Whether your company name is on a billboard, a zippy radio spot, a paid search engine listing or a print ad in a magazine, you need to be able to track the response. By doing so, you can discover which ads are working, where to invest more advertising dollars and what needs to hit the chopping block. Tracking ad response is only the first step; you need to determine which ads convert into the most sales. For instance, an ad that garners lots of response but few sales may need fixing. The success of your ad campaign can be measured by:

1. The traffic that the ad brought to your business or Web site
2. The portion of that traffic that you converted into customers or serious prospects
3. The amount of visibility your company received to build brand recognition
4. The return on investment of the expense of the campaign versus the results

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Code your campaign to more easily track results

Apply a code to each advertisement before you begin a campaign. By doing so, you can track which ads bring customers in the door, and which ads fall short of expectations. This simple technique can be used for print ads, direct mail campaigns and online ads. Add a code to print ads and direct mail and include the code on printed return envelopes. Indicate a phone number or a specific extension or specify a URL to help track your ad response.

I recommend: Learn how to choose landing pages that correspond to the URLs in your ads with an online tutorial from the Google Learning Center (go to section 6a). See a sample URL code at WebSource.com. Track hits to each landing page with a program, such as HitBox. Order envelopes with your imprinted code from Envelopes Direct.

Use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

With PPC advertising, you only pay when people actually click on your ad. With this form of online advertising, it's easy to track which ads are getting the best response and where the response is coming from.

I recommend: Popular PPC advertising options include Google AdWords and Yahoo! Sponsored Search.

Use tracking tools for online ads

Take advantage of tools that help you monitor online advertising and determine ROI.

I recommend: AdWatcher is an online ad manager that helps you determine which of your ads are generating the most clicks and which are converting into the most sales. Direct Response Marketing Software 1.0 tracks responses to email marketing and advertising campaigns.

Use software tracking programs

A number of software packages are available to guide you through the process of tracking advertising campaign response.

I recommend: Marketing Pilot tracks and measures responses, results and ROI. JAZreturns works for ecommerce sites by adding Java script to your Web site. The company will send you monthly reports on search engine and keyword analysis and Internet advertising that brings visitors to your site. If you want more options check out Ad Tracker Reviews.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When sending out direct mail or placing print ads, include 'Mention this ad for a discount'. Each ad or mailing will help you determine which medium brought in the most response.
• •  Take yearly surveys among repeat customers and ask every new customer how they heard about you. This will help you know what time of year, type of ad and campaign attracted the most response.
• •  Don't automatically cancel advertising that isn't getting results. Some print campaigns take time before you see results. For instance, if a radio ad isn't paying for itself, it may just need to be played at a different time of day. Likewise with a print advertisement that is in the wrong section of the newspaper for your business.