E-commerce Insights: Winning at Paid Search ’07

Establish clear return on investment metrics. Ensure your contract has an easy out (30 days or less) if performance or service targets aren’t met. Negotiate a maximum monthly dollar cap on your agency fee to protect you from soaring bills in your heaviest traffic months.

11. Audit your search programs every six months. Compare the costs shown in your search reports with the actual invoices from the engines. Compare the sales reported in your search reports with order detail records. Determine whether any orders are counted twice due to different cookie tracking.