Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on the situation with your new US store. Its a common hurdle when expanding into a new market, especially one as competitive as the US, but it sounds like you've got a good foundation with your seasoned ad account, which is a big plus. It's a problem we've seen before and something that can definitly be fixed with the right approach. Let's get into it.
That $6 CPC is indeed very high, even for the US. While you shouldn't expect to get the 60p you're seeing in your smaller home market, you can certainly do a lot better than what you're seeing now. The fact that you're asking these questions means your on the right track to figuring it out.
We'll need to look at your campaign structure...
My first thought, and probably the biggest issue here, is how you've structured your campaigns. You mentioned you're running the new English ads through the same page on your Business Manager. If you're running ads for two different stores, with different domains, different languages, and targeting entirely different countries within the same campaign, you're sending very confusing signals to Meta's algorithm. The algorithm is trying to optimise for conversions, but it's getting conflicting data from two completely seperate customer journeys. This confusion almost always leads to poor performance and inflated costs, exactly like what you are seeing.
The solution here is complete separation. Here’s what I mean:
-> Seperate Campaigns: This is non-negotiable. You must create a completely seperate campaign for your new US store. This will be your "US - Sales" campaign. Your existing campaign should be renamed to something like "EU - [Your Country] - Sales". This immediately solves the biggest problem. It allows you to set a dedicated budget for the US market, test creatives and audiences that are specific to that market, and analyse performance without any data contamination from your EU operations. You'll have a crystal-clear view of what's working in the US and what isn't.
-> The Same Ad Account is Fine: You are absolutely right to want to use your seasoned ad account. Don't create a new one, and you don't need a new Business Manager. Your existing ad account has a history of generating conversions. The Meta pixel, even though it's been firing on your EU site, has learned what a 'buyer' looks like for your products. This is incredibly valuable. When you start running ads for the US store, the algorithm already has a head start. It knows the type of person who buys your stuff, it just needs to find those people in a new location. A new ad account would start from absolute zero, which would be a much slower and likely more expensive process.
So, the immediate first step is to pause what you're running for the US, create a brand new campaign dedicated solely to that store, and start fresh with a clean structure. This alone should have a significant impact.
I'd say you need to manage your cost expectations...
Now, let's talk about that 60p vs $6 CPC. While your current US costs are a sign of a problem, it's also important to have realistic expectations. The US is arguably the most competitive advertising market on the planet. The sheer number of businesses competing for the same eyeballs drives up costs significantly. A 60p CPC in a smaller, non-english speaking EU country is fantastic, but it's not a benchmark you can apply to the US.
Think about it: more advertisers, higher disposable incomes, and a culture of online shopping mean businesses are willing to pay a premium to acquire a customer. That said, $6 is far too high and points to issues with targeting or creative, which we'll get to next. Once optimised, you should be aiming for a CPC in the US market that's more in the £0.50 - £1.50 range (roughly $0.65 - $1.90). Getting to the lower end of that range will take some work.
To give you a clearer picture, here’s a rough breakdown of what you might expect for an eCommerce store in a developed country like the US. This is based on our experience running hundreds of campaigns.
| eCommerce Cost Expectations: Developed Countries (e.g., US) | |
| Metric | Expected Range (GBP) |
| Cost Per Click (CPC) | £0.50 - £1.50 |
| Landing Page Conversion Rate (eCom) | 2% - 5% |
| Resulting Cost Per Purchase (CPA) | £10.00 - £75.00 |
| Calculation: Low CPA = (Low CPC / High Conv. Rate) = £0.50 / 5% = £10. High CPA = (High CPC / Low Conv. Rate) = £1.50 / 2% = £75. | |
As you can see, the final cost to acquire a customer can vary wildly. The goal of any good advertising strategy is to push your CPC down and your conversion rate up, getting you closer to that £10 CPA mark rather than the £75 one. Your $6 (~£4.75) CPC is putting you way out on the expensive end of the spectrum before a customer has even converted. This tells us the biggest levers we need to pull are related to who you're showing your ads to and what those ads say.
You probably should overhaul your targeting strategy...
This is where the real work begins, and it's the most likely culprit for your high costs. The targeting that worked wonders in your home country will almost never work when copied and pasted into the US market. Cultural nuances, brand affinities, and online behaviours are completely different. You need to build your US audiences from the ground up.
I see alot of advertisers make a common mistake here. For instance, if you're selling a product for online store owners, you might be tempted to target a broad interest like "Amazon" or "eCommerce". The problem is that millions of people who are just consumers, not business owners, fall into that bucket. Your ad spend gets wasted on the wrong people. You need to be much more specific.
The best way to approach this is with a structured funnel. For a new store, I'd prioritise audiences in this order:
| Funnel Stage | Audience Type | Description & Priority |
|---|---|---|
| ToFu (Top of Funnel - Cold) |
Detailed Targeting (Interests) | This is your starting point. You need to brainstorm interests, behaviours, and brands that your ideal US customer would follow. Think specific: not "fashion", but "Vogue Magazine", "Net-a-Porter", or specific designers. Not "business", but "Shopify", "WooCommerce", or "Small business page admins". Test these in seperate ad sets. |
| ToFu (Top of Funnel - Cold) |
Lookalike Audiences (LAA) | This is where your seasoned account comes in handy. Your highest priority test should be a 1% Lookalike of your EU store's "Purchase" custom audience, but targeted only to the USA. Meta knows what your buyers look like, so ask it to find similar people in the US. As you get US sales, you'll replace this with a lookalike of your US purchasers, which will be even more powerful. |
| MoFu/BoFu (Middle/Bottom - Warm/Hot) |
Retargeting Audiences | This is essential for any eCommerce store. You need to set up custom audiences for your new US domain to retarget people who have shown interest. Start with broad audiences like "All Website Visitors - 30 Days" and then get more specific as you get more traffic: "Viewed Content/Product - 14 Days", and most importantly, "Added to Cart - 7 Days". You'll show these people different ads, maybe with a small discount or a reminder, to bring them back to complete their purchase. |
You need to be patient here. Start with a few detailed interest ad sets and maybe that first lookalike ad set. Let them run with a modest budget. The goal is to gather data on your new US pixel. You need at least 100 purchases from the US store before you can create a really effective Lookalike audience from your new customers. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
You'll need to think about your creative and landing page...
Even with perfect targeting, your ads can fail if the creative isn't right or if the landing page doesn't build trust. High CPCs are often a symptom of a low Click-Through Rate (CTR). If people see your ad but don't click on it, Meta assumes it's not relevant and charges you more to show it.
-> Ad Creative: What works in your native language might not translate well to English, even if the words are correct. The tone, the cultural references, the style of imagery - it all might need to be adapted for a US audience. You should be rigorously testing different ad creatives. Test videos vs images. Test different headlines. Test different copy. A simple, clean product shot might work, or you might need a more lifestyle-focused image. You won't know until you test.
-> Your New Website: Remember, you're not just sending traffic to a new page; you're sending it to a whole new domain that has zero trust factor in the eyes of a new visitor. Your EU store might have hundreds of positive reviews and a familiar brand name in your home country. Your US store has none of that. You need to build trust from scratch on the page itself.
Here are a few things to check on your US store site:
-> Social Proof: Can you translate some of your best reviews from your EU store and feature them on the US site? Make sure you note that they are from your international customers. This is better than having no reviews at all.
-> About Us Page: Tell your story. Why did you expand to the US? Who are you? People connect with stories, and it makes a brand feel more human and trustworthy.
-> Clarity and Professionalism: The design needs to be flawless. The product descriptions must be compelling and well-written in natural, American English (not just a direct translation). The pricing must be clear in USD.
-> Trust Badges: Show secure payment logos (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal). Have a clear shipping and returns policy easily accessible.
-> Page Speed: The US is a big country. Make sure your site loads quickly for users there. A slow site will kill your conversion rate and Meta will penalise you for it with higher costs.
A poorly optimised website will destroy your ad performance, no matter how good your campaigns are. It's often the most overlooked piece of the puzzle.
This is the main advice I have for you:
I know that's a lot to take in. To make it easier, here is a table that summarises the actionable steps you should take. This is the blueprint I would use to turn the situation around.
| Area | Recommended Action | Goal / Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Account Structure | Create a new, completely seperate campaign for the US store. Pause all current US ads running in the old campaign. | To provide clear, unconfused signals to the Meta algorithm and allow for clean performance analysis and budget control. |
| Initial Targeting (ToFu) | Create 2-3 ad sets testing different US-specific interest groups. Create 1 ad set with a 1% Lookalike of your EU purchasers, targeted to the US. | To discover which cold audiences resonate in the new market and start gathering data on the new US pixel. |
| Retargeting (MoFu/BoFu) | Set up custom audiences for your new US domain: All Visitors (30d), Viewed Product (14d), Added to Cart (7d). Create a seperate retargeting campaign targeting these audiences (excluding purchasers). | To capture high-intent users who abandoned their journey and significantly increase your overall Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). |
| Creative Testing | Within your new US campaign, test at least 2-3 different ad creatives (e.g., image vs. video, different headlines) in each ad set. | To find winning creatives that increase Click-Through Rate (CTR), which will directly lower your Cost Per Click (CPC). |
| Website Optimisation | Review your US store for trust signals. Add translated reviews, a compelling 'About Us' section, and ensure all policies are clear and professional. Check page load speed. | To increase your website's conversion rate. A higher conversion rate makes every click more valuable and improves your overall profitability. |
| Budget & Measurement | Start with a modest daily budget for the US campaign. Focus on Cost Per Purchase (CPA) and ROAS, not just CPC. Don't make drastic changes too quickly; let the algorithm learn for a few days. | To manage risk while gathering data. CPC is a health metric, but CPA/ROAS is what actually determines the success of an eCommerce campaign. |
As you can see, there are quite a few moving parts to getting this right, and it requires a methodical, test-and-learn approach. It's not just about flipping a switch; it's about building a robust advertising machine for a new market from the ground up.
While you can definitely implement all of this yourself, this is where working with a specialist can make a huge difference. I remember one instance where we applied these principles of structure, targeting, and optimisation for a women's apparel brand, and they saw a 691% return on their ad spend on Meta. We've also helped subscription box companies achieve a 1000% ROAS. It’s about accelerating that learning phase and avoiding the costly mistakes that can drain your budget while you're trying to find your footing.
If you'd like to chat through this plan in more detail or have us take a hands-on look at your account to give you more specific recommendations, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation. It might be helpful to have a second pair of expert eyes on it.
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
