Any form of advertising that allows you to target prospects by interest and location, like pay per click advertising does, has got to be one of the best advertising options available. You can measure your results precisely, and even control how much you spend. It’s also affordable for small business owners who compare it to other options like television and radio.

Of course, like any other form of advertising, PPC has its pitfalls. Launching your first ad campaign without a good plan could result in hundreds or thousands of dollars in wasted ads while you learn what to do and what not do to. There are whole books on the details of a good pay per click campaign out there.

Starting up is easy enough, anyone can get involved without having to sit down with a manual for a few days. There are a few basic tips, though, for anyone thinking about experimenting with pay per click it’s a good idea to examine them close. The majority of mistakes are really easy to fix so that PPC campaigns can get back on track fast. This is a small list of the most common mistakes people make, and how to fix them.

1. The most common error is using your home page as the landing page. It doesn’t matter what search engine you’re using as a base for your campaign. While it seems logical to send prospective sales to your website’s homepage, it can detract from your sales. Here’s how.

People who click on your ad are looking for something very specific. It was their keyword search that brought them to your ad, so lead them straight to the sale when they click. Landing pages work, they allow you to present your customers with exactly what they’re looking for. Focus your landing pages on keywords you’re using in your advertisements.

2. Improper customization of landing pages. Ideally, your PPC campaign should work by presenting a potential customer with an ad closely targeted to their keyword. The landing page they arrive at should be closely geared towards that keyword, to present no confusion as to what the page is about. Your customer should never have trouble finding what he or she is looking for! Put each product or service on its own landing page, to avoid confusion.

3. Using generic copy for your ads. Statements that work in other media formats probably won’t transfer to PPC. Catch phrases like “quality service” just aren’t part of the vocabulary when people are using search engines. Use a main keyword in a headline that creates interest, then tell them the benefits. Line three is perfect for special features or a discount offer. Take a look at what other advertisers are doing online.

Mistake 4. Low bid placement usually means low placement on the search page. Search engines use different methods for placing your ad. Yahoo and Google use a system that consists of examining the relevancy of your ad, combined with your bid price. Tightly targeted keywords will get you top placement and this means really crunching statistics and putting lots of thought into your approach. Eighty-five percent of all PPC clicks happen on ads in the top three positions, so it’s worth putting in the effort.