I almost killed our paid ads 😬
Sundays with Anna | Newsletter #48
A few months ago, I came dangerously close to switching our paid ads off completely. 😬
Not because I was over them.
Because I was tired of watching money disappear without seeing anything meaningful come back.
Every time I opened the ad account, it was the same story.
Spend was climbing.
Clicks looked fine.
Sales? Barely moving.
I kept telling myself it had to be the ads.
Maybe the audience was wrong.
Maybe the creative had gone stale.
Maybe the platform just wasn't working anymore.
I was one frustrating week away from pulling the plug.
But before I did, I forced myself to do something I'd never done before.
I clicked my own ad.
I went through the entire experience as if I were seeing it for the very first time.
That's when everything changed.
The ads weren't the problem.
Everything after the click was.
The landing page didn't match the promise in the ad.
The checkout had more steps than it needed.
The messaging felt like it belonged to a completely different business.
We were doing a great job of getting people to the front door, only to give them every reason to turn around and leave.
So instead of touching the ads, we fixed the journey.
We simplified the landing page.
We removed unnecessary checkout friction.
We made sure the messaging carried the same promise from the ad all the way through to the final click.
Same ad spend.
Completely different outcome.
It was a humbling reminder that the easiest thing to blame usually isn't the thing that's holding you back.
It's often the quieter, less obvious parts of the customer journey that quietly drain your conversions.
So if you're looking at your ads and thinking, "They're just not working," I'd encourage you to ask yourself the same question I had to ask.
Is it really the ads?
Or is it what happens after someone clicks?
If you'd like a second set of eyes on your funnel, I'd be happy to help you find where people are dropping off.
No pressure. Just an honest look.
Big love,
P.S. Have you ever blamed one thing, only to discover the real problem was hiding somewhere else? Hit reply. I'd love to hear your story. 😄
Sundays with Anna is a delightful mix of stories, reflections, and insights to brighten your weekend.
This newsletter complements our XY&Z Newsletter, which many of you enjoy for its educational and informative content delivered to your inbox every second Sunday.
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