Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out and happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on this. It sounds like you're facing a common problem when starting out with paid ads, especially in eCommerce like dropshipping - getting clicks but not seeing those translate into actual add-to-carts, let alone purchases.
It's Definitely Too Early to Panic (But It's Good to Look Closely)
First thing to say, spending $54 over just two days, even on a $40 daily budget, is realllly early days in the world of paid advertising. Seriously, like just dipping your toe in. Ad platforms, especially ones using machine learning like Advantage+, need a significant amount of data and time to figure out who your ideal customer is, who is most likely to take the action you want (like adding to cart, or ultimately purchasing), and how to reach them efficiently. Two days isn't enough for the system to move past the initial testing and learning phase. You'll see a lot of fluctuation in performance, CPCs, and where the spend goes initially.
It's totally normal to feel a rollercoaster of emotions at this stage, everyone does! But basing any big decisions like whether the product is "bad" on this tiny amount of data would be a mistake. I'd say you need to give it significantly more time, assuming you can afford the budget, to see if things start to improve as the platform learns.
We'll Need to Look at the Drop-Off Point
Okay, so you're getting clicks (40 clicks) but only a few Add To Carts (5 ATC). This tells us the bottleneck is happening *after* someone clicks your ad but *before* they decide to add the product to their cart. When I look at campaign performance, like we did for one eCommerce client struggling with a similar thing, this kind of drop-off usually points to one of two main issues:
1. You're getting the wrong type of traffic. This means the people clicking your ad aren't actually interested in buying your product, or aren't the right demographic/persona. This could be down to your targeting not being quite right, or maybe your ad creative is attracting clicks from curiosity rather than purchase intent.
2. The experience *after* the click isn't convincing them. This is super common, especialy with new stores. They land on your product page (or homepage, if that's where the ad goes) and something puts them off before they even consider adding to the cart. Based on my experience, and what I see in a lot of new stores, the website itself is often the biggest culprit at this stage of the funnel.
I'd Say Your Website Needs a Close Look...
Let's really dive into the website side, as this is where I suspect the main issue lies when people click but don't add to cart. Think about someone landing on your product page. What's their immediate impression? Does it look professional? Trustworthy? Is it easy to understand what you're selling and why they should buy it?
Here are the things I would scrutinise, drawing from things we've seen improve results significantly for other eCommerce stores:
- Loading Speed: If your page takes ages to load, people will just bounce before they even see anything. Test it on mobile and desktop.
- Product Photos: Are they high-quality? Do they clearly show the product from multiple angles? Do they make the product look desirable? For things like clothing or accessories, photos or videos of someone using/wearing the product make a massive difference compared to just product-on-white shots. I remember looking at a handcrafted products store where the images just weren't doing the beautiful products justice; better photography was needed.
- Product Descriptions: Are they just basic facts, or do they sell the benefits? Do they answer potential questions? Do they create desire? People need to understand what they're buying and why they need it. Lack of descriptions was a big issue on that handcrafted store I mentioned.
- Pricing and Shipping: Is the price clear? Are shipping costs and times easy to find and understand? Unexpected shipping costs are a huge reason for abandoned carts (though you're not even getting to cart yet!).
- Overall Website Trustworthiness: This is HUGE, especialy for a new store or in dropshipping where trust can be lower. Do you have customer reviews or testimonials clearly visible? Links to social media where people can see you're a real business? An 'About Us' page that tells a story? Contact information? Trust badges (like secure payment icons)? Selling handcrafted items on Etsy or a well-known platform can leverage their trust, but on your own store, you have to build it from scratch. People won't give you their card details if they don't feel comfortable.
- The Offer: Is the product itself compelling enough? Is the price competitive? Are there any special offers (like a discount for a first purchase)?
- Navigation: Is it easy for someone to browse other products or find information?
My impression looking at many new stores is often that they don't look trustworthy yet. You need to convince someone who has never heard of you to part with their money. Trust signals, clear product information, and a professional look go a very long way.
Targeting Could Be a Factor Too
While the website is often the primary culprit when clicks don't turn into engagement (like ATC), your targeting could also be off. Are you absolutely sure the audience you're targeting is the right one for your product? Are they people who actually buy things online? Are they interested in products like yours? Sometimes broad targeting can bring cheap clicks, but they aren't the *right* clicks.
And Optimising for ATC...
Optimising for Add To Cart can be a reasonable strategy in the very early stages if you're struggling to get enough data for Purchase optimisation. It gives the platform a higher volume event to learn from. However, keep in mind that someone adding to cart is a much lower intent action than purchasing. People add things to carts all the time without intending to buy right away, or ever. So, while ATC data is useful, you will eventually need to switch to optimising for Purchases to truly scale and get profitable sales, as that's your actual goal.
Summary: What To Do Now
Here's a quick overview of what I'd focus on:
| Action | Reasoning | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Give the campaign more time & budget (if possible) | Algorithms need data to learn; $54 is too little data | High |
| Deeply analyse your website/product page | The major drop-off is happening *after* the click but *before* ATC | Very High |
| Improve product photos, descriptions, and offer clarity | These directly impact desirability and understanding | Very High |
| Boost website trustworthiness (reviews, about page, contact info, secure badges, social proof) | Lack of trust is a primary reason people leave without buying | Very High |
| Review your ad targeting | Ensure you're attracting the *right* potential customers, not just any click | Medium |
| Test different creatives (videos, pictures, copy) | Some creatives attract better quality clicks than others; need to see what resonates | Medium |
Don't get fixated on the early high CPCs or low ATC numbers. Those will fluctuate. Focus on figuring out *why* someone who clicked your ad isn't adding your product to the cart. More often than not, fixing the website experience unlocks the conversions.
Dropshipping can be tough and competitive, and getting ads to work reliably takes time, testing, and patience. It's definitely possible to make it work, but you need to be prepared to optimise both your ads *and* your store relentlessly.
If you're finding it overwhelming or unsure where to start with optimising your website or ads based on performance data, sometimes getting an expert pair of eyes on things can make a big difference. We've helped plenty of eCommerce businesses navigate these exact challenges, identifying the bottlenecks and implementing changes that lead to purchases.
If you'd like to explore this further and get tailored advice for your specific situation, we're happy to book in a free consultation to chat through everything in more detail.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
