Google insults a small business owner
- By: John Andrews [privmsg] On 22nd Nov 2005
I recently commented in another thread about Google AdWords, noting how a few small business customers had recently dropped AdWords and noticed no detrimental effect. Since ThreadWatch is decidedly anti-google (or should that be "the AntiGoogle? -lol) I thought this would be a good place to tell the story of how Google recently insulted one normally even-tempered small business owner.
The bottom line is AdWords bids are too high for their small local businesses, and they already have decent organic online campaigns serving them well. For them, $500-$1000/month of $0.25 and $0.50 bids in AdWords brought site traffic that was evidently a waste of money.
This gentleman had spent between $500 and $1200 per month in AdWords each month for over a year (probably longer) bringing potential foot traffic to his mom & pop store in a large metro area. His clientele is Internet savvy, and frequently cites the Internet as a primary source for referrals. He has spent decent money on a website and more on organic optimization. His site ranks very well, and he augmented that with longtail AdWords spend plus core terms spend to remain highly competitive. Some players in his market play fast and loose with ad money in bursts, so sometimes he feels pressed to compete heartily.
He recently stopped his AdWords campaigns to see the effect. As mentioned, after 45 days he didn't miss whatever traffic it was bringing in for his money. He didn't track ROI for AdWords traffic, but overall his traffic matches previous levels sans AdWords referrals.
While discussing how he was now saving between $600 and $1200 per month by not charging his credit card for AdWords, I mentioned that Google had sent him a "we want you back" email and a $25 coupon that could be applied to resuming AdWords.
That's correct. Google sent a $25 coupon to a $15k/year small business customer who had suddenly left without notice.
Well that small business owner hit the roof in anger. Google, who previously was a big top-tier user-friendly vendor that everybody loves, about whom he was proud to chat at dinner meetings, had insulted him right where it hurt the most - in his merchant heart.
Merchants build relationships. Business is about people. In this case, WTF meant "WHO the f****" as he went off about the Big G and their arrogance.
"I always paid, I always increased the business I gave them" he ranted. "WTF do they think they are?" he shouted. "twenty five freakin dollars..." blah blah blah.
(I don't think it helped when I told him Google routinely hands out $100 AdWords coupons at webmaster conferences).
Google would have been *much* better off had they not sent that impersonal, meaningless coupon to him. I can safely say he is now seriously anti-Google.
I can only imagine how he will react if his site gets dropped in the SERPs during the next 6 or 8 months, and he loses his organic traffic, only to learn that contextual ad bids will likely be even higher.
I think what they, amongst
I think what they, amongst others, fail to grasp is that in the world of small business $15k is considered a good account, be that on stationary or web advertsing. They want treating like they are a bit of a "catch" too.
Sorry to disagree
He's got a pretty thin skin for someone in business. The $25 offer was not a reflection of his market worth, the size of his account, the thickness of his wallet or how important he is as a person. It was likely a standard value voucher not printed specifically for him and it would be er, arrogant to think otherwise. If you've been in business long enough and changed suppliers often enough - of printing services, giftware, courier services, packaging material, anything else - it's likely you've seen a lot of vouchers like this, and some of them worth a lot less.
Google's handling of the minimum bids etc is a different matter.
"AdWords bids are too high
"AdWords bids are too high for their small local businesses, and they already have decent organic online campaigns serving them well."
Talk about inviting another "spam-prevention" update.
one normally even-tempered small business owner
the guy sounds like a total loon ... what was he expecting .. in fact I think it's a nice touch from google.. ok it's automated, but still nice that a) they open a channel to him and b) give him $25 bucks too..
wait till google drop him from the serps, he will most probably go crazier and kill you..
DaveN
maybe a phone call could go a long way
or maybe its just me.
If someone spent 15K and then decided to call it quits, a five minute phone call could help both parties instead of an e-mail with a standard voucher. A phone call would be worth it even if someone spent $1K before quitting. They obviously showed an interest in spending money with Google. Could a.) convince the person to hop back on board through personal interaction that includes helpful tips and hints, b.) provide valuable comprehensive feedback about Google's system that might not be attained through e-mail.
msgraph
agreed ... but what man power would they need ?
DaveN
man power
yeah, that's where the "google vs. agency" thing seems to fit. Still not enough margin on small accounts to support that kind of attention.
as for this:
the thought crossed my mind. But then, as I see from another thread, doing nothing might be dangerous, too. :-)
This guy said offering him $25 voucher was like offering to take a client to lunch on the company dime -- and choosing to go to McDonalds. Granted, he could play a role on The Sopranos without study, but I don't think he's off the mark very much with his feelings about Google at this point.
Us small business people insult easily
This problem is one of bureaucrats within companies not understanding the small business man, who does understand the meaning of money.
I have just had a similar example today. My wife and I stayed for a few days at a really swank hotel in Madrid, bill was around 900 Euros, but included was 12 euros for 2 small bottles of water from the mini-bar in the room. (no price list in room)
I felt agrieved enough to firstly complain to the reception, then the manageer when reception just shrugged, that was their price. For the sake of charging around $5 for a bottle of water, they have lost a customer for life from someone who can afford to stay there, but dislikes this sort of silly disregard of money by that hoel.
I can see that the guy with the Google $25 voucher feels similarly miffed.
man power
That's their problem not mine :)
They seem have enough spare change to set up a call center in a far off distant land. Quality aside, they have that Jumpstart program but only for new advertisers. Surely they can offer a similar type, or same, service to someone who tossed thousands of dollars into Adwords and decided to quit.
Call center personnel calls the quitting Adwords users and ask why they quit. While customer tells call center person why they quit, call center person drills through dynamic feedback/survey forms. Judging on customer response, call center person gives voucher or offers Jumpstart-type program.
https://adwords.google.com/select/jumpstartwelcome
They offer a customized package, put together by a specialist, that costs $299 and is applied back to the customer's ad clicks. They can't give a little personal assistance, much less a phone call, to someone who spent more than that amount?
but what man power would they need ?
simple answer:
as much as it takes to run the freakin' business.
>the guy sounds like a total
the guy sounds like a total loon
Yeah, about 99% of small business owners are :) Maybe micro businesses would be a better term but for a $15k a year spend they expect, almost demand, some there there there's and what they would consider "respect". The traditional Yellow Pages as an example, shite though they are, are pretty good at that side of things, the newbie web guys don't have the infracture.
I think we have seen a lot of small business bounced into adwords et al, I think we will see a large chunk bounce back out. I think if you allow them to measure the ROI they will be shocked at how much a sale costs them, not many measure Yellow Pages.
It's automated
The answer, of course, is that the $25 credit is an automated system triggered by client inactivity. I got the same credit, and I wasn't spending beans on AdWords at that point -- I was just doing some ad experiments as fodder for my AdSense work. I'm sure whoever programmed the system didn't think to put in a threshold value, i.e. people who spend over a certain amount should get either (a) a bigger credit or (b) a personal mail/call to discuss things.
if it's not working what
if it's not working what good is $25 or $500 - these people need help with AdWords not more money – G should setup a campaign for them or invite them on a free course.
Eric Giguere
they do you call you ;) 15k is like 4 hours for one of my clients lol ... stop that baby for a month kate will ring you ;)
DaveN