PPC Agency or In-House: Which is Best?

PPC Agency or In-House: So you’re looking at your AdWords account and know you need some help. Or maybe you’ve heard of AdWords but don’t know where to start.

You have two main options: hire a PPC agency or recruit someone in-house.

Deciding which to go for can be tricky and will depend on your business.

We’ll look through the pros and cons of each to help you decide which could work better for you.

Recruiting an in-house PPC specialist

If you have a successful PPC account ticking along and you’re looking to keep that going, then in-house might be for you.

There can certainly be some benefits to keeping your PPC in-house:

• It’s entirely in YOUR hands
  The account is managed under your own roof. You know what’s going on and have full control over the account.
• Industry nuances and terminology
  You know your industry better than anyone. Having someone in-house can help build an appreciation of your brand values and industry nuances.
• Usually in the same office
  Want to get a new ad up? No problem. You’re in the same office, just walk over to their desk and ask, right?
• If you’re not spending much
  If your spend is low, paying for external PPC management might not be the most cost effective way to manage your account.

You might be thinking, “OK great, that sounds perfect!” but I hate to tell you that it might not be as simple as that.

Some downsides of in-house Google AdWords specialists can include:

• The “can you just…” effect
  Often in-house employees will pick up tasks and jobs outside of their technical remit. If you’re looking for someone to make changes quickly, this can be difficult if their list is full of other tasks.
• You’ve not invested in AdWords before

If you don’t have the skills within your team, employing a new person with the required skills is a big commitment when you haven’t experimented with AdWords before.

• Lack of resources
  Hiring someone is one thing but to make an account as profitable as possible you’re going to need the tools to give you the insights you need. There are lots of tools out there, all doing different jobs and the costs can quickly stack up.
• Keeping up to date

As the only specialist in your field in any business, it can be challenging to single-handedly keep up with all the latest industry news.

Many of these downsides can be overcome by using a Google Ads Expert instead.

Hiring a PPC agency

A high-quality, proven PPC agency can offer you greater flexibility. It’s important to find the right agency for you, who you can contact easily and trust.

Key benefits of hiring a PPC agency rather than employing someone in-house include:

• Access to the latest tools and software
  Agencies often purchase multiple licences to the latest industry tools. The cost is offset by the number of clients they have and their frequent use – this gives you the opportunity to gain insights that you couldn’t be able to justify paying for in-house.
• Multiple PPC brains
  If you ever have any issues with your account, whether it’s stagnating or a rare issue, you’ll have multiple experts on hand to review and offer advice.
• Up to date information

Agencies focus on keeping their consultants up to date with the latest industry news and trends. Consultants are often briefed on new updates and prompt each other of new developments.

• No distractions – just focused on your ROI
  A good PPC management agency is, and always will be, focused on your account and increasing your ROI. This gives them time to improve your landing pages, increase conversions and set up the latest tracking technology to find out where your best profits are coming from.
• Flexibility
  At PPC Geeks we are totally transparent and flexible. With no complicated contracts, if it’s not working for you, that’s fine! We understand.

Understanding the Importance of AOV in PPC Campaigns

A crucial aspect often overlooked in the debate between hiring a PPC agency or managing PPC in-house is the focus on Average Order Value (AOV). AOV is a key metric that measures the average amount spent each time a customer places an order through a website. By optimising your PPC campaigns with AOV in mind, you can significantly enhance the profitability of your digital advertising efforts.

When you partner with a seasoned PPC agency, you gain access to expert strategies aimed at increasing your AOV. These agencies employ sophisticated techniques such as upselling and cross-selling through targeted ad copy, creating bundle deals in ads, and optimising landing pages to encourage higher-value purchases. This focus on elevating the AOV can lead to a more efficient use of your ad spend, as increasing the value of each transaction directly impacts your bottom line.

On the other hand, managing PPC campaigns in-house provides you with direct control over your marketing strategies, potentially allowing for more agile responses to market changes that could affect AOV. However, this requires your team to have a deep understanding of PPC tactics that can drive up AOV, as well as the tools and resources to implement these strategies effectively.

Ultimately, whether you choose to work with a PPC agency or handle your campaigns in-house, understanding and focusing on AOV is essential. It not only helps in maximising the return on your PPC investment but also in achieving broader business objectives related to revenue and growth. Consider how your chosen approach to PPC management can best support efforts to improve AOV, and ensure that strategies to increase this crucial metric are a central part of your PPC campaigns.

It’s always going to depend on your business, the skills of your team and the nature of your account. Just remember to factor in all costs and benefits involved. Often, in-house can seem the cheaper option but this isn’t always the case when you factor in extra tool subscriptions, results and commitment.

If you’re still undecided, get in touch to discuss more. We offer free AdWords audits to show you how we can help.