Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out about the issues you're having with your TikTok ads for your store. It’s a common problem to see clicks but no sales, and it’s usually a sign that something is breaking down between the ad and the final purchase. I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance based on my experience running these kind of campaigns.
Honestly, you’ve hit the most frustrating wall in paid advertising. Getting the click is only the first, and arguably the easiest, step. The real work starts when a potential customer lands on your site. Let's break down where things are likely going wrong.
We'll need to look at your funnel, not just your ads...
First off, stop thinking about this as just an "ad problem". You have a funnel problem. Every potential customer goes on a short journey, and you're losing them somewhere along the way. The journey looks something like this:
Ad on TikTok -> Your Store's Homepage/Product Page -> Viewing a Product -> Adding to Cart -> Starting Checkout -> Completing Purchase
You've got 44 people who took the first step. That's good. It means your ad creative is at least intriguing enough to earn a tap. But then all 44 of them vanished. Your job now is to become a detective and find out where they went and why. You need to look at your analytics, both on TikTok and your store (I assume Shopify or similar).
Here’s how I’d diagnose it:
-> Are you getting lots of clicks but very few product page views? This means they land on your site, take one look, and immediately leave. This points to a problem with your homepage, your overall brand presentation, or a massive disconnect between what your ad promised and what the site delivers. It screams "I don't trust this place" or "this isn't what I expected".
-> Are you getting lots of product page views but zero "add to carts"? This is a very common and telling issue. It means people are interested in the product itself, but something on that specific page is stopping them from taking the next step. This is usually down to a few culprits: poor product photos, a lack of detailed product descriptions, unconvincing pricing, or hidden shipping costs that they only discover later. This is where the sale is most often lost.
You've only spent $20, which in the grand scheme of things isn't a lot, but the fact that not one of 44 people even added a product to their basket is a massive red flag. You shouldn't spend another dollar on ads until you've addressed the likely issues on your website itself. Sending more traffic to a "leaky bucket" will just burn your money faster.
I'd say you need to fix your targeting and message...
Let's talk about your ad strategy for a moment. "Broad targeting, females only, USA only" is a recipe for wasted spend, especially for a new store with no data. You're asking TikTok to find a customer for you in a sea of over 150 million people. The algorithm, especially on a 'clicks' objective, will just find the people most likely to click things, not the people most likely to buy things. They are often very different groups of people.
You need to stop thinking about your customer as a broad demographic. Your ideal customer isn't just "a female in the USA". Your customer is a person with a specific problem, a specific desire, a specific worldview. You need to define them by their pain or their passion, not their age and location. For example, is your customer:
- A young woman who wants to look stylish and put-together for her first office job but is on a tight budget?
- A student who wants fun, trendy accessories for nights out that won't break the bank?
- Someone looking for an affordable but thoughtful-looking gift for a friend's birthday?
Each of these is a completely different person with a different "nightmare" you're solving. The first needs to look professional, the second wants to stand out, the third needs to show affection. Your ad copy and your entire store's messaging needs to speak directly to ONE of them. When you try to speak to everyone, you end up connecting with no one.
Once you know who you're talking to, your ad copy needs to reflect that. Don't just show a picture of a necklace. Use a framework like Problem-Agitate-Solve. For instance:
Problem: "Tired of boring outfits but can't afford a new wardrobe?" Agitate: "You see influencers with amazing accessories every day, while you're stuck wearing the same old pieces." Solve: "Transform any look for under $30. Our collection gives you that high-end feel without the high-end price tag. Shop now and get free shipping on your first order."
This kind of message immediately qualifies the person seeing it. If they don't relate to that problem, they scroll past. If they do, they click with actual intent. This is far more powerful than just broad targeting. On TikTok and other platforms, you can then layer this with interest targeting. Instead of "broad", you should be testing interests like "fast fashion", followers of certain budget style influencers, interests in brands like Zara or H&M, etc. You have to give the algorithm clues about who your real customer is.
You probably should be brutally honest about your website...
This is likely your biggest problem. I've seen hundreds of eCommerce stores, and the ones that fail almost always share the same issues. Your website is your digital storefront, your salesperson, and your cashier all in one. If it doesn't build immediate trust and confidence, you will not make sales. Period.
Based on what's typical for stores with your problem, here's what you need to fix, and you need to be ruthless about it:
1. Trust is Everything. Right now, a visitor lands on your site from a TikTok ad. They've never heard of 'Lunana'. They are, by default, highly skeptical. Their hand is hovering over the 'back' button. You have about three seconds to convince them you're a legitimate, trustworthy business. Most new stores fail this test spectacularly.
- Where are your reviews? No reviews is a deal-breaker for many online shoppers. If you have no sales yet, send products to friends or family (or even influencers for free) in exchange for honest photo reviews. You need social proof.
- About Us Page: You need a story. Who is behind Lunana? Why did you start it? People connect with people, not faceless, generic websites. A simple story and a picture of you can massively increase trust. I bet you're about page is generic or missing, this is a huge mistake.
- Contact Information: Is there a clear, professional email address? A physical address or PO Box? A contact form? If a customer feels like they can't reach you if something goes wrong, they won't risk buying.
- Professionalism: I would bet there are probably minor typos or gramatical errors on your site. These things might seem small, but they kill credibility instantly. It suggests a lack of care and makes people worry about the quality of your products and service.
2. Your Product Presentation is Your Sales Pitch. Since customers can't touch or feel the jewelry, your photos and descriptions have to do all the work. This is another area where new stores cut corners and pay the price.
- Photography: Are you using generic, low-quality photos from a supplier like AliExpress? If so, that's a massive problem. You MUST have unique, high-quality photos. This means getting a decent camera (your phone is probably good enough) and good lighting. Take pictures of the jewelry on a clean background, being worn by a person (even if it's just you or a friend), and in a lifestyle setting. Show scale. Show texture. A video of the piece glittering under a light can be incredibly effective, especially for TikTok.
- Product Descriptions: "Gold-plated necklace" is not a description. It's a label. A good description sells the feeling and answers questions. What are the materials? What are the dimensions? Is it hypoallergenic? What outfits would it look good with? Tell a little story about the piece. Give it some personality. Pre-empt every question a customer might have so they don't have to go looking for answers, because they won't, they'll just leave.
3. The Offer Needs to be Irresistible. The "offer" isn't just the price. It's the entire value proposition. For a low-cost jewelry store, people are looking for a deal. Your competition isn't just other small stores; it's giant, trusted brands like Amazon. You have to give them a reason to buy from YOU, right NOW.
- Shipping: Are you offering free shipping? If not, you should strongly consider it, even if you have to bake the cost into the product price slightly. Unexpected shipping costs are the #1 reason for abandoned carts. A "Free Shipping Over $X" banner is a powerful psychological tool.
- First-Time Buyer Discount: A simple pop-up offering 10% or 15% off their first order in exchange for their email is standard practice for a reason. It's a low-risk way for a customer to try you out, and it helps you build an email list for future marketing.
I’ve worked with e-commerce clients who have turned their fortunes around just by focusing on these core website elements. One women's apparel client we worked with saw a 691% return on ad spend. It's not about a magic ad campaign; it's about fixing the fundamentals.
You'll need to understand the real cost of getting a customer...
It's also important to have realistic expectations about cost. Getting a sale from a cold audience on social media is not cheap, especially in a competitive market like the USA. Let's look at some rough numbers based on our experience with many eCommerce campaigns.
For sales in a developed country like the US, here's a typical range:
| Metric | Low End | High End | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost Per Click (CPC) | £0.50 (~$0.65) | £1.50 (~$1.90) | Your current CPC seems to be around $0.45, which is good, but likely because of broad targeting. |
| Website Conversion Rate | 2% | 5% | This is for a well-optimised store. Yours is currently 0%. A good target to aim for is 2%. |
| Est. Cost Per Purchase (CPA) | £10.00 (~$12.50) | £75.00 (~$95.00) | Calculated as (CPC / Conversion Rate). This is the number that really matters. |
What this table tells you is that even with a decent website converting at 2%, you might expect to pay over $12 for a single sale. To get that one sale, you'd need roughly 50 clicks (50 clicks * 2% conversion rate = 1 sale). Your $20 budget and 44 clicks weren't actually enough to reasonably expect a sale, even if your site was perfect. However, the complete lack of 'add to carts' tells us the problem is the site, not just an insufficient budget.
The goal isn't to get a sale for $1. It's to build a system where you can reliably spend, say, $15 to acquire a customer who spends $40, and then comes back to buy again in the future.
This is the main advice I have for you:
You need to stop all your ads immediately. Do not spend another cent. You are in the building and fixing phase, not the scaling phase. Follow these steps methodically.
| Problem Area | Actionable Solution | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Website Trust | - Add a detailed 'About Us' page with your story/photo. - Add customer reviews/testimonials (get them from friends if needed). - Make contact info prominent (professional email, etc). - Proofread every single word on your site for errors. |
A visitor will not give their card details to a site that looks unprofessional or untrustworthy. This is non-negotiable. |
| Product Presentation | - Take new, high-quality, unique photos for your top 5-10 products. - Include on-model shots and lifestyle images. - Rewrite all product descriptions to be persuasive, answer questions (materials, size), and sell the benefit, not just the feature. |
Your photos and copy are your digital salesperson. If they are lazy and unconvincing, you will make zero sales. |
| The Offer | - Implement a "Free Shipping over $X" banner. - Add a 10% discount pop-up for first-time buyers in exchange for an email address. |
This removes friction and provides a compelling incentive to overcome the risk of buying from a new brand. |
| Ad Strategy | - Pause all ads. After fixing the site, create a new campaign. - Change the objective from 'clicks' to 'conversions' (purchases). - Replace 'broad' targeting with 3-5 specific interest-based audiences to test. - Write new ad copy using the Problem-Agitate-Solve framework. |
You need to tell the algorithm to find buyers, not just clickers, and you need to give it better clues on who those buyers are. |
Working through this list is your only path forward. It's not quick or easy, and it requires a level of detail and honesty about your own work that can be difficult. It's the difference between having a hobby and building a real business.
This whole process—diagnosing funnels, optimising websites, defining customer personas, writing copy, and structuring campaigns—is a full-time job. It’s what we do all day, every day. For example, we helped a subscription box eCommerce client achieve a 1000% return on ad spend. The principles are exactly the same for eCommerce. It's about finding and fixing the leaks at every single step.
Getting professional advice can make a huge difference because an expert can spot these issues in minutes rather than months, saving you a significant amount of money and frustration. We can see the patterns that you're too close to notice.
If you'd like to go over this in more detail, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can review your store and ad strategy together. It might help give you the clarity you need to turn things around.
Hope that helps!
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
