	<li>
<h3>**Layout and order of the Shopping tab**</h3>
</li>
</ul>
With two types of listings in the Shopping tab, its layout will change. On top of the search results, you will still see the first row with paid Shopping ads, followed by free listings underneath.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28521" src="https://media.graphcms.com/Zd4K2Ph7Qx6jVzIhY2kp" alt="" width="918" height="768" />
<ul markdown>
 	<li>
<h3>**Merchant Center &amp; surfaces across Google**</h3>
</li>
</ul>
In order to showcase your products for free on Google Shopping (and other shopping-related Google surfaces in the long run), you have to <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/9199328?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=9240261" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">participate in the program for surfaces across Google</a>.

**If you currently have an account in the Google Merchant Center** and your product feed is already integrated, you can simply opt-in to the new ‘surfaces across Google’ infrastructure within your MC.

**If you are new to Google Shopping**, you first need to set up an MC account, <a href="/blog/blog-how-to-successfully-advertize-google-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">learn here how to successfully get started</a>.

Next to that, you can also opt into the <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/9825611?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">local surfaces across Google program</a> to qualify your items for ‘local listings’, including information about your physical store (such as product availability, store hours, directions, phone number, or approximate distance from the user), letting users know that a product they are searching for is available in a physical store close to them.
<ul markdown>
 	<li>
<h3>**Your product feed must meet even higher standards**</h3>
</li>
</ul>
As always, when something is free of financial charges, we expect an increased demand and more competition among merchants on the Shopping tab. Therefore, it is essential that your product data comes in the best state possible. Since Google Shopping works with a feed format, <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7052112?hl=en">it requires certain data specifications</a>. In order to meet these specifications and deliver high-quality product data, you need to [optimize your product feed](https://www.channable.com/integrations/google-shopping-feed). The ultimate goal (and strategy to get ahead of the competition) is to deliver all your product information in a format that triggers a match between consumer search queries and your products.
<blockquote>One example is a perfect title structure, including the most relevant keywords at the beginning of each product title. Google uses titles to detect related keywords that match search queries. Channable can help you to optimize your title structures through <a href="https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011018360-Rule-combine-value" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">smart rules, such as the ‘combine value’ rule</a> and to profit from your own dynamic feed information!</blockquote>
<a href="/blog/blog-how-to-successfully-advertize-google-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Find more useful tips for all mandatory Google Shopping fields in this blog.</a>
<h2>An extra tip from Channable: Constant data updates are key!</h2>
Next to good feed hygiene and maintenance, it is important to update your product data on Google Shopping (and in the MC) on a regular basis. In the Channable tool, the default schedule for data runs of every feed connection is once a day. Especially now, during the busiest eCommerce quarter of the year, combined with increased penetration of the Shopping tab, more frequent data updates on your marketing channels can make a crucial difference.

**Our solution for this is ‘Extra Runs’!** With extra runs, your data is retrieved several times a day (up to the hour) and exported to the channels you selected, among others Google Shopping.

Even better: We are proud to announce that we have recently taken the next step in adapting our infrastructure to facilitate more frequent data updates with less effort and we would like to share this success with you!

We have chosen to replace the current pricing packages (run maximum every 2 hours for an extra 50% of the price of your base subscription, and every hour for an extra 100%). From October 1st, 2020 with a single package: up to 24 runs per day for 50% extra of the price of your base subscription.

Request your extra runs and find more information via this <a href="https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011091760">**help center article**</a> or contact our support team (<a href="mailto:support@channable.com">support@channable.com</a>) with any questions!


Free listings on the Google Shopping tab are coming to Europe: Here is all you need to know

With highstreets slowly opening up again and with consumers ready to shop offline, now is the time to respond. Using local inventory ads, online shoppers know exactly which of your products are in stock in every offline store.
<h2>What are Local Inventory Ads?</h2>
There are many ways to promote your products online. You can <a href="/integrations">show them on different channels like Amazon or eBay</a>. You can advertise with search ads via <a href="/products/ppc-tool">Google Ads or Bing Ads</a>. But have you considered promoting your offline store’s inventory online? Whether you have a special offer or a huge sale. Or, if your product is sold out online but you still have some in your offline stores. In many situations, it’s a no-brainer.

Google developed local inventory ads exactly for this purpose. These ads become visible when a potential consumer is close (within 50km) to one of your offline stores. They can see whether the product they are looking for is still in stock and in precisely which store they can get it. This way you can perfectly combine your online shop with your offline stores.

[caption id="attachment_24622" align="alignnone" width="960"]<img class="wp-image-24622 size-full" src="https://media.graphcms.com/f4Ub6DftTTKYn5x32rO6" alt="" width="960" height="400" /> This is how local inventory ads appear on Google Shopping.[/caption]
<h2>What are the advantages of local inventory ads?</h2>
<ol>
 	<li>**Combine your online shop and offline stores** Consumers often plan their shopping online. Therefore, they check what time the stores open and close, if there’s a sale, and which products are in stock. Use local inventory ads, take advantage of this shopping behavior. Show live stock updates of popular products and encourage consumers to visit your store.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
 	<li value="2">**Promoting shop inventory = more sales** Is one of your products sold out online but available in store? If so, grab the attention of consumers by mentioning this in your ads. This will increase your store visits which means more sales and more upselling opportunities.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
 	<li value="3">**Set up your Google Analytics** Keep track of the impact local inventory ads have on your sales in each particular offline store and customize your ads accordingly.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
 	<li value="4">**No additional costs** Local inventory ads are within your Google Shopping budget.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
 	<li value="5">**Easy to set up using data feeds** Using <a href="/products/product-feed-management-tool">Channable’s data feed management tool</a> you can quickly and easily create fully optimized feeds for creating local inventory ads.</li>
</ol>
<h2>How do I create local inventory ads with Channable?</h2>
<ol>
 	<li>As well as a Channable account, you’ll need three other accounts. A Merchant Center account, a Google My Business (GMB) Locations account, and a Google Ads account.</li>
 	<li>You need to link these three accounts with one another. If they aren’t linked, <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/3425157?hl=en">follow these steps from the Google Help Center</a> to link these accounts and exchange data.</li>
 	<li>Next, create two separate data feeds in Channable. A general feed with all the products you sell in your stores and a feed with the local product stock. These feeds must meet certain requirements that Google has set up. With [Channable’s data feed management tool](https://www.channable.com/integrations/google-shopping-feed), you can ensure these requirements are met in no time.</li>
 	<li>Is everything uploaded? Then <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7022488">request the inventory verification from Google</a>. A specific contact person for stock verification is responsible for this. This contact person is the only person who receives information about setting up and processing the stock verification. This check is necessary for Google to ensure that the stock information matches what is actually in your stores.</li>
 	<li>Have you completed step 4? If yes, you are ready to <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7024611?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=7023401">activate your Google Shopping campaigns</a>.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Gall &amp; Gall: what if you’d like to have a special bottle of wine for the barbecue tonight?</h2>
[Gall & Gall](https://www.gall.nl), the most popular liquor store chain in the Netherlands and one of our clients, faced a dilemma. The company was founded in 1884 and today has around 600 physical stores across the Netherlands. These stores are hugely important to Gall &amp; Gall’s success. However, buying drinks online is becoming more common. And in recent years, their online marketing has focused mainly on online sales. But how do you combine online and offline the right way? Plus, how do you measure the effectiveness of online marketing on offline sales?

Jan-Willem den Dunnen, an online marketer at Gall &amp; Gall explains, “When Google introduced local inventory ads in the Netherlands, we were one of the first to try it out. We are an omnichannel retailer and know better than anyone that online advertising is an important driver to stores. We'd like to increase this effect. So we set up local inventory ads mainly for our customers. If you want a bottle of Bacardi today but when you check online it says it can’t be delivered until tomorrow, you won’t order it online. Local inventory ads provide a solution. We see an increase in the number of clicks on Fridays and Saturdays. People would like to pick up drinks for that evening. With the help of local inventory ads, we offer them the chance to find if what they want is in stock, in the shop around the corner!”

Gall &amp; Gall first started last year with a test in Amsterdam. They saw that their local inventory ad campaigns resulted in a significant increase in physical store visits. As a result, Gall &amp; Gall rolled it out across the Netherlands.

Are you looking to combine your online and offline stores using local inventory ads? Make a start by <a href="https://app.channable.com/login">using your Channable account</a> and creating optimized feeds for Google Shopping. You can also <a href="/contact">contact our sales team</a> for more information.

Local Inventory Ads: Show your physical store stock on Google

This is the second installment for the Channable and Google blogs, to help Channable users master the Google Merchant Center. In the <a href="/blog/create-quality-google-shopping-feeds">first installment</a>, you can read about what information is mandatory in order to create good quality feeds for Google Shopping. Next, the top 10 errors Channable users experience when connecting to Google Shopping will be uncovered.

The following list of errors are the most common errors experienced by Channable users when [connecting to the Google Merchant Center](https://www.channable.com/integrations/google-shopping-feed). Common pitfalls like the wrong categories and incorrect availability format were easily solved with Channable’s<a href="/blog/smart-categorization-google-shopping"> smart categorization </a>and rules. Channable supports two forms of connections to Google Shopping, [a feed that you upload or an API](https://www.channable.com/integrations/google-shopping-integration) that provides a direct connection. The API connection will communicate the errors immediately in Channable. Whereas any errors from a feed will only be found in the Google Merchant Center. Some errors require extra effort from the user but Channable can help identify and solve many issues experienced.
<h3>1. Invalid GTIN</h3>
If you experience <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6239381?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this error</a> with your Google Shopping connection, you can still send products with valid GTINs with Channable’s <a href="https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360015280559-Rule-Invalid-GTIN-or-EAN">GTIN check rule</a>. The tool can identify which GTINs are valid and then, with the same rule, you can choose to exclude any invalid GTINs. You could also choose to remove the invalid value and use the tip below to ensure your products are sent successfully. This way any items with invalid GTINs won’t be sent to Google and the import will be approved. Once you input the right GTINs and rerun your feed or API, the rule will make sure the valid GTIN items are sent.
<h3>2. Insufficient product identifiers: missing two out of the three attributes (GTIN, brand, and MPN)</h3>
Channable’s support team often gets queries concerning this error. Whilst the fields GTIN and MPN are labeled as recommended in the finalize stage in Channable, you will need one of them. There is a nifty way to circumvent the problem within Channable. It involves setting the field ‘product identifier’ as ‘false’. You’ll need to create a new field and then a simple rule to set the new field as FALSE, if GTIN or MPN is missing. Further instructions can be found in <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827285-Useful-rules-for-Google-Shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our help center article</a>.
<h3>3. Item requires a GTIN</h3>
Don’t be flummoxed by this rule having seen the two above. This rule will appear if you have submitted a GTIN but it doesn’t seem to be in the <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6239388?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">correct format</a>. Channable can help you quickly identify which items these are, with that handy <a href="https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360015280559-Rule-Invalid-GTIN-or-EAN">GTIN check rule</a>. From there you can take the necessary action to make sure your feed is error free.
<h3>4. Temporary item disapprovals due to incorrect prices</h3>
It’s incredibly important to send Google the same price that is displayed on your website and, unsurprisingly, Google is very scrupulous about it. Otherwise, customers would be confused if they arrive on your landing page only to find a different price. So it's important not to create any Channable rules that’ll modify your price for a Google Shopping connection.

This error can happen if your website updates before your import feed into Channable has had a chance to rerun. So, it’s important you make sure that your scheduling isn’t too long after your website is refreshed. If your prices update frequently throughout a day, Channable can offer to run your feed more often at an additional cost. If you’d like extra runs, please just <a href="mailto:support@channable.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">get in contact</a>.
<h3>5. Missing images</h3>
Having a visual accompaniment with your product ads for Google Shopping is a no-brainer. Make sure you’re not sending any products without an image. Channable made a specific rule to help you identify and potentially exclude the item.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10984" src="https://media.graphcms.com/NrlWwzHoQHy1NGG7UwWr" alt="Channable missing image rule" width="1416" height="489" />
<h3>6. Images too small</h3>
To advertise on Google Shopping, you need to supply Google with an image link. Prepared as you may be, Google found that many of Channable’s users are sending images that are considered too small.

Usually:
<ul markdown>
 	<li>Images need to be 100 x 100 pixels and no larger than 64 megapixels.</li>
 	<li>Images cannot be larger than 16MB.</li>
 	<li>The visual in the image needs to take up 75-90% of the image.</li>
</ul>
For more information about how to fix this issue, you can refer to <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6205396?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google’s Merchant Center page</a> to find the right dimensions for the images.
<h3>7. Generic images</h3>
Google considers generic images as images that are logos or use the text “no image available”. Within Channable you can see a thumbnail of the images in the item overview section but this error is best avoided by altogether having images in your feed that correctly depict what you sell. Further advice can be found in Google's help page about<a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6098288?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> generic images</a>.
<h3>**8. Product pages cannot be accessed from a mobile device**</h3>
This error will result in your ad for that product not being displayed on both desktop and mobile devices. Essentially, the link cannot be accessed by Google. Google states that you can find the reason why they couldn’t access your URL in the column ‘crawl error’. More information on fixing it can be found on <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6098296?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google’s Merchant Center help page.</a>
<h3>9. Product pages cannot be accessed (desktop)</h3>
Similarly to above, the link to your product cannot be located by Google and so they’ll disable the ad for that product. Common errors for inaccessible URL pages include ‘Page not found (404)’, ‘Too many redirects’, ‘Could not connect / HTTP 5xx response’, and ‘Hostname not resolvable’. Ways to fix this error are nicely explained on the<a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6098155?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> product pages cannot be accessed</a> page.
<h3>10. Automatic item disapprovals due to a policy violation</h3>
Unfortunately, Channable hasn’t yet been able to develop to the extent that it can identify what items violate Google’s policies. So you’ll have to read through their <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6149970" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">policy guidelines</a> to see why your item was disapproved. Naturally, once it's been identified you can always use Channable rules to exclude that particular EAN code or product group.

Hopefully, now your connection to Google Shopping will be even better. If you want to connect to Google Shopping with Channable but don’t already have an account, just sign up for free <a href="/signup" rel="noopener">here</a>. Build your connection to Google Shopping to perfection in your own time and only choose a subscription when you’re ready to go live. If you experience any Google Merchant Center errors that aren’t mentioned above, you’re always welcome to <a href="mailto:support@channable.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact </a>Channable’s technical support team.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UJFpE24MiFI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
**<em>Channable and Store Growers discussed these points in a knowledge session and shared even further insight into how important it is to solve disapproved items. You can <a href="/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">watch the knowledge session here</a>.</em>**

10 most common errors Channable users have with connecting to Google Shopping

## Defining a product feed
The easiest way to explain this is by breaking it down. A product feed is a file where your product information is stored. For example in an XML or CSV. A product feed contains all product information that would be found on your website or online shop.

## The reality of managing multiple ads with your product feed
When you start advertising through third parties, such as comparison sites and affiliate networks, you will notice that, compared to what you have on your webshop, they require your product information in various formats. You will need to modify your product feed information to match the requirements. However, if you want to make use of several third parties, this requires multiple, different product feed configurations. This can become overwhelming to manage.

## Getting your product feed optimized
Using a [data feed management tool](https://www.channable.com/products/product-feed-management-tool) like Channable, it is possible to upload your data feed and reproduce it multiple times in different ways. You can modify the product information each time to match the requirements of your chosen platform. Using Channable’s powerful ‘if-then,’ rules you can easily configure your product information to the requirements of each connection.

## Giving yourself an edge with extra runs
Channable’s automation tool not only gives you the power to easily configure your product feed, but it also allows you more control over many aspects of your connection.

![article-image-ckhcil9k80pwn0b60rtvwqguo-1953.png](https://media.graphcms.com/1Sili6r7TyCugCZI7pFY)
*Extra runs example set-up*

One very useful option is extra runs. Extra runs refer to how often your product information is updated to third party platforms. With the increase in online competition due to COVID-19, it is important to keep your product information and stock levels up-to-date on all channels. This not only saves you time on managing all your merchant accounts but can also save you money, with less ad spend wasted on advertising products that are out of stock.

Channable offers extra runs up to 24 times a day so that your product information is always up to date. Some of the benefits of updating your product information are:

- Product stock is always up to date across multiple channels.
- Price is advertised correctly with no need to update within each channel’s merchant center.
- Sale prices can be set or switched with ease.
- Up-to-date product information means higher quality scores and more visibility for all listings.

## How to get started with utilizing extra runs 
With Channable, the default number of runs for every account is automatically once per day. However, for many advertisers, the benefits of multiple runs lead them to update their feeds down to every hour. 

[Request your extra runs](https://www.channable.com/extra-runs) and find more information via this [help center article](https://helpcenter.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011091760) or contact our [support team](mailto:support@channable.com) with any questions!

[tip]**Ready for the holidays?** Kick off your holiday preparations with feed management and enjoy an unlimited free trial period. [Create trial account](https://www.channable.com/signup)[/tip]


How automated product feed updates to your eCommerce listings can help drive online sales

<h2>What is Google Product Category?</h2>
The “google_product_category” attribute is used to classify or categorize products in Google Shopping. The goal of this product categorization is to make it easier for customers to find your items within Google Shopping.

To set up the categories correctly, you have to use the taxonomies listed by Google known as the “Google product taxonomy”. The Google product taxonomy is the list of categories that Google uses to help classify products in the [Google Shopping feed](https://www.channable.com/integrations/google-shopping-feed). There are <strong>more than 6,000 categories</strong>. This is why it’s incredibly important that you categorize your products correctly. <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324436?hl=en-GB" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Here</a> you can find more info regarding Google's product taxonomy.

Another important thing to note is that the categories are not the same in all countries. There are countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, and the Netherlands where the taxonomy is more complete and the product categories have more subdivisions than others.

An example of Google’s Category taxonomy for clothing would be:

Clothing and accessories &gt; Clothing &gt; Warm clothing &gt; Jackets and coats

In turn, each of these product categories is associated with a numerical code.
<h2>How important is the Google Product Category in the Google Shopping feed?</h2>
You should always categorize your products. There are too many benefits you’ll miss out on if you don’t.
<ul>
 	<li>The Google Product Category is decisive when it comes to ensuring users only see products that are really relevant to their search query.</li>
 	<li>The click rate of Google Shopping campaigns will improve because your products will have more precise attributes.</li>
 	<li>Filling in the Google Product Category influences your position in rankings. This allows you to check whether your products appear ahead of your competition.</li>
 	<li>Many other channels such as Criteo or [Facebook Ads](https://www.channable.com/integrations/facebook-product-feed) also use this categorization as a reference. Making it necessary to follow Google’s product taxonomy in order to be successful in multiple, essential channels.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Tips you should take into account when optimizing your Google Product Categories</h2>
<ol>
 	<li>Google occasionally updates its categories, so you need to make sure your data feed is updated with the latest changes.</li>
 	<li>The more information you provide in your Google Shopping feed, the better. That's why it's important to be specific about your categorization. You have to choose the most specific category possible. If you use a more specific Google Product Category, your products will appear in the appropriate search results more often. Therefore your CTR will improve significantly and, by creating more relevant ads, costs will decrease.</li>
 	<li>If your product fits into more than one category, it is important that you choose the most accurate one. It is not possible to choose two categories in Google Shopping.</li>
 	<li>If the article does not match any of the categories marked in the Google taxonomy (which is quite unusual due to a large number of categories available), then you can use the product_type attribute.</li>
 	<li>Remember that each country has a different taxonomy, so you will have to configure the feed and categories based on the country where you want to sell your products. Otherwise, your products will be rejected by Google. This has a close relationship with the taxes marked by each country. For example, if you are going to sell your products in the United States, it is important that the feed is configured for this country so that the tax rate for your products is correct.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Risks with Google's automatic product categorization</h2>
Google offers a new automatic categorization feature to make it easier to categorize products. Therefore, the google_product_category attribute is now not mandatory. However, while this advance is helpful, it also poses a risk.

The automatic assignment that Google makes is based on an algorithm that analyses other attributes of the Google Shopping feed, such as the brand, the GTIN, etc. In many cases, these attributes are not very specific and this means that Google does not assign the correct category or uses a category that is too generic.

To avoid this, we strongly recommend that you fill in the Google Product Category field in the Google Shopping feed yourself.
<h2>How can Channable help me with smart categorization?</h2>
Channable allows you to set up the Google Shopping feed in 5 easy steps. And one of the steps in the configuration of the feed is categorization. With the intention of helping our customers in this process (which can be quite long in multi-product catalogs), in Channable we have developed <a href="/blog/smart-categorization-google-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">smart categorization</a>.

Thanks to a smart self-learning algorithm, we have managed to make the products you want to export to Google Shopping automatically fit the Google taxonomy. In this way, a category suggestion will appear that matches each of your products. As this is only a suggestion, you will always have the final decision regarding which category is used. This way, you will still have full control of the categorization process.

Would you like to create a fully optimized Google Shopping feed with Channable’s smart categorization? <a href="https://app.channable.com/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Create a FREE account </a>today and set up your Google Shopping feed in no time.

Don't forget to read our blog with tips to <a href="/blog/create-quality-google-shopping-feeds" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">create the perfect feed for Google Shopping</a>.

Tips and solutions when assigning Google Product Categories in your Google Shopping Feed

To win at Google Merchant center first time round, you need to ensure you send certain Google approved mandatory specifications. You can send product information to [Google Shopping](https://www.channable.com/integrations/google-shopping-feed) with Channable in two ways: via a live API connection or with a <a href="/products/product-feed-management-tool">feed</a>. The difference between the two can be read in Channable's handy <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002818909-Marketplaces-data-feeds-vs-APIs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">help center article</a>. To send the right information, you can easily get an overview of the mandatory fields within Channable under either ‘Finalize’ (for Google Shopping feeds) or ‘Build &gt; Item’ (for Google Shopping API’s). Ensuring that this information is sent to Google is fundamental, but it must also be in the right format.<em> What? Right format?!</em> Yes, certain information can only be processed in a Google specific way. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to send for top quality Google Shopping feeds.

First, and foremost, it’s recommended you create what Channable coins a ‘<a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002817249-How-do-I-filter-items-using-rules-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Filter rule</a>’. This rule will simply exclude any items that would otherwise be automatically rejected, or you simply don’t want to sell. For reasons such as there is no image link, or the price is 0. Channable rules work in descending order. So, starting with a filter will ensure that the rules that’ll follow will only be applied to items worth advertising. Much of the advice below involves creating a new field. If you’re unsure how to do this, you can familiarize yourself by scrolling to the bottom of <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002825765-How-do-I-map-fields-in-edit-mapping-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this help center article</a>.

&nbsp;
<table markdown>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">**Necessary info**</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">**What exactly?**</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Image Link</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Images are very important for Google Shopping, and selling online generally. We recommend you create a filter rule when you first start making rule, to exclude any items that do not have an image. For more information about specific dimensions and picture quality accepted by Google, read about it in their <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324350?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">help center</a>.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Availability</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">This mandatory field needs to be sent to Google Shopping in the form of either: ‘in stock’, ‘out of stock’ or ‘preorder’. You don’t need to send actual stock levels but the value you set must match the value on your website. To include this information into your feed, simply use Channable’s <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827565-Rule-set-to-value" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘set to value’ rule</a> and set a newly created field to one of the three options depending on the actual stock level.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">*GTIN/EAN
<em>* You’ll need at least one of these, as Google requires you have 2 of the 3 pieces of info: Brand, GTIN or MPN.</em> There is still hope if you don’t, please check this <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827285-Useful-rules-for-Google-Shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>help center article</em></a><em>. </em></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">GTIN is the umbrella term for unique identifiers such as EANs, UPCs or ISBNs and is basically the barcode of an item. If you don’t already have this information, you can easily purchase them online or ask your distributor for them. Making them up won’t help, you can’t outsmart Google.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Title</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">This mandatory field ought to be easily found in your feed already. Make sure it describes your item well. You can even include things like the color or size with Channable’s <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827625-Rule-combine-value" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘combine value’ rule</a>.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Description</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Similarly to the title, this information should already be easily found in your import. Alternatively, you can always build a new description by combining relevant information from your feed.

Make sure your description is free from HTML jargon by using our <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827845-Rule-modify-text">strip HTML </a>rule.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Link</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">This field is the URL of the products. Simple.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Brand</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">This information may already be in your feed, but it is VITAL for becoming Google Shopping approved, in conjunction with either GTIN or MPN. See the other descriptions below.

If the brand doesn’t have its own field but can be perhaps located in the description, you can easily search for the ‘value’ (specific brand name) and pop it in a new field.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Condition</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">The condition of a product needs to be listed as either ‘new’, ‘used’, or ‘refurbished’ in Google Shopping. Google will default set all condition's to new if you don't specify, but if in fact you do sell used or refurbished items you'll have to communicate this to them. If this information isn’t in your feed yet, you can easily implement it with the 'set value' rule. Simply create a new mapping field from the settings and then ‘set value’ to the applicable condition.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Category</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">The second stage of creating a Channable feed/API is categorization (NB: with the API if you send known EANs, Google Shopping will automatically be able to categorize the items). The options from the drop down menu are the specific categories Google has. So, you simply need to allocate which groups of items belong to which Google product category. When you map the fields (in the finalize stage or build stage in Channable) remember to use ‘**Category (internal)**’. More<a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003090569-Smart-categorization" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> tips on categorization </a>can be found in Channable's help center.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">Price</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">This information will be in your feed. Do not try to modify it, as the price shown in Google Shopping should match your website.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Shipping Price</td>
<td>You’ll most definitely know what the shipping price is if it isn’t already in your feed. If it’s missing, simply create a new mapping field and set the value. For example, if you offer free shipping for items over a certain price you can make a simple rule to set shipping price to zero. Simply create a rule such as “IF **price **<em>is greater or equal to</em> 50. THEN take** shipping price **and <em>set to value </em>0”. You can always set shipping options within your Google Merchant account, more information can be found in <a href="https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6069284?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google's Support article</a>.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">*MPN/SKU
<em>* You’ll need at least one of these, as Google Shopping requires you have 2 of the 3 pieces of info: Brand, GTIN or MPN.</em> There is still hope if you don’t, please check this <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827285-Useful-rules-for-Google-Shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>help center article</em></a><em>. </em></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">A stock keeping unit (SKU) or a manufacturers number (MPN) is a more internal method of identifying items. If you don’t have this number, but you do have a GTIN you can still advertise with Google. If you have neither, you can still send your items to Google Shopping. To find out how, check out <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827285-Useful-rules-for-Google-Shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">useful rules for Google Shopping </a>help center article.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">**Shipping Country</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">If this information isn’t already in your feed, you should know where your items will be shipping from. As it’ll probably be a fixed country, you can go ahead and make a new mapping field and then just set a country name as the shipping country.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">**Id</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">This information can be any form of number/combination that uniquely identifies each of your items. Note the word, unique.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">***Size</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">For clothing items, it’s important you send the size to Google Shopping. If this value is perhaps at the end of the title, you can simply use Channable’s <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827785-Rule-split-text" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">split text value</a>.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">***Age group</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">The age group is only applicable if you want to advertise clothing items with Google Shopping. The specific groups they accept are: ‘newborn’, ‘infant’, ‘toddler’, ‘kids’ and ‘adult’. With this list in mind, you could use a rule such as <a href="https://support.channable.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002827725-Rule-search-for-value" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">search for value</a> (search for specific sizes) and then use the replacement value option. So, any clothing item with the size 0 - 9 months can be assigned to the age group ‘newborn’ by searching for it and replacing the value with ‘newborn’.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">***Color</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">The color of an item is only applicable for fashion items. Luckily Google Shopping doesn’t specify color names, so feel free to use the values you have in your feed. If you don’t have them in a specific field, simply create a new field and search for the value.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">***Gender</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">This information is only needed for sending fashion items to Google Shopping and needs to be either unisex, female or male. If you sell only fashion items for one gender, this field can be easily provided by creating a new field and setting the value to the ‘Google recognized’ gender you sell to.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc;">****Currency</td>
<td>This is only necessary for using Channable's API connection with Google Shopping. You can either choose from 'EUR/GBP/USD/CAD/NOK/SEK/DKK/CHF' from Channable's built in drop down menu or implement it into the feed with a new field and ‘set to value’ rule. Make sure this value is true to what is displayed in the URL link of the item.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>** Mandatory for feeds only (because when you create an API connection you already specify in the first step what the unique ID per item is)</em><em>
*** Mandatory only for when fashion is selected as 'Type of market' in feed settings</em><em>
****Mandatory only for Google Shopping API</em></span>

So, there you have it, Channable's guide to creating quality Google Shopping feeds. Your items are more likely to get accepted first time round by ensuring that the above-mentioned information exists in your Google Shopping feeds/API connection. Naturally, the more information the better. So, do pay attention to the recommended and optional information in the build/finalize steps in Channable. This way, consumers will be wowed by the detail you provide and could find you more reliable than other merchants. To get started with advertising on Google Shopping with Channable, sign up <a href="/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here </a>for an unlimited free trial or get in contact with a Channable representative, they’re very friendly.

**<em>Channable and Store Growers discussed these points in a knowledge session and shared even further insight into how important it is to solve disapproved items. You can <a href="/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> watch the knowledge session here</a>.</em>**

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