In April, Time magazine wrote about how “Made in the U.S.A.” is making a comeback. Companies such as Apple and Walmart, typically known for outsourcing to foreign countries are changing gears.  Instead of outsourcing they are pumping up spending into America. Apple is building one of its Mac assembly lines in the U.S. and Walmart has said it will increase its spending with American suppliers by $50 billion over the next decade.

It’s tempting to buy foreign-made products and use foreign services. After all, it’s not rocket science to know that you access cheaper products and services overseas. But what some don’t stop to consider is why they are cheaper.

One of those overseas services is Pay Per Click (PPC) management.

Today, I’ll discuss six items to consider when choosing whether or not to use a foreign company to build your PPC campaign versus a fully “Made in the U.S.A.” PPC campaign.

A PPC campaign in the U.S.A. requires a comprehensive understanding of the English language.  Running your PPC campaigns really requires daily use, experience, and an in-depth knowledge of the English language.

There are certain slang words, inferences, and multiple spellings of similar sounding words which have entirely different meanings (e.g. dear & deer) which may not be easily understood by someone who speaks English as a second language. For example, English words do not always have a one to one translation in other languages. Words can have double meanings. And past and present tense can change the meaning of your keywords and ads.

In fact, when a PPC company tested Google Translate it failed for accuracy. 

To demonstrate, think about when you’ve bought a foreign product. How often have you found mistakes in the written instructions? Or think about overseas travel. In Europe a bathroom is referred to as “toilet.” Imagine if a designer, architect, or tile company was running an ad to get people in the U.S.A. to remodel their bathroom and the ad said, “Remodel your toilet” instead?

You have to know the right word to write. Because it only takes one wrong word to break the concentration of a consumer and lose your audience…which can potentially means lost sales.

A detailed knowledge of database marketing.  Getting inside the minds of an English speaking consumer or business and understanding their buying cycle and motives requires an exhaustive knowledge of database marketing combined with deep understanding of the English language.

Looking at search query data allows my company to get into the heads of an English-speaking consumer or business and understand their search motives and where they are in the buying cycle. For example, is your consumer in the research or info-gathering mode? Are they narrowing down possibilities? Or are they making a purchase decision?

PPC for Small Biz deeply analyzes data “quality” throughout the optimization process and on an on-going basis. By reviewing data in this way, we are able to discover keyword patterns and recognize what people are searching for and how they are searching for it far better and faster than our overseas competitors, thus saving you time and money.

People who don’t speak English as a first language often search for things differently.Some keywords that are high volume in other languages flop in English and vice-versa.  That means you can end up with two potential problems. Either no one is finding your ad because they are searching different keywords or you are paying for a high number of clicks without converting them into sales because there is a disconnect.

There is a time difference.  One thing most people who outsource don’t consider is the time difference. Especially since a lot of outsourcing for PPC is done to India where there is on average a 12 hour difference. This means the outsource company is often not available during your business hours. A company in the U.S.A. however is available during your business hours.

About those low-cost workers… PPC work can be tedious and require long hours. The impression is that because of this, outsourcing to India, Pakistan or the Philippines will save money. One thing not accounted for is that translation can add extra time to the process. Plus,Time Magazine reports that low-cost “workers from China to India are demanding and getting bigger paychecks.” Which means low-cost labor from these countries is getting harder to come by.

“Made in the U.S.A.” is good for the economy. Buying things that are made in America is good for the economy. It boosts jobs here which gives people money to spend on your products and services. Buying things that are made elsewhere is bad for the economy by shifting that money away from the U.S.A.

Before outsourcing any job to another country, you really need to know what you want and what to expect. It takes a great deal of planning to outsource your PPC to another continent. Plus, it brings a whole new set of issues such as dealing with a number of differences such as culture, time, buying motives, and language.

Outsourcing your PPC to India, the Philippines, or other foreign countries may look like a less expensive service but the downside may be a large increase in your overall total costs.

Here’s to your online success!

John

P.S. My company is 100% made in the USA. We don’t outsource our PPC management service overseas, – –ever.  Our goal is to keep these knowledge worker jobs in America. If you’re interested in learning more, contact me