Where and How to Do eCommerce Advertising for Maximum Sales

If you've just started an eCommerce business (or started a position in marketing for an online store), figuring out your first marketing moves is tough.

At a time when there are more channels (and less budget) than ever before, having a solid plan in place can mean the difference between breaking even or breaking through the glass ceiling.

In this guide, we're going to cover the top eCommerce advertising strategies you can use in 2024 across Meta, Google, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Amazon. We'll also include some examples of ads from all of those channels so you can hit the ground running with your design inspiration at hand.

Grab your favorite hot beverage and settle into the world of eCommerce advertising!

What is eCommerce advertising?

Much as the name suggests, eCommerce advertising is the practice of running ads or creating a marketing strategy for an eCommerce business (or online store component of your physical franchise) to generate traffic and sales.

This term is incredibly generic, as there are tons of strategies and channels you can choose from, including social media, Google ads, email, billboards, etc.

This article would look more like a set of encyclopedias if we were to list all the platforms and strategies available today, so instead, we'll look at the top eCommerce advertising platforms and strategies that are generating the most bang for their buck in 2023.

The top eCommerce advertising platforms in 2023

Google Ads

We would be wrong to start this article with anything other than one of the OG's of eCommerce, Google Ads. With over 23 years of ads under their belt, it's hard to deny they have a true staying power in your marketing strategy.

Unlike the other platforms we'll be talking about today, Google's ad strategy can be much more aggressive with its keyword-based functions.

For example, when you log into Instagram, you're probably not going with the intention to buy every time you tap the app. Sometimes you just want to see memes, funny Reels, cat pictures, pics from your family, etc. When you see an ad, it's more of a passive consumption and not necessarily an active decision.

Things like Search ads, on the other hand, are served when the user searches for something in particular. There's really no way to mistake 'mechanic in Tampa, Florida' for ‘this really funny Reel with cats playing pianos.'

In this sense, Google allows us to capture users when they have a clear intent to buy, and it can be a fantastic way to capture more sales and revenue.

Google Ads encompasses several types of ads other than Search, so let's break them down quickly for you!

Google Search ads

As we just mentioned, these ads appear in Google's search results and are designed to be highly relevant to the search queries entered by users. The fundamental idea behind Google Search ads is to connect advertisers with potential customers who are actively searching for specific products, services, or information.

When a user performs a search on Google, they are presented with a list of results. Among these results, some may be designated as ads. These ads are typically marked with a small "Sponsored" label to distinguish them from organic search results. The position of these ads is often at the top of the search results page, above the organic listings, or sometimes at the bottom of the page, giving them prominent visibility.

Google Search ads are highly customizable, allowing advertisers to target specific geographic locations, languages, and even times of day. Advertisers can also set daily budgets to control their spending and use Google's analytics tools to track the performance of their ads, making adjustments as needed to optimize their campaigns.

Google Display ads (GDN)

Imagine you're browsing your favorite website, reading an article, or checking out a recipe, and you see an ad for a product or service. That's likely a Google Display ad.

These ads aren't just limited to text; they often include images, videos, or rich media and are placed on websites across the internet, not just on Google's search results pages.

What makes Google Display Ads stand out is their reach. Google has this vast network called the Google Display Network (GDN), which includes millions of websites, news pages, blogs, and Google sites like YouTube and Gmail. When you use Display ads, your ad has the potential to show up on any of these sites, which is pretty impressive because it means you can reach a wide audience as they're doing various things online.

Targeting is another big part of why Display ads are effective. You can target your ads based on specific interests and demographics or even retarget individuals who've visited your website before.

For instance, if you're selling sports equipment, you can target users who've shown interest in sports-related websites. Or, if someone visited your website but didn't make a purchase, you can show them your ad again as a reminder, which is a clever way to draw them back.

Google Shopping ads

Picture this: You're searching for a beautiful new green dress for the holidays. Along with the usual list of search results, you also see images of dresses, with prices and store information, right at the top of the page. These are Google Shopping ads.

What sets Google Shopping ads apart is their visual format, which is more engaging than traditional text ads. They showcase the product image, price, and the merchant's name (and, even more important right now, shipping dates).

This format is super helpful for shoppers because they get to see what the product looks like and how much it costs right away. For businesses, it's a great way to stand out because you're showing potential customers exactly what they're looking for, making it easier for them to make a decision.

Google's smart algorithms also consider the product data provided, as well as the search query, to display the most relevant products to users. This means that the ads are highly targeted, which can lead to a higher chance of clicks and conversions.

Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram)

Chances are the reason you're coming to this article today is because of Meta (or Facebook) ads—and for good reason. While Google still tops Facebook with its percentage of total revenue from ad platforms at 39%, Facebook is nothing to balk at, with its second-place lead of 19%.

For eCommerce advertisers, this is the place to be.

While we just mentioned Facebook in particular, Meta ads are a broad term for ads that are on Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and even WhatsApp, which are all done from the Facebook Ads Manager.

Facebook has one of the most extensive ranges of ad formats available, with 8 main formats and several variations depending on ad placement.

In addition to its huge repertoire of formats, it also boasts one of the more detailed targeting options of the ad platforms out here today. It has the ability to reach new users who haven't heard of you by demographics and activity, as well as the ability to upload customer data for retargeting or finding new audiences that are similar to your most loyal fanbase.

And if all that wasn't enough, Ads Manager includes a multitude of data and metrics that will make your head spin. As an advertiser, it's easy to see why Meta has become such a sample of social media advertising—it's like a marketer's one-stop shop.

Unfortunately, with great power often comes a great skill needed to harness it to its full extent. And while the platform is robust, it's incredibly easy to get lost in the complex (and occasionally frustrating) interface. (It has so much involved that we wrote a lengthy Facebook Advertising 101 Guide clocking in at an average of 32 minutes of read time 😅)

And that's where your friends at Madgicx come in handy :)

At Madgicx, we've handled millions in Meta ad spend over the years, so it's safe to say we know a thing or two about what it takes to run successful ad campaigns (and, frankly, how daunting it can be). That's why we took Facebook's incredible advertising ecosystem to the next level using some time-saving tools that make every eCommerce marketing strategy easier than ever:

Madgicx AI Marketer

Madgicx's AI Marketer is a revolutionary tool that acts as your personal AI media buyer. It's designed to optimize your advertising results by constantly auditing your ad account and providing data-driven optimization recommendations. 

If you don't have time (or expertise) to micromanage your ad spend, this tool can eliminate the costly human errors in ad optimization.

Creative Workflow

So much goes into the creative part of the process, from the original concept to the final iteration. So much so that we built an entire suite of specialized products to help with every aspect of creation.

• Ad Library - Stuck with writer's block? Take a peek at our gallery of real Meta ads and even pin them to custom boards and share them with your coworkers and clients (even if they don't have a Madgicx account).

• Sparkle - If you're like me and can't match colors to save your life, consider having someone do it for you. You can send design briefs for ads, videos, emails, and more directly from Madgicx and have your first design in just 48 hours!

• Creative Insights - With Creative Insights, you'll always know what's working (or what's not) with your ads. Learn how specific images (and elements of them) are trending with our visual AI recognition.

One-Click Report

Getting all your data together for your analytics binge can be problematic for one channel—and if you're advertising on multiple, it can just be plain hell. The answer? Madgicx's One-Click Report.

The One-Click Report from Madgicx covers advertising data across multiple platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, TikTok, and Shopify, all in one place. With over 19 fully customizable drag-and-drop templates for every type of reporting you can imagine, it's easy to create and share reports with your clients and coworkers without taking up your whole day.

The best part about these tools? You can test them all out for free! You can grab a free 7-day trial of Madgicx One-Click Report, the full Madgicx suite, the Ad Library, and Sparkle.

TikTok ads

TikTok is the new kid on the block as far as advertising platforms, but don't let that stop you from taking it seriously.

TikTok has had a huge rise to fame, with over 1.5 billion users as of 2023. And while everyone over 35 might know it more as a 'weird app that teens dance on,’ nearly half of Gen Z is turning to TikTok instead of Google as their new search platform of choice.

If that wasn't enough of a reality check, you should also know that TikTok is currently beating out every other social platform in terms of the number of minutes used per day. If your business is selling to a younger demographic, you need to be giving TikTok a try.

In addition to an ads manager that's similar to the others on this list, they've also recently launched their own version of Facebook Shops - TikTok Shops that includes live stream video shopping, videos with embedded store CTAs, affiliate marketing tools, and a virtual storefront.

While this tool was just rolled out this year, there are a lot of signs that point to TikTok Shops becoming an increasingly large portion of the revenue pie.

Any way you slice it, TikTok is a space you should be watching (and investing in) in 2024.

YouTube ads

When you're watching videos on YouTube, you've likely noticed ads popping up either before the video starts, during the video, or as banners around the video. These are YouTube ads.

YouTube's audience is massive (and the second-highest user count as of October 2023), which means your ad can reach all sorts of people, like a huge online shopping mall. For example, if you're selling yoga mats, you can aim your ads at folks who've shown interest in yoga videos or eco-friendly products.

And while you may think you have to be a video wizard to use YouTube ads, BlendJet, an easy-to-use blender, achieved nearly 4X ROI by just using an ASMR video where they simply make a smoothie.

I'm not sure about you, but I can easily create a smoothie if it's going to make that much of a difference in my metrics at the end of the year.

X (Twitter) ads

There has never been a more, well, interesting time to write this section than now 😅

Despite all the controversies surrounding the platform and its owner Elon Musk, X still makes its appearance at the top list of social media sites (although down from its once chart-topping position) and remains a viable platform for many eCommerce advertisers out there.

Twitter Ads (or X ads now) can take various forms, such as Promoted Ads, X Amplify, X Takeover, X Live, Dynamic Product Ads, and Collection Ads.

While the format of the ads is more similar to Facebook's, the targeting is a combination of both keywords and demographics, blending the approaches by Google's Search ads and Facebook's interests/demographics targeting.

Aside from all the technical parts, the one thing X still has that keeps its staying power is that it's the place to talk about big events as they unfold. Whether it's live coverage of the Met Gala or the United States presidential election, few other social platforms are the first ones we dive into to check out what's happening right now.

And as far as marketing goes, having your products displayed where all eyes seem to go for news can't be a bad thing.

Amazon ads

In 2022, Amazon sold more than 4.1 billion items in the US alone—so it might go without saying that Amazon is a crowded marketplace. That is unless you use Amazon ads.

Amazon ads are like the digital billboards and signposts of the Amazon world. They're designed to help businesses get their products noticed on Amazon's vast marketplace. Chances are you've seen (and purchased!) from these ads without even realizing it.

Of all the ad types available, Sponsored products are the most common. They look like regular product listings but are tagged with a subtle 'Sponsored' label. They pop up in search results and product pages, giving a nudge to specific products. However, Amazon also offers some other interesting ad types:

• Sponsored Brands: These ads are more about brand awareness. They often appear at the top of search results and feature a brand logo, a custom headline, and a selection of products.
• Sponsored Display ads: These ads go beyond Amazon's website, reaching audiences on other websites and apps just like Google's Display ads. They're more about keeping your brand in the minds of potential customers, even when they're not actively shopping on Amazon.

To be completely honest, it's hard to find a negative reason to advertise on Amazon if you're already on the platform as a seller. It's the top retailer in the US by an incredible margin, trusted by millions around the globe, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere for a long time.

The best eCommerce advertising strategies

Now that we have a handle on where we should be advertising our business, we can dive into the strategies and tactics we can use on those channels to take things up a notch!

Full-funnel targeting

Thinking about the bigger picture isn't just a life philosophy—it's also a major requirement for being a successful marketer. And the only way to see the bigger picture is to create a full-funnel targeting strategy.

When we talk about a full-funnel strategy, we're talking about how we speak (and advertise) to customers depending on where they are in the buyer's journey.

The truth is that no matter what you're purchasing, there's a typical set of thoughts and reasoning that guide you through the process. Let's take buying a car, for example.

I might wake up one day and realize that I have an issue with my current car and want to buy another. After I realize I have this issue, I move on to solving it—by researching the types of cars that have a great safety rating, good mileage, storage space, you name it.

Once I have something in mind, I then try to find a vendor that has what I need and compare them for deals, discounts, etc. After deliberation, you eventually choose a vendor, and if you have a good experience, you might become a repeat customer in the future when you need your next set of wheels.

This entire process is known as the buyer's journey.

This is important for marketers to know because how you talk to and advertise to people should directly relate to where they are in this journey. We can directly relate this to what we call a full-funnel targeting strategy in the ads world, in which we target these specific moments in the buyer's journey with messaging that solves their issues and moves them into the ultimate last step - becoming a happy (and frequent) customer.

Acquisition - Prospecting: In the initial phase of the marketing funnel, your potential customers are experiencing a challenge and actively seeking a solution (much like our new car search). During this stage, your role as a marketer is to make a first impression, introducing them to your brand and what you can provide.

This phase focuses on reaching cold audiences, meaning individuals who are not yet familiar with your brand.

Acquisition - Re-Engagement: Now that you've got them interested in your brand, it's time to really show off your stuff and what sets you apart from others in your industry.

At this point, the focus shifts to engaging with 'lukewarm' audiences. These are individuals who have already shown some interest in your brand, such as those who have liked or followed your pages, watched any videos, etc. Since they've raised their hand in a way to signal that they're at least open to having a conversation, we want to use these ads to convince them to view our product pages and make our first hard pitch.

Retargeting: This is the most powerful part of our funnel (and, conversely, the one a lot of people forget about). Since not everyone who clicked on your ad in the previous stage will buy immediately, we have a huge untapped market of people who are definitely interested but, for some reason, haven't converted. Now's our chance to finally seal the deal.

At this stage of the funnel, we want to reach out to those people (as well as people who have abandoned their cart) and convince them that we are indeed the best answer to their problems. Hit them with your very best deals and offers, and make sure you've implemented some of the landing page and conversion rate practices below for the best results.

Retention: It costs more to get a new customer than to keep your old ones, even in eCommerce. So some of the easiest selling you can do is to your current satisfied customers.

There's a reason why Apple always offers you additional charging cables and accessories after checkout or in the days after you've purchased ;)

Here you would be targeting lists of your current customers and advertising items related to what they purchased or things that would enhance their experience with the first product.

Each of the advertising channels we mentioned earlier has ways to use full-funnel targeting, though they may have different names for all the in-platform tools you use to do them.

Omnichannel advertising

Like a true millennial, I have a ton of social media platforms under my belt. Some I've not looked at since 2007, and some I log into every single day. I'm sure you do as well.

But as marketers, how do we make sure that we're finding the people we need to reach on the channels they're using most often and not an account that hasn't been touched since skinny jeans were still popular? The only way to guarantee that is omnichannel advertising.

Think of omnichannel advertising as a multi-faceted approach to marketing, where different channels – like social media, email, mobile apps, etc. – work together in harmony. The idea is to create a seamless experience for customers, no matter where they interact with your brand.

And while it's incredibly important to be seen where your customers are, stretching yourself too thin just to be everywhere at once is equally as detrimental. You can't slap the same Reel from Instagram on LinkedIn and expect the same results, as each platform has different algorithms and nuanced strategies that don't necessarily transfer over.

Before deploying ads or marketing campaigns across as many pages of the internet as you possibly can, ask yourself:

• Is my ideal customer actively on this channel?
• Do I have enough resources (time, money, content) to create and maintain this channel?
• Do I have advanced knowledge of this channel? (i.e., can understand and optimize results if things go wrong)

If you answer no to 2/3 of these questions, chances are you'll need to outsource some investment to help with that platform in particular or simply spend more time on channels that are a better use of your resources.

Content personalization

One of my absolute favorite (and strangest) internet trends is hyper-specific t-shirts, and apparently, I'm not alone:

And while the source (and story) of these shirts are more of a huge joke, they do bring up a great point—personalization is thumb-stopping, and thus, revenue-relevant.

Not only that, but the opportunities for content personalization in eCommerce are anywhere and everywhere.

It's in your email blasts that promote products relevant to what customers have previously searched for on your site.

It's an ad that speaks to their specific pain points and needs, making them feel heard and seen for the first time.

It's in the 'customers also purchased…’ recommendation on your product page.

You get the drift. Almost anyone can print a shirt and post it in an e-commerce store, but to actually get sales and have visitors, you need to understand how personalization works.

But the one thing all of this content has in common is that there's data to support it. The very first step in any personalization endeavor is finding (or collecting) the data you need to be able to personalize the content in the first place.

This shouldn't be too tough, considering 60% of consumers say they’ll become repeat customers after a personalized shopping experience, and 80% of consumers will share personal data in exchange for deals or offers.

Once you have it, you can then use this information to segment your audience (for example, everyone who has purchased skincare products for oily skin types) and talk to them about their needs and how you are best positioned to solve that issue for them.

Using this methodology combined with your omnichannel approach is a fantastic recipe for getting more eyes on your product (and more money in your pocket).

Influencer and affiliate marketing

If you're in the position of advertising a business that has customers who rave about your products, influencer and affiliate marketing are some great tactics to use to take your business to the next level.

Influencer marketing typically involves partnering with content creators who have a significant social following and level of trust with an audience that would be interested in your products. A brand usually requests that the influencer makes content similar to their usual style, but using and reviewing (or otherwise creatively pitching) their product. Compensation can include free products, traditional payment, or a combination of the two.

Affiliate marketing, on the other hand, is a more open-ended approach. In this case, businesses reward individuals or other companies (affiliates) for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's marketing efforts. This is typically done through affiliate links or codes, which track sales or traffic generated from the affiliate's content or platform. Affiliates promote the products or services using their platforms, such as a blog, website, or social media channels, and earn a commission for each sale or lead they generate.

Though some influencer partnerships can include a percentage of sales as compensation, affiliate marketing is generally open to everyone regardless of their social following.

While these two tactics differ slightly, there are a few common traits in both strategies that you need to do to be successful:

Define your goals. Clearly outline what you want to achieve with your influencer/affiliate marketing campaign. This could be increasing brand awareness, boosting store sales, launching a new product, or expanding into a new market. Make sure you set KPIs that align with these goals and keep track of them during the course of your campaign.

Give your influencers/affiliates a promo kit. You're a natural when it comes to how you talk about your brand, but your affiliates/influencers may not be. Be sure to include helpful copy, custom graphics, logos, and any other creative content they may need to help pitch your product.

Make the offer attractive. Chances are the Kardashians, with their millions of followers, wouldn't pitch your product if you offered them a $35 skincare kit. Likewise, offering small incentives for affiliates likely won't give them much of a reason to sell for you. Make sure that your compensation model is attractive and matches the value of the work the affiliates/influencers are doing on your behalf.

If you want to dive into this topic further, I'd recommend looking at tools that help you find the perfect influencer, as well as affiliate tracking tools.

Landing page optimization

While marketers love to reach for shiny and new strategies, sometimes going back to the basics can help improve your results more than a fun new graphic or video. Especially when it comes to landing page optimization.

Landing page optimization is the process of improving elements on a specific webpage to increase conversions. A landing page is typically the first page a visitor lands on after clicking on an ad or a search engine result link.

Since it can be the very first interaction with your brand, it's crucial to make sure the page is set up to make navigating and completing their purchase as easy as possible. In fact, Capturly found that the average conversion rate drops by 2% with each passing second it takes the webpage to load.

Though loading speed is a huge part of landing page optimization, there are other parts to check that are equally as important, like:

• Mobile optimization: Ensuring the landing page is fully functional and visually appealing on mobile devices.
• User experience (UX): Ensuring the landing page is user-friendly, intuitive, and accessible.
• Content relevance: Aligning the page content with the expectations set by the ads or search results that directed the user there.
• Call to action (CTA): Clear and compelling CTAs that guide users toward conversion, whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or another desired action.
• Visual appeal: Attractive design and imagery that resonates with the target audience.

Since there's a ton involved in website/landing page optimization, we don't have time to dive into all of the hundreds of things you can do to improve it. But if you're looking for a good place to start, you can check out Semrush's guide to eCommerce website optimization here.

Conversion rate optimization

Landing page optimization is an absolute must; however, equally as important is conversion rate optimization.

While landing page optimization focuses on making a specific page the absolute best it can be, conversion rate optimization focuses on how to make your website visitors complete a specific action (sales, form fills, etc.).

Of course, to improve your current conversion rate, you need to know what yours is. Your website conversion rate is calculated as the number of conversions divided by the number of total website visitors during that same time, multiplied by 100.

Make sure that you're only counting one specific conversion for the formula above. For example, if you want to figure out your purchase conversion rate, only calculate how many purchases were made and don't include add-to-cart conversions, etc.

Some of the first optimization tips you should do were covered under the previous bullet in regard to website loading speed and ease of use. But here, we can pull some additional strategic levers to increase purchase conversions.

1. Improve your checkout experience. The very first place to look at your conversion rate issues is the checkout page itself. If you see you have a huge dropoff at the checkout phase, there could be an issue that's preventing them from moving forward (like shipping fees, additional costs, etc.). You can use this space to offer additional incentives to get them to complete the transaction (shipping discounts, free items, etc.). Ensuring you have a variety of different payment methods available, including buy now, pay later options, can also go a long way in increasing your conversion rate.
2. Add reviews and testimonials. As marketers (and humans), we know that people tend to ask their friends and family for recommendations or reviews when going to purchase products. Adding this crucial piece to your product pages (or even on your checkout page) can add some trust and solidify a potential sale.
3. Use high-quality product images and descriptions: When most brands these days include very specific and detailed information, you can guarantee you're losing business to this easily preventable problem. Use high-resolution images and detailed product descriptions to help customers make informed decisions, including multiple images from different angles and product videos.

eCommerce ad examples for inspiration

All this strategic talk needs a little ol’ fashioned inspiration. To end our guide, here are some examples of great eCommerce ads we loved this year!

Why we like it: It’s hard not to love this ad. Gorgeous product shots, a callout to free shipping over $30, and the copy is choc-full of benefits. Great job, ColourPop!

Why we like it: Secretlab is a favorite advertiser of mine (in addition to being my favorite gaming chair). Here they take advantage of their partnership with gaming titan Diablo with some witty puns from the series. The product pictures are great quality and eye-catching, and they add a bonus limited-time statement to help generate the coveted FOMO (or fear of missing out).

Why we like it: This ad is proof you don’t need a 35-minute product demo or in-depth video to pitch your product. Wizardpins does a great job of explaining what their company does, even if you didn’t read the caption. 

Why we like it: Sometimes even the best gifters need a little help—and this Search ad from Good Housekeeping is doing the work for us. Here GH features a fantastic and eye-grabbing title, as well as several callout pages featuring niche interests sure to spark some gift-giving inspo. The picky line also insinuates there will be a little something for everyone.

Why we like it: You might have noticed I’m a big fan of puns, mostly because it’s something different. And this ad by Burrow seals it for me. Instead of treating furniture in another boring dull way, they kick it up a notch by doing their best David Attenborough-style mockumentary about the evolution of furniture, treating the piece like a new species while still managing to show off its main benefits. This is true ad edu-tainment!

Why we like it: As a clothing brand, it can be hard to pick what to show off in your ads, especially if you have a large product offering. In this ad, Cider chose to highlight their wardrobe by using emotions, letting their audience know they have a range of attire for you no matter what mood you’re in. The colorful video and attention to a theme also help sell this ad as more of an art piece and less of a standard with another bad jingle.

Why we like it: TikTok is all about a direct connection to your audience, usually without all the flashy footage and corporate graphics. Here, ASOS uses the model’s natural setting and a series of quick cuts to create an outfit that’s both fun and accessible. I would have loved a percentage off here or some other CTA, but this is yet another piece of evidence that an ad doesn’t have to have a huge video budget to be effective.

Why we like it: We’re so enamored with gadgets that some of the best ones (like FlexTape and OxyClean) have become memes and strange staples of culture. And this ad gives me those same vibes. The execution in the demo, the great verbal pitch, and the added 50% off offer all go a long way in enticing more clicks. Someone give this guy a raise!