Why Using the Word “Free” In Your Ad Could Backfire
Posted on 25 August, 2009 | No Comments
All too often these days, I see pay per click campaigns that use the word “free” to draw visitors into their site, only to be confronted with a free trial, or free signup for a paid service. The trouble is, internet users are not as niaive as they used to be – which means that you may end up paying dearly for the use of the word free.
Consider the Scenario
Here you have someone, looking for a specific product or service on the internet, which they do not want to pay for. You have spent a considerable sum bidding on the word free, even though you know that you are not, in fact, offering a free service or product, but merely using it as a hook to draw in traffic.
The people who have taken the time to type in “free” as a part of their search term are not looking to spend money. They are not going out there with the idea of buying a product or a service. They want something for nothing, and you’re not likely to change their minds.
The Results
When you use the word free in your PPC campaign, while never meaning to supply anything free of charge, or when you are only offering a free trial, you have two basic groups of results. In the first, visitors click through, realize you are not offering anything for free at all, and leave. You pay for the click.
In the second scenario, your visitors decide to download your free trial, and 99% of them use it until the trial is over, and then never make a purchase. Or worse, they trawl the internet for a crack, and steal your product.
Neither of these is desirable, and neither will result in what you want – a high volume of traffic, and a high conversion rate!
When Free Works
There are times, however, when you can leverage the power of the word free in your PPC campaign. Many software developers, for instance, offer free, basic versions of their premium services. Some sites offer free basic membership, and many other sites offer a free item, like an ebook, to potential clients, to encourage them to join a list, or participate in some other type of marketing.
In the case of the former, where a basic version of a premium product or service is offered, the user has time to grow to love your product or service, and realize the value of paying for it. In the latter, you give away an item, in exchange for something far more valuable – information. Which you can later use, through an email marketing campaign, to gain what you want – sales.
As you can see though – the strategy of simply using the word free in your PPC campaigns may have worked in kinder, simpler times, when internet users were more forgiving, and willing to forgive your faux pas. However, nowadays, you’d better be giving something away when you use the word free – or you’re going to spend a lot, for very little return!
