Tracking Google Ad Conversions in WordPress

If you’re a business owner or marketer, you’re likely familiar with Google Ads as a strong way to drive traffic to your website. Setting it up effectively can require some technical know-how, especially when integrating with WordPress. Allow me to walk you through properly integrating Google Ads with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, the right way, to maximize your website’s performance and data tracking capabilities.

Why Use Google Ads for Your Website?

Google Ads is an excellent tool for driving targeted traffic to your website. By bidding on keywords relevant to your business, you can show ads to users actively searching for what you offer. But, to really understand the value of that traffic, it’s crucial to track it correctly. That’s where tools like Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager come in.

Option 1: Directly Connect Google Analytics and Google Ads with Custom JavaScript

For many businesses and marketers, a straightforward setup of Google Analytics and Google Ads is enough to track important website interactions without needing a more complex setup. If you’re looking to avoid additional tools or platforms, you can connect Google Analytics and Google Ads directly and use custom JavaScript to track key actions on your website. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Install Google Analytics (GA4)

To begin, you’ll need to install Google Analytics on your WordPress site. There are a couple of ways to do this:

Using a Plugin: WordPress plugins like Site Kit by Google simplify the process. After installation, the plugin will automatically insert the Google Analytics tracking code into your website, and you’ll be able to see key data like page views and user behavior within your Google Analytics dashboard.
Manual Code Insertion: If you prefer not to use a plugin, you can manually add the GA4 tracking code to your WordPress site. To do this, copy the tracking script from your Google Analytics account and paste it into your site’s header or footer file (usually found in your theme settings or via your website’s code editor). This will start collecting data immediately.

Step 2: Link Google Analytics to Google Ads

Once Google Analytics is set up, the next step is to link it with your Google Ads account. This will allow you to see how your ad campaigns are performing in terms of real user behavior and conversions on your website.

In Google Analytics, navigate to the Admin section and find the Google Ads Linking option under the Property settings.
Follow the prompts to link your Google Ads account. Once linked, data such as user behavior, conversions, and audience insights will flow between Google Ads and Analytics, allowing you to optimize your campaigns based on how visitors interact with your site.

Step 3: Set Up Custom JavaScript for Conversion Tracking

For more advanced tracking, you can use custom JavaScript to monitor specific actions on your site, like button clicks, form submissions, or external link redirects. Here’s how you can do this:

Google Ads Conversion Tracking: Google Ads provides a conversion tracking code that you can place directly into your website’s HTML. For example, if you want to track when users complete a form or click a specific button, you can insert this conversion tracking code into the relevant part of your site’s HTML.
- Navigate to your Google Ads account, go to Tools & Settings > Conversions, and create a new conversion action.
- Google Ads will generate a conversion tracking code that includes a JavaScript snippet. You can add this code directly into your website’s HTML (either through your WordPress editor or directly into the page code) to track actions.
Tracking Button Clicks: If you want to track a button click (for example, a “Contact Us” button), you can insert the conversion tracking code into the button’s HTML attributes. This will trigger a conversion event each time a user clicks the button, allowing you to monitor how often it leads to valuable actions on your site.
Tracking Form Submissions: Similarly, if you want to track when users submit a contact form, you can embed the conversion tracking code into the form’s submission page or thank-you page. This is especially useful for tracking lead generation or contact inquiries.

Here is a sample of the code I used:

<script>
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
    var buttons = document.querySelectorAll('.cta-consultation'); // Select all elements with the class 'cta-consultation'

    // Check if there are any buttons to avoid errors
    if (buttons.length > 0) {
        buttons.forEach(function(button) {
            button.addEventListener('click', function() {
                // Fire the Google Ads event
                gtag('event', 'conversion', {
                    'send_to': 'AW-XXX/XXX',
                    'event_callback': function() {
                        console.log('Conversion tracked!'); // Optional: for testing purposes
                    }
                });
            });
        });
    }
});
</script>

Step 4: Monitor and Optimize Conversions

Once the custom JavaScript is in place, Google Analytics will start tracking the data, and you’ll be able to see how users are interacting with your site in the Conversions section of Google Ads. Over time, you can monitor the performance of your campaigns and make adjustments to improve your return on investment (ROI).

Key Advantages of This Approach

Simple and Direct: For small or less complex websites, directly connecting Google Analytics and Google Ads using custom JavaScript is a simple and effective solution.

Option 2: Integrating Google Analytics and Google Ads Using Google Tag Manager

For businesses that want more flexibility and control over their tracking setup, using Google Tag Manager (GTM) offers a more advanced approach compared to directly connecting Google Analytics (GA4) and Google Ads. By connecting GA4 through GTM and setting up Google Ads to pull conversion data from GA4, you can streamline the process and enable more precise tracking, including custom click tracking. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Set Up Google Analytics (GA4) Through Google Tag Manager

Instead of directly embedding Google Analytics code into your WordPress site, you can set up GA4 using Google Tag Manager. This allows for more flexibility in managing and customizing tracking tags without manually editing the site code. Be careful to not have it set up twice (once directly on its own, and also in GTM), or else you may see double measurements

Install Google Tag Manager on Your WordPress Site

First, install GTM by either using a plugin like Site Kit by Google or manually adding the GTM container code to your site’s header. This will serve as the foundation for all tracking scripts on your site.

Create a GA4 Tag in GTM:
- In GTM, create a new tag by selecting Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.
- Add your GA4 Measurement ID (found in your Google Analytics account) to the tag configuration.
  - Navigate to the bottom left ‘Settings’, then ‘Data collection -> Data Streams’. Select your web stream and copy the ‘Measurement ID’
- Set the trigger to All Pages, so it tracks page views across your entire site.
- Save and publish the changes in GTM, and your website will now be tracking page views and user behavior through GA4 without needing any code embedded directly in your site.

Step 2: Set Up Custom Click Tracking Through GTM Triggers

One of the major advantages of using Google Tag Manager is the ability to create custom triggers to track specific user interactions, such as button clicks or link clicks, without having to modify the site’s code.

Create a Click Trigger in GTM

To track specific interactions like button clicks, you’ll need to set up a trigger in GTM. In GTM, create a new Trigger and select the Click – All Elements option. Define the conditions for your trigger, such as when a user clicks a specific button or link. For example, if you want to track a button leading to a third-party calendar page, you can set the trigger to fire when a user clicks on the button with that specific URL. My conversion was based on clicking any button or link that led to a Google Calendar scheduling page. Since the editor we were using (Kubio) generated complex HTML around the button, I was having trouble targeting exact clicks. Ultimately, I used a selector that targeted click URLs that contained part of the destination:

On another setup, I had to target “Just Links” for the event to fire. Make sure you test in preview mode to make sure it works!

Create a Google Analytics Event Tag:
- Create a new Google Analytics: GA4 Event tag in GTM.
- Set the event parameters, such as what action or label you want to track (e.g., “Button Click” or “Contact Form Submission”).
- Assign the click trigger you just created to this tag, so it fires when the user interaction happens.

Once your trigger is firing, the event will be recorded in GA4. This allows you to see detailed analytics on how users interact with specific elements on your site. You may have to wait until the next day to see it showing up and to continue the rest of this process.

Step 3: Link Google Ads to GA4 for Conversion Tracking

Once GA4 is collecting conversion data, you’ll want to make sure that Google Ads is also using this data for your ad campaigns. Instead of directly adding Google Ads tracking code to your website, you can import conversions from GA4 into Google Ads. Make sure you mark the event as a ‘Key Event’ in GA4:

Link Google Ads to GA4: In your Google Analytics admin settings, find the Google Ads Linking option under the Property settings and link your Google Ads account.
Import Conversions into Google Ads: In your Google Ads account, navigate to Tools & Settings > Conversions. Click to import conversions from Google Analytics. You will now be able to track and optimize your Google Ads campaigns based on the conversion events recorded in GA4.

Step 5: Set Up Google Ads to Track Click Conversions

With the custom click tracking events flowing into GA4, you can now import these events into Google Ads as conversions.

In GA4, mark the click event you created as a Conversion (similar to how you would for other key actions).

Then, in Google Ads, import the conversion from GA4, so your ad campaigns can track the performance of these custom click actions.

This setup allows you to track highly specific user actions (like button clicks or form submissions) and optimize your Google Ads campaigns based on those actions.

GTM allows you to track custom events like button clicks, form submissions, and other interactions without modifying your site’s code. With Google Tag Manager, you can manage all of your tracking codes (for Google Analytics, Google Ads, and other tools) in one place. By pulling conversion data from GA4 into Google Ads, you can optimize your campaigns based on real user actions and get more detailed insights into how users interact with your site.

December 4, 2023January 11, 2025

Case Study: Fixing a WooCommerce Website for a New Client

I met Steven at his store on Bloomfield Avenue in Northern New Jersey. After I gave him my business card he told me his website needs help. The checkout wasn’t working, and users couldn’t even add products to their cart. This was how the previous web development vendor left things before their arrangement ended.

The website was powered by WordPress (managed by Bluehost), and used WooCommerce as its ecommerce solution. I helped him create a Stripe account, and connect it to his online store. I finished configuring a premium WordPress theme called BeTheme, and gave him a multi-week marketing plan to help sales grow.

I used an image manipulation program (the GIMP) to create graphic assets used throughout the shop:

Many times I have to pick up where someone else left off. I could tell you another story about inheriting a Frankenstein tech stack from a previous vendor. They left off on non-talking terms after demanding back work payments to release the credentials to my team. My skill in figuring things out, regardless of the technology involved, shines in times like these.

My company tag line is “I can build your website” – it should really be “I can fix your website”. Business owners try to do it themselves, and often make it most of the way. When you need help, I am there to carry it over the finish line. I’ve been asked if services like Wix cuts into my business – it’s actually the opposite. Broken, incomplete, or unoptimized websites created on easy-to-use platforms have provided a solid market for my expertise.

Local small businesses are what make neighborhoods unique and give families a chance to make a living themselves. It feels great to help people knowing we can both benefit. You can read more about the plan I use to help businesses with their existing website in another blog post.

Membership Discounts Without a Plugin

As part of the marketing plan, we decided to add membership accounts to the WordPress ecommerce website for Organic Sun Market. Enabling that capability was a few settings in the dashboard: WooCommerce > Settings > Accounts & Privacy

I also added a “My Account” link to the site’s global navigation.

By default, WooCommerce provides a “My Account” page where users can log in, view their orders, update their information, and more. You can specify a custom page in the advanced settings: WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced

The account page specified uses a WooCommerce short code to handle the content: [woocommerce_my_account]

Change menu text if user is logged into WordPress

I wanted the “My Account” menu text to change if the user is not logged in. I was able to do this with the WordPress hook `wp_nav_menu` and a simple string replacement PHP function:

add_filter('wp_nav_menu', 'change_my_account_menu_item', 10, 2);

function change_my_account_menu_item($nav_menu, $args) {
// Check if the user is not logged in
    if (!is_user_logged_in()) {
        // Change "My Account" link to "Login/Register"
        $nav_menu = str_replace('My account', 'Login/Register', $nav_menu);
    }
    return $nav_menu;
}

To incentivize users to create an account, we offer a 5% discount to any one logged in. The checkout page contains conditional messaging (depending on wether they are logged in or not) to communicate this incentive.

Hide or show UI elements if user is logged into WordPress

I am able to apply that style condition with two custom CSS classes, specific to the presence of the WordPress body class ‘logged-in’:

.only-show-while-logged-in{display: none;}
body.logged-in .dont-show-while-logged-in{display:none;}
body.logged-in .only-show-while-logged-in{display:block;}

Apply WooCommerce discount to logged in users

I applied the discount by using custom PHP code in the child theme’s functions.php file with the `woocommerce_before_calculate_totals` hook:

add_action( 'woocommerce_before_calculate_totals', 'no_discount_if_not_logged_in', 10, 1);
function no_discount_if_not_logged_in( $cart ) {
	if (is_user_logged_in()) {              
		foreach ( $cart->get_cart() as $cart_item ) {        
			$discount_eliminate = $cart_item['data']->get_regular_price();
			$discount_percentage = 5; // Set your desired discount percentage
			$discount_amount = $discount_eliminate * ($discount_percentage / 100);
			$new_price = $discount_eliminate - $discount_amount;

			$cart_item['data']->set_price($new_price);
		}
	}
}

Apply WooCommerce discount to logged in users on a specific category of products

Later, we changed the logic to be a 10% discount for logged-in members, but only on products that were part of a specific category called “bundles”.

add_action( 'woocommerce_before_calculate_totals', 'discount_for_specific_category', 10, 1);

function discount_for_specific_category( $cart ) {
    if ( is_user_logged_in() ) {
        // Define the category slug you want to apply the discount to
        $target_category = 'bundles';

        foreach ( $cart->get_cart() as $cart_item ) {
            $product_id = $cart_item['product_id'];

            // Check if the product belongs to the target category
            if ( has_term( $target_category, 'product_cat', $product_id ) ) {
                $discount_eliminate = $cart_item['data']->get_regular_price();
                $discount_percentage = 10; // Set your desired discount percentage
                $discount_amount = $discount_eliminate * ( $discount_percentage / 100 );
                $new_price = $discount_eliminate - $discount_amount;

                $cart_item['data']->set_price( $new_price );
            }
        }
    }
}

Print Design

Many local small businesses take their marketing offline and into the real world. Print marketing is a business I have been a part of for almost two decades. I have designed, delivered, and distributed flyers, menus, business cards and more. As the holiday season approached, Steven asked me to create a poster for one of his healthy products.

He sent me a draft he has been working on, along with some inspiration examples that expressed the direction he wanted things to go. This was the final product:

And here it is hanging in the store front:

November 8, 2023January 11, 2025

Why Every Business Needs a Website in 2024

Don’t Be Invisible: A Website Puts Your Small Business on the Map

Local small businesses without a brick-and-mortar presence fall into a unique category. They might be service-based businesses like freelance consultants (like myself), home repair services, personal trainers, or cleaning services that operate on a mobile basis or from a home office. These businesses rely heavily on word-of-mouth, local advertising, and community networking to attract and maintain their clientele.

Because this business model does not require a physical storefront, these owners may underestimate the value of a digital presence. They might perceive it as unnecessary, believing that their local reputation and personal customer relationships are sufficient for business growth and sustainability. Consequently, they may neglect their online visibility, not realizing the potential reach and efficiency gains from digital tools.

The digital gap for these businesses can be characterized by a lack of a professional website, minimal social media engagement, and reliance on outdated forms of communication like AOL or Gmail email addresses. While this might maintain a certain level of operation, it limits their ability to scale, reach new markets, and ultimately leaves honey on the table.

By not leveraging the digital space, these businesses miss out on the opportunity to build brand awareness beyond their immediate locality, engage with customers online, and streamline their operations through digital tools (customer management). As a result, they might struggle to compete with others who adopt a more integrated approach to physical and digital business practices.

Professional Image: Elevate Your Brand

Your website can be the first point of contact between your business and potential customers. Just as you wouldn’t attend a party in pajamas, you shouldn’t let your online presence be represented by a dated AOL email address or non-existent web page. A sleek, user-friendly website tells customers that you are a serious professional who invests in all aspects of your business. I can help you do it right with a custom domain and business email address.

Some businesses rely on on a third-party subdomain or a link-in-bio service. While these options may seem convenient and cost-effective in the short term, it looks unprofessional. It is harder for customers to remember and doesn’t carry the same weight of brand authority as a standalone domain. It’s like to setting up shop in someone else’s store.

Using a personal @aol.com or @gmail.com email address for business communications can inadvertently signal a lack of professionalism and an outdated approach to business. I can assist you in transitioning to a custom domain email that reinforces your credibility. Too often, I walk around and see businesses make the mistake of thinking this detail doesn’t matter.

Testimonials & Social Validation

Word-of-mouth is powerful, but in the digital age, testimonials and portfolios on your website can reach further and speak louder. They serve as a perpetual source of validation for your work, allowing potential customers to see the breadth and quality of your services at any time. It’s the online equivalent of a recommendation from a trusted friend, accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Logo

Having a logo that fits your business image goes beyond digital space. I can show you tips and details for getting it right and making work across online and print platforms.

Organic & Paid Search (Unclaimed Digital Territory)

If you’re running a business without a website and have been relying solely on traditional methods, it’s time to unlock new opportunity. Customers are searching for your service right now!

Organic search refers to the natural listings on search engine results pages (like Google or Bing) that appear because of their relevance to the search terms, as opposed to being advertisements. By not having a website, you’re missing out on the chance to appear in these listings—a place where a significant portion of your potential customers start their journey.

And, this is another reason to get setup with your own domain name if you’re currently using something like Bitly. Search engines like Google give more credibility to websites with a clear, branded domain name, which can significantly impact your search rankings and, by extension, your visibility to potential customers.

On the flip side, paid search advertising allows your website to jump to the top of search results by paying for prime placement. Paid search campaigns through platforms like Google Ads can be tailored to target the exact demographic you want to reach, with the ability to adjust for location, language, and more.

If you’re ready to explore the untapped potential of online search, let’s chat. I’m here to guide you through every step of the journey.

Who needs a website?

A website is your digital calling card and can be a sales generator if we do it right. Here are some of the top industries that I’ve helped grow online:

Restauraunt websites: Enjoy commision-free online ordering. With enticing designs and easy navigation, your patrons can effortlessly browse menus, book tables, and more.
E-commerce websites: Expand your business horizons by selling online.
Wedding websites: Share your love story, manage RSVPs, provide event details, and create lasting memories for you and your guests.
Martial arts school websites: Enroll students online, share class schedules, highlight events, and build a digital community.
Real Estate websites: Highlight property listings with interactive galleries, virtual tours, and advanced search filters.

October 22, 2023January 11, 2025

Boost Your Marketing: Integrating Newsletter Signups with HubSpot API

I do a lot of in-person prospecting to win new business. I used to focus on giving out my business card, and then hoping the potential client would reach out to me. I learned that its better to capture their information, and then follow up. I used to collect so many business cards. Now I use a CRM, Customer Relationship Manager, called HubSpot. It does a lot of things, but primarily it helps to manage contacts. I want to let users sign up to my newsletter, and add themselves as a HubSpot contact, directly from my website.

Create a Custom Newsletter Sign Up Form on Your Website Powered by HubSpot

Out-of-the-box, HubSpot can generate a number of different web forms that can be easily embedded into any website. These forms are used to capture leads and contacts.

HubSpot Private App

My website (this website) is mostly hand-coded. I want to build my own custom form, and submit the data to the HubSpot service. This is possible with the “Private app” feature. You can find this under ‘Settings -> Integrations -> Private Apps’. This strategy acts as a work-around to remove the HubSpot logo from forms without having to upgrade to premium.

After entering a name and description for your “app”, you’ll need to select permission scopes. I called mine “Antpace-Website” and described it “signup forms on antpace.com”. The only scope is gave it was called `crm.objects.contacts.write`

CRM API – Create Contact

To create a contact programmatically through the HubSpot API, we use our private app’s access token. In my website’s HTML, I create a simple form:

<div class="col-md-12">
    <h1 style="text-align: center;">Newsletter</h1>
    	<p>Joining the mailing list!</p>
        <form id="hubspotForm" class="styled-form">
            <input type="hidden" value="subscriber" name="lifecyclestage">
            <div>
            	<div><input type="email" placeholder="Email *" value="" id="hubspot-email" name="email" class=""></div>    
                <div><input type="text" placeholder="First Name" name="firstname" value="" class=""></div>
                <div><input type="text" placeholder="Last Name" name="lastname" value="" class=""></div>        
                <div><input type="tel" placeholder="Phone" value="" name="phone" class=""></div>            
                <div><input type="text" placeholder="Company" value="" name="company" class=""></div>            
                <div><input type="text" placeholder="Website" value="" name="website" class=""></div>            
                
                <div><button type="button" id="signupButton" class="btn">Sign Up</button></div>
            </div>
	</form>
</div>

I add basic jQuery JavaScript to pass the form data along to my backend service when the button is clicked:

<script>
$(function(){
	const notifications = new UINotifications();
	$("#signupButton").click(function(){
		const email = $("#hubspot-email").val();
		if(email.length < 1){
			notifications.showStatusMessage("An email address is required.");
			return;
		}
		const formData = {
			properties: {}
		};

		// Iterate over form fields and add them to formData
		$("#hubspotForm input").each(function() {
			const fieldName = $(this).attr("name");
			const fieldValue = $(this).val();
			formData.properties[fieldName] = fieldValue;
		});
		$.ajax({
			type: "POST",
			data: JSON.stringify(formData),
			url: "/hubspot-service.php",
			success:function(response){
				console.log(response);
				notifications.showStatusMessage("Thank you for signing up.");
                                $("#hubspotForm")[0].reset();
			
			}
			
		});
	});

});
</script>

The HubSpot API documentation says, “To create new contacts, make a POST request to /crm/v3/objects/contacts“. Some simple PHP cURL commands accomplishes this. Here is the content of hubspot-service.php:

<?php

$url = 'https://api.hubapi.com/crm/v3/objects/contacts';
$accessToken = 'xxx';

$headers = array(
    'Authorization: Bearer ' . $accessToken,
    'Content-Type: application/json',
);

$postData = file_get_contents("php://input");

$ch = curl_init($url);

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $postData);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, $headers);

$response = curl_exec($ch);

if (curl_errno($ch)) {
    echo 'Error: ' . curl_error($ch);
}

curl_close($ch);
echo $response;

?>

You can see the end result by visiting my newsletter sign up page. Make sure you add yourself so you can stay up-to-date with technology tips for business.

I can use this same PHP service file for other HubSpot email sign up forms throughout my website.

June 4, 2023January 11, 2025

Freelance Web Development: Delivering Value to Clients

When I win a new web development client I follow a structured progress. This ensures high quality results. Years of refinement and experience continue to define how I work with people and businesses to help them succeed.

Discussion

This is the first step. Communication is key.

This initial discussion allows us to explore your project’s overarching goals. It’s a high-level chat to understand your aspirations and ensure our visions align. We’ll delve into:

Nature of the Project: Is this a revamp of an existing platform or the birth of something entirely new?
Scope of Work: What exactly are we building? It could range from a website, a dynamic web application, an eCommerce storefront, to other web-based projects.
Branding Elements: Have you established a brand identity already? Do you possess logo designs or specific themes you want incorporated?
Budget Considerations: A transparent conversation about the budget ensures we shape the project according to the resources available.
Project Goals: What do you hope to achieve with this project? Understanding your objectives ensures we’re steering in the right direction from the get-go.

After our conversation, we’ll examine any pre-existing materials that are pertinent. Perhaps you have an existing website that needs sprucing up or logos that you’d love incorporated. Alternatively, you might point to other inspiring sites or platforms, even if they’re not yours, to give a clearer picture of your vision. This step is all about gathering resources and setting a concrete foundation.

Based on our dialogue and the data collated, I’ll recommend the best technologies and tools. This could encompass anything from choosing the right content management system, database technologies, or frontend frameworks.

Planning

Step two. Every element discussed in our initial conversation is now put down in black and white. It’s our chance to reiterate the goals and ensure we’re on the same page. This documentation becomes a reference point, ensuring we stay aligned with the project’s vision.

We detail objectives, decide on the most fitting technology stack, outline the budget, and establish a clear timeline.

Development

As we progress through this building phase, you’ll have access to a private server for reviews and approvals. Everything—from the user-friendly experience to backend configurations like domain setup, security measures, and CMS installation—is shaped by our prior discussions, ensuring both aesthetics and functionality are on point.

Content

During the website’s initial build, I typically use placeholder content. With the design and layout set, it’s your cue to provide the actual content. While you can opt to share materials earlier, this phase is ideal. And rest assured, you’ll retain full control to modify content as needed later on.

Quality Review

Before launching, I rigorously test the product across various devices, browsers, and screen dimensions to ensure quality. This phase is dedicated to refining the detail, ensuring both appearance and functionality are flawless.

Final Touches

I ensure that your website is fully optimized for SEO, integrating structured data, sitemaps, and relevant keywords. By enhancing its security, mobile responsiveness, and speed, your SEO score will naturally improve. Further bolstering this, I can register your site with Google Search Console and activate AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) to amplify its prominence in Google searches. Additionally, I’m here to guide you in devising a content strategy tailored to elevate your online visibility.

For those seeking email hosting, I offer solutions tailored to your needs, with Google Workspace being a top recommendation for those starting afresh. When it comes to choosing a CMS, WordPress or Shopify are often top picks for businesses.

Beyond these services, I specialize in web design, crafting a visual identity that seamlessly embodies your brand. And rest assured, user experience is a top priority; I design ensuring visitors experience positive, smooth interactions across your digital platform.

This framework is described and outlined on another page of this website. It is what I use when I engage a client that has an existing website that might need maintenance or improvements.

January 18, 2022January 11, 2025

How I Helped a Business Optimize Their Google Ads

After a client approached me about improving their Google Ads campaign, I could tell they were doing a lot of things right—but they weren’t getting the results they wanted. Their ads were active, their click-through rate was decent, and they were spending about $650 per month. On the surface, everything seemed fine.

But as I dug deeper, I saw an opportunity to transform their campaign from “good enough” into something that could truly drive new clients to their business.

Google Ad Account Audit

The first thing I noticed was that their ads setup was missing some key pieces. For starters, there was no way to measure what happened after someone clicked on an ad. Conversion tracking hadn’t been set up, so there was no way to tell if those clicks led to sign-ups, contact form submissions, or any other meaningful action. It’s like running a sales campaign and never finding out how many people bought something.

Another issue was the structure of the ads themselves. Everything was running through a single ad and ad group, all of which pointed to their homepage. While this kind of setup can work as a starting point, it’s not ideal for targeting specific audiences. Imagine searching for “self-defense classes” and landing on a generic homepage with no mention of self-defense—it’s a missed opportunity to connect with a potential client.

Finally, their campaign wasn’t linked to Google Analytics, which meant there was no insight into what visitors did once they arrived on the site. Did they spend time exploring? Did they leave immediately? Did they look at multiple pages? These questions were left unanswered.

Google Ad Campaign Improvements Plan

After reviewing their campaign, I proposed a complete overhaul. First, I explained the importance of defining what success looks like—what actions do we want people to take when they click on an ad? For this client, it made sense to track things like contact form submissions and clicks to their scheduling platform. By setting up conversion tracking, we could finally measure the real impact of their ad spend.

Next, I suggested restructuring their campaign into three distinct ad groups, each with its own audience and purpose. The first ad group would target people new to their services, highlighting beginner-friendly options. The second would focus on fitness enthusiasts looking for a fun and effective workout. The third would spotlight programs for women, emphasizing empowerment and inclusion.

Each ad group would feature two different ads to test different messages and see what resonated most with each audience. And instead of pointing all traffic to the homepage, I recommended creating dedicated landing pages tailored to the ad group. If someone clicked on an ad for fitness classes, they’d land on a page showcasing the physical and mental benefits of their programs. If they clicked on an ad for women’s classes, they’d be greeted with content specifically designed for that audience.

Finally, I emphasized the need to connect Google Analytics to their campaign. This would give us a clearer picture of how people interacted with the site after clicking on an ad, providing valuable insights for ongoing optimization.

Marketing & Development Implementation

The client loved the plan, and here’s what I did next. I spent a couple of hours implementing these changes, setting up the ad groups, writing the ads, building the landing pages, and integrating analytics and conversion tracking. Once that was done, we were ready to relaunch the campaign with a much stronger foundation. I used the Google Site Kit plugin for WordPress to manage analytics.

I built the landing pages as part of their WordPress website. I drafted the copy for each page, added relevant photos, and applied proven design principles that would guide potential customers through the sales funnel. I used the same copy outline and content layout for each.

Landing Page Content Outline

Hero Section
1. Headline
2. Subheadline
3. CTA Button
Benefits Section
Headline: Why this offer is valuable
1. Highlight key benefit 1
2. Highlight key benefit 2
3. Highlight key benefit 3
What to Expect / Program Details
1. Headline: Set expectations
2. Short paragraph explaining details or structure
3. CTA button
Testimonials
Headline (Social Proof): “What are customers are saying”
1. Testimonial 1
2. Testimonial 2
FAQ Section
Headline: Answer common questions
1. Q1 & Answer
2. Q2 & Answer
3. Q3 & Answer
Final CTA Section
1. Headline (Closing statement)
2. CTA button

Getting Results with Google Ads

Of course, ads don’t run themselves. The client will need to decide when they want to turn the campaign back on and how much they’re comfortable spending each month. But with these optimizations in place, they’ll be able to make data-driven decisions and see exactly how their investment is paying off.

Every business wants to get the most out of their marketing budget. For this client, that means attracting new customers who are truly interested in their services. By taking the time to set up conversion tracking, target specific audiences, and create tailored landing pages, we’re turning their Google Ads campaign into a powerful tool for growth.

If you’re running Google Ads and feel like you’re not getting the results you should, you’re not alone. With the right strategy and a little bit of work, you can transform your campaign into something that delivers real, measurable value.

Want to learn more about how I can help your business grow? Let’s talk.

September 14, 2021January 11, 2025

7 tips for writing as a practice

Writing is the best way to develop new ideas. It exercises our ability to explain what we mean, what we want, and why. Clear writing is clear thinking.

Putting words down is good for our mind, and is calisthenics for the brain. Forcing ourselves to build coherent, connecting streams of thought flexes mental muscles that we usually ignore. Expression and mutation are two sides of the same coin.

It’s easy to state your opinions at a high level. But once you dig into it, you might realize you haven’t thought it through. At least, not recently. Writing adds flesh to otherwise gaunt stances. It turns shape-shifting clouds into crystals with obvious foundations.

Make it a habit. Turn it into a daily practice. Here are ten tips to develop a writing routine:

Spend time writing fiction. Short stories, character profiles, fantasy, and fan-fiction each count. Glue yourself to the keyboard, until you can say “That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.”
Journal daily. Type out the things for which you have gratitude. Document your feelings. Spell out your hopes. Cast a silent incantation. Craft an ancient curse. The universe is listening. I wrote a blog post about journaling, you can read it here.
Don’t be a perfectionist. Put sentences down, even if you don’t like them. Keep them around, even if you hate them. But please remember, that doesn’t apply to people in your life.
Everything is a work-in-progress. Revisit your posts, essays and articles. Add that literary polish and be a wordsmith. This will help keep you from trying to be perfect.
Start a blog. Build in public. Let the world see how you think. Most people aren’t paying attention anyway. And if you can’t come up with something new, update existing pieces.
Editing counts. Delete unnecessary sentences. Remove unneeded words. Clarify things, find synonyms, and avoid using the word “really”.
1. When I edit, I never actually throw anything away. I borrow the “soft delete” methodology from software engineering. I flag writing as unusable, without actually getting rid of it. That way I can revisit it, use it for subsequent ideas, and remember where my mind was.
Hoard notes. Keep a physical notebook. Use a note-taking app. Bookmark stuff. Markup books while you’re reading them. Keep a stack of index cards near by for when inspiration strikes
Write more than you promised yourself you would, but only if you feel like it.

December 24, 2018January 11, 2025

Top 3 graphic design apps for social media marketing

Modern software has given creators the tools they need to showcase their work to the world. Here are the best free apps that I’ve been using that will help your talent shine in 2019:

AppWrap – Do you want to feature your latest website or app design to your followers? Are you building a portfolio for the UI/UX projects you worked on? This app is a great way to wrap your screenshots in a mobile device view. You can add effects, backgrounds, and text to really polish the look and feel. Their template gallery will give you inspiration to make something gorgeous. http://www.appwrap.in/

Canva – This is one of my favorites. With a library of over 60,000+ templates, this app has something for every platform. Whether you need to create a great looking post, story, or cover image, this app has designs for Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and much more. If you want your online presence to look professionally designed, check this one out! https://www.canva.com/

Hatchful – Do you need a logo for your brand, business, or product? This app let’s you create one quickly. By customizing templates, you can draft, and iterate designs. Having logo design done fast, cheap, and easily allows you to focus on the actual product. It’s important to not get hung up on the logo, especially early into your venture, and instead focus on the actual value your service proposes. https://hatchful.shopify.com/

I’ve used all of these apps, and personally gained value from them. What apps do you use for your graphic design?

September 27, 2018January 11, 2025

Writing, engineering, and creativity

It was 2006 and I had just installed WordPress on a web server. I would draft blog posts nightly, before getting ready for bed. At the time I was a philosophy major and wrote prose more than code. That was my first venture into web development and digital marketing. It started with writing.

Writing blog posts and publishing software have a lot in common. For both, “perfect” is the opposite of ready. It’s easy to keep editing your own work. It’s even easier to keep adding half-done features and clutter. That’s why having a plan before you start helps so much. When I write, my first draft tends to be bullet points and a vague outline. The same goes for software. If I’m building something complex, I write comments explaining its functionality before any code. It’s my way of “thinking out loud”, and making sure that what I plan on doing even makes sense.

It’s been over a decade since I’ve maintained a blog. Creative tasks require hard work, lest they bear no fruit. (“Writer’s block is for amateurs”). Problem solving, in its many shapes, is the highest form of creativity. It’s how we build our reality. Modern technology gives us creative leverage through tools, knowledge, and community. We’re being given opportunities to build and create things, to grow and be better, at an unprecedented scale. It’s the best time in history to be CEO of your own life; creative director of your destiny. This also sets the bar higher to stand out.

My plan here is to write regularly, and discuss what I’ve been working on and learning, as well as what’s next. This gives me a chance to explore my thoughts, and prune the branches from which they stem. Hopefully, working at this will help to make me a better storyteller too. This blog is my notes and stories from the field, on the ground!