Hi there,
Really happy to take a look and give you some initial thoughts on getting your app in front of more users without bleeding cash, especially up against bigger players.
It's a really common challenge for startups when you're competing with established companies with massive ad budgets. The good news is, it forces you to be much more efficient and focused, which can actually pay off in the long run.
We need to look at your funnel first...
To be honest, the most crucial thing when you don't have endless budget is making sure ever bit of traffic you do get is converting as well as it possibly can. Think about your website or landing page where people learn about the app and sign up. If that page is a bit clunky, if the value proposition isn't hitting home instantly, or if teh signup process has too many steps, you're basically setting fire to your ad spend.
People click your ad because they're interested, but if the experience on your site isn't smooth or persuasive, they'll bounce. You'll have a rubbish conversion rate no matter how good your ads are or what your CPC is. Optimising that landing page, making the benefits crystal clear, simplifying signup – that's often where you see the biggest jump in effective user acquisition cost. Improving the conversion rate of the people who visit your site is probably the single biggest thing you can do to lower the cost of getting a new user. We had one B2B SaaS client where just refining the landing page layout and copy made a huge difference to their trial signups.
Getting smart with your paid spend...
When you do decide to spend on ads, it's not just about volume, it's about precision and efficiency. You mentioned wanting to lower CPC and increase conversions, and these often go hand-in-hand when you're targeting the right people effectively.
Targeting is massive. You want to make sure your ads are only showing to people who are genuinely likely to be property managers or tenants who could actually use your app. For property managers (B2B side?), LinkedIn could be an option depending on pricing, but it's usually more expensive. For tenants (B2C side?), Meta (FB/IG) is likely where they hang out, and you can still get some decent targeting there based on interests and demographics. I've seen B2C apps get signups for £1-£5 with Meta ads when things are dialled in.
Testing different ad creative is also really important – the images, videos, and the text in your ads. Sometimes a simple video showing the app in action, or different messaging that highlights a specific benefit, can completely change how the ad performs and lower your CPC significantly, while also attracting more qualified clicks that convert better.
And don't forget about retargeting. Showing ads to people who visited your site but didn't convert is often much cheaper than acquiring brand new users, because they've already shown some level of interest. You can show them different ads, maybe highlighting a specific feature or offering a final nudge to sign up.
Consider the free avenues too...
Before you spend heavily, have you explored the free or lower-cost stuff? Listing in niche app directories specific to property management or tenant resources (beyond the big tech ones) can sometimes get you some early organic users and feedback. Engaging helpfully in relevant online communities or forums (if allowed by the rules, and done genuinely to provide value, not just selling) can also build some initial awareness and trust. Takes loads of time and consistent effort, but costs less upfront.
Here's a quick overview of where I'd focus initially:
| Area | Recommended Action | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Website / Offer | Ruthlessly optimise landing page conversion rate. Simplify signup flow. Clearly articulate value. | Turns more visitors into users, directly lowering effective acquisition cost. |
| Paid Ads (Initial Focus) | Refine targeting to reach ICP. Aggressively test different ad creative (text, image, video). | Lowers CPC and increases conversion rate of paid traffic. |
| Paid Ads (Ongoing) | Implement retargeting campaigns for website visitors. | Converts interested users at a lower cost than new acquisition. |
| Non-Paid Channels | List in niche directories. Engage in relevant online communities (non-promotional). | Builds initial awareness and potentially acquires users at low/no cost. |
Getting traction without a massive budget is tough but definitely doable. It requires a smart, focused approach that prioritises converting the traffic you get and then being very efficient with any paid spend. If you want to dive deeper into your specific situation and map out a strategy tailored to your app and audience, I'm happy to jump on a free consultation call.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
