Mastering Bing Shopping Ads: A Complete Guide to Boost Your E-commerce Sales

 

As we well know, the eCommerce world is now very competitive and every year there are more and more companies that are part of it. For this reason, it is vital to take advantage of all the opportunities that arise to promote and highlight our products. One such opportunity is Bing Shopping Ads, an essential tool in digital marketing, which allows companies to display their products effectively on Microsoft’s main search engine: Bing, as well as on Yahoo and AOL. 

These ads feature images and product details and have a significant impact on the visibility and reach of online offerings. In addition, by using Bing as an advertising platform, we are accessing a number of benefits that can make a difference in our marketing campaigns. These include the ability to reach a unique and diverse audience, as well as the opportunity to optimize our ads for better performance and ROI. 

Let’s take a look at what Bing Shopping Ads are all about:

What are Bing Shopping Ads?

As mentioned above, Bing Shopping Ads are a specific solution for promoting products on Bing, Microsoft’s search engine. These ads also allow businesses to promote their products in a visual and attractive way by including product images, titles, descriptions and prices, making it easier for users to get relevant information about the items before clicking on them.

Let’s take a closer look at the features and functionality of Bing Shopping Ads and how they differ from other options on the market:

1. Specific targeting: Bing Shopping Ads allows advertisers to segment their ads according to various criteria, such as geographic location, device used, or the user’s age and gender. In this way, it is possible to direct ads to a specific target audience, which can increase their effectiveness and profitability.
2. Remarketing campaigns: with Bing Shopping Ads, advertisers can run remarketing campaigns to re-engage users who have previously visited their website or interacted with their products. This helps increase the likelihood of conversion and improve ROI.
3. Ad Optimization: Bing Shopping Ads offers optimization tools that allow advertisers to adjust and improve their ads based on their performance. By using these tools, it is possible to identify areas of improvement and make changes to increase the effectiveness of ads.
4. Detailed reporting: Bing Shopping Ads provides detailed reports on campaign performance, allowing advertisers to better analyze and understand their results. These reports include information on impressions, clicks, conversions… and other relevant data that can be useful to adjust and improve advertising strategies.

 

 

How does Bing Shopping Ads differ from other advertising platforms?

Unlike other platforms such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads, Bing Shopping Ads focus exclusively on promoting products on the Bing search engine. This means that while its reach may be smaller compared to other platforms, it offers a unique opportunity to reach a targeted and diverse audience that uses Bing as its default search engine.

Setting up your Bing Shopping Ads campaign

If you want to set up your Bing Shopping Ads follow this step by step list where we will show you how to create a Bing Merchant Center account:

• Step 1: visit the Bing Merchant Center website and go to the Bing Merchant Center page.
• Step 2: Sign in or create a Microsoft account or create a new one if you do not already have one. If you do not have a Microsoft account, you can sign up here.
• Step 3: After signing in, click “Create Store” and fill in the required information such as store name, website URL and contact information.
• Step 4: Verify and claim your website. Bing Merchant Center will ask you to verify and claim your website. You can do this by following the instructions provided, such as adding an XML file or a meta tag in the source code of your website.

Product feed submission and setup: follow the steps below to launch your campaign:

• Step 1 – Prepare your product feed: make sure your product feed is in the correct format for Bing. You can use a .CSV, .TSV, .TXT or .XML file. You can check more information here, for details on required and optional fields. You can also use a CSV importer.
• Step 2 – Upload your product feed: in your Bing Merchant Center account, go to the “Catalog Sources” tab and click “Create Catalog”. Complete the required information and select “Import” to upload your product feed.
• Step 3 – Set up the update schedule: To keep your product feed up to date, set up the automatic update schedule. You can choose to update your feed daily, weekly or monthly.
• Step 4 – Create a Bing Shopping campaign: go to the Bing Ads dashboard and click on “Campaigns”. Then select “Create Campaign” and choose “Bing Shopping Ads” as the campaign type. Enter a name for your campaign, a budget and the duration of the campaign.
• Step 5 – Configure your product groups: in the “Product groups” section, select the products you want to advertise and assign a maximum CPC for each group.
• Step 6 – Review and launch your campaign: once you have set up all the details of your campaign, review the information and click “Save and exit”. Bing will review your campaign and launch it once it has been approved.

With this guide, you will be able to successfully set up your Bing Shopping Ads campaign and take full advantage of Bing advertising.

Optimizing your Bing Shopping Ads

Here are some tips and strategies to improve the visibility and performance of your Bing Shopping Ads:

• Conduct thorough keyword research: identify relevant, high-performing keywords for your business. Tools like the Bing Keyword Planner can help you find effective keywords and understand trends in your market.
• Create attractive titles and descriptions: the titles and descriptions of your ads should be clear, concise and attractive. Include relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions to improve the relevance and ranking of your ads.
• Target your ads effectively: make sure your ads are targeted to the right audience, using geographic, demographic and device targeting. This will allow you to reach the users most interested in your products and improve the performance of your ads.
• Optimize product images: high-quality images are crucial to attract users’ attention. Make sure to use clear, well-lit images that show your products from different angles. Also, follow Bing Shopping Ads guidelines for image size and format.
• Set competitive prices: Compare your prices with those of your competitors and make sure they are competitive. If possible, offer promotions or discounts to attract more customers.
• Use ad extensions: Ad extensions, such as price extensions, review extensions, or even image extensions, can improve the visibility of your ads and provide additional information to users. 
• Monitor and adjust your bids: regularly review the performance of your ads and adjust your bids as needed. You can increase bids for ads that are performing well and decrease bids for ads that are not.
• Use remarketing: remarketing allows you to show ads to users who have already visited your website. This strategy can be effective in increasing the visibility of your ads and improving conversion rates.
• Test and optimize your ads: perform A/B tests on your ads to determine which elements work best. You can test different titles, descriptions, images and offers to see which combinations generate the best results.
• Provide accurate and detailed product data: Make sure you provide accurate and up-to-date information about your products, such as titles, descriptions, prices, availability and product details. Accurate and detailed data allows you to reach relevant customers and improve the user experience, which in turn can increase your conversion rates.

Today it is essential to measure the performance of our advertising campaigns to make informed decisions and adjust our strategies accordingly. 

Conversion tracking is a crucial part of the optimization process of our Bing Shopping campaigns. To set up conversion tracking, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Bing Ads account and go to the Convention Center.
2. Click on “Create conversion goal” and fill in the necessary details, such as the goal name, conversion type and conversion value.
3. After setting up the conversion goal, you will get a tracking code that you will need to insert on your website or online store.
4. Once you have successfully set up conversion tracking, you will be able to analyze the performance of your Bing Shopping Ads and make informed decisions on how to improve your campaigns.

Bing Ads reporting tools and analysis

Bing Ads offers a variety of tools and reporting analytics to help measure the performance of your ad campaigns. Some of the most useful tools include:

• Performance Dashboard: this dashboard provides a quick overview of the performance of your campaigns, including clicks, impressions, CTR, average CPC and more.
• Reports: Bing Ads reports allow you to analyze detailed data from your campaigns, including keyword reports, geo-location reports and more. You can customize these reports according to your needs and export them for further analysis.
• Campaign Optimizer: this tool offers you specific suggestions to improve the performance of your campaigns, such as adjusting bids, adding negative keywords and optimizing geo-targeting.

Best Practices: make the most of your Bing Shopping Ads

• Detailed targeting: use the targeting options offered by Bing to target your ads to specific audiences, such as geographic location, language, device, age, gender and interests. Being more specific in your targeting will increase the chances of conversion.
• Title and description optimization: make sure the title is clear, concise and engaging, including relevant keywords. The description should highlight the unique features of your products and provide relevant information to persuade users to click on them.
• Use structured data: structured data enriches your ads by providing additional information about them, such as price, availability and customer reviews. This increases trust and credibility in your products.
• Bid optimization: regularly track your bids and adjust your bids as needed. Consider using automated bidding strategies, such as target CPA bidding or target ROAS bidding, to optimize your bids according to your marketing objectives.
• A/B testing: test different elements of your ads, such as images, titles, descriptions or calls to action. This will help you identify which combinations generate the best results and optimize your ads accordingly.
• Ad extensions: Ad extensions in Bing Shopping add extra information and relevant links to your ads, making them more attractive and visible. You can use location, callout and site link extensions.
• Ad scheduling: allows you to choose the specific days and times you want your ads to be displayed, giving you greater control over their visibility and allowing you to optimize your advertising efforts.
• Targeting options: geographic, demographic, by device and interests, which helps you target your ads more accurately and relevantly to your target audience.

Success Stories

“ModaStyle: increased visibility and sales”

• Challenge: ModaStyle, an online boutique specializing in women’s fashion, was looking to increase its visibility and attract a broader target audience.
• Strategy: they used detailed targeting based on geographic location, interests and demographics to show relevant ads to the right users.
• Results: ModaStyle experienced a significant increase in visibility for their products, resulting in a 30% increase in sales compared to previous campaigns. Detailed targeting and continuous bid optimization were key to its success.

Lesson learned: detailed targeting and ongoing optimization are critical to maximizing viewability and sales in Bing Shopping Ads.

“ElectroTech: improving ROI and conversion rate”

• Challenge: ElectroTech, an online electronics retailer, wanted to improve their return on investment (ROI) and increase their conversion rate.
• Strategy: they implemented automated bidding strategies, such as target CPA bidding, to optimize bids based on their cost-per-acquisition target.
• Results: ElectroTech was able to increase their ROI by 20% and their conversion rate by 15% compared to previous campaigns. Automated bidding allowed them to efficiently optimize their budget and target users with a higher likelihood of conversion.

Lesson learned: automated bidding strategies can be effective in improving ROI and conversion rate by optimizing bids according to cost-per-acquisition targets.

“GreenGarden: taking advantage of ad extensions.”

• Challenge: Green Garden, an online gardening supply store, was looking to stand out from the competition and improve the relevance of their ads.
• Strategy: They used ad extensions, such as location and site link extensions, to add additional information and relevant links to their ads.
• Results: GreenGarden experienced a 40% increase in click-through rate (CTR) and a significant improvement in the relevance of their ads. The ad extensions allowed them to highlight and provide additional information, which generated increased user interest and engagement.

Future Trends and Updates

Bing Shopping Ads continues to evolve, we tell you about some upcoming updates that are expected to be implemented:

Dynamic Shopping Ads

Bing Shopping Ads is working on launching dynamic shopping ads, which will allow advertisers to automatically display relevant products based on the user’s search. This functionality will help improve ad relevance and capture the attention of potential shoppers.

Advanced Targeting

Bing Shopping Ads plans to introduce more detailed targeting options, allowing advertisers to target specific audiences based on factors such as location, search behavior and demographic preferences. This will improve the effectiveness of ads and increase the chances of reaching the right customers.

Focus on Visual Shopping Experience

Bing Shopping Ads has placed significant emphasis on the visual shopping experience, allowing advertisers to add high-quality images and videos to their ads. This trend reflects consumers’ growing interest in viewing products before making a purchase, giving brands the opportunity to stand out and generate greater user engagement.

Improved User Interface

Bing has made updates to its user interface, improving navigation and the overall user experience for advertisers. Enhancements include improved usability and more intuitive organization of tools and reports, making it easier to manage campaigns and monitor results.

 

What’s new in Bing Shopping Ads in 2023

What are the specific new features in Bing Shopping Ads this year?

APRIL 2023: “Professional Services Ads.”

Professional Services Ads are an integral part of niche-specific ads, designed to be engaging and source-based to encourage awareness and dialogue. These ads include promotions related to medical clinics, global insurance services, global tax services, global real estate services and global home services. Check restrictions and availability in your market, as we plan to add more ad types in the future.

MARCH 2023: “Microsoft Advertising and Listings Module in PrestaShop”.

Microsoft Advertising has collaborated with PrestaShop to develop the Microsoft Ads and Listings module. This module facilitates the synchronization of your entire online store’s product catalog with the Microsoft Merchant Center. Products will be automatically displayed in Microsoft Bing and Microsoft Start locations. In addition, you will be able to create intelligent shopping campaigns and evaluate the performance of your paid marketing strategies, using this information to extend your reach on Microsoft’s audience and search networks.

FEBRUARY 2023: “Personalize your Business Domains with Smart Pages”.

Domain customization gives you precise control over the image of your business to potential customers. By creating a unique custom domain, you make it easier for customers to share your website URL. 

JANUARY 2023: “The Application of Microsoft Ads and Listings in BigCommerce”.

Microsoft Advertising and BigCommerce have teamed up to create the Microsoft Ads and Listings app. With this app, you can seamlessly synchronize your entire online store product catalog with the Microsoft Merchant Center. Your products will be displayed automatically  in Microsoft Bing and Microsoft Start locations as well as in paid smart shopping campaigns. In addition, the application gives you the opportunity to monitor performance and gain marketing insights to expand your presence in Microsoft’s search and audience networks.

To conclude…

1. Bing Shopping Ads is an essential tool in digital marketing that allows companies to effectively showcase their products on the Bing, Yahoo and AOL search engine, increasing the visibility and reach of online offerings.
2. Unlike other advertising platforms such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads, Bing Shopping Ads focus exclusively on promoting products on the Bing search engine, providing a unique opportunity to reach a targeted and diverse audience.
3. Setting up a Bing Shopping Ads campaign requires creating a Bing Merchant Center account and following the steps to set up and launch the campaign, including displaying and configuring the product feed.
4. To optimize Bing Shopping Ads, it is important to conduct thorough keyword research, create compelling titles and descriptions, target ads effectively, optimize product images, set competitive pricing, use ad extensions, monitor and adjust bids, use remarketing, and perform constant testing and optimization.
5. It is essential to measure the performance of Bing Shopping Ads ad campaigns and set up conversion tracking to make informed decisions and adjust strategies accordingly. Bing Ads offers reporting tools and analytics, such as the performance dashboard and detailed reports, to measure and analyze campaign performance.

Boost your e-commerce with Bing Shopping Ads! Why should you consider them?

• Broad reach: reach a diverse audience on Bing.
• Precise targeting: target specific potential customers.
• Effective Remarketing: re-engage previous visitors to your site.
• Constant optimization: improve your ads based on their performance.

Additional Resources and References

• Bing Ads promo code: activate this discount and save $75 on your first campaigns.
• Bing Ads Keyword Search Tool: Find the right keywords to optimize your Bing Shopping Ads. 
• Bing Ads Help Center: find answers to frequently asked questions and detailed guides about Bing Shopping Ads.