Quinn Dolan is a Manager of Search & Social Advertising at Perfect Search Media. He’s an expert in digital platforms like Google Ads, Google Shopping, the Google Display Network, and Facebook Ads Manager and he specializes in advertising for eCommerce and education clients.
What major changes have you seen across the eCommerce digital marketing landscape in the last few years?
The rise of machine learning has taken eCommerce digital marketing by storm in the last few years. This has only intensified with automated bidding strategies centered around maximizing ROAS (e.g. Target ROAS) and the release of Smart Shopping this past fall.
More and more, eCommerce advertisers are relying on machine learning to optimize campaigns in the moment. Lucky for us, AI is sure to enhance the online experience for both buyers and sellers in years to come.
What advice do you have for brands advertising on Google Shopping or Amazon?
Embrace machine learning, because it’s not going anywhere. Don’t be reluctant to test Target ROAS and Smart Shopping on Google. We’ve seen Smart Shopping perform extremely well from a ROAS perspective for nearly all of our eCommerce clients. The newer product also drives really cheap clicks, likely because it includes GDN placements.
Being a younger ad platform, Amazon doesn’t have many automated features yet, but it’s only a matter of time until it, too, offers products and features powered by AI.
Where do you see the digital marketing landscape for eCommerce in the next few years?
The eCommerce space will surely continue to grow, especially on Amazon. In fact, customers are often likely to search for products on Amazon rather than going directly to your website.
According to a study of 2,000 online consumers, about 49 percent of online shoppers start their journey with a search on Amazon. As a result, Amazon ads will likely become a larger piece of the eCommerce ad spend pie in the next few years.
In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?
About two years ago I cut added sugars out of my diet. It was (really) tough at first, but I feel better than ever because of it. You stop craving it eventually, which makes things a lot easier. I encourage others to give it a try!
What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?
Bikes have been and always will be very near and dear to my heart. I bought (another) bike about a year ago and have been beyond happy with the purchase. I bike into work every day on my Dolan Pre Cursa — it’s such a great way to start the day and I’ve always said that I do some of my best thinking while riding my bike. Oh, and it’s also good for Mama Earth. What’s not to love?
Brian Roizen is the Cofounder and Chief Architect of Feedonomics, a full-service feed optimization platform that optimizes product data for hundreds of channels. He has been featured on numerous podcasts and eCommerce webinars, and regularly contributes to Search Engine Land and other industry-leading blogs. Brian graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
