Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! I've had a look at the details you sent over about your new clothing store and the Facebook ad campaign you've been running. It’s a common situation to be in when you're just starting out, so don't be too disheartened. It’s frustrating when you put money into ads and don't see the results you want, but it's usually fixable once you figure out where the problem is.
I’m happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance based on my experience. I've run a lot of campaigns for eCommerce brands, including apparel, and there are a few things that stand out straight away. We'll walk through it step by step.
We'll need to look at your ad perfomance first...
Okay, let's start with the ad stats you provided. This is where the story begins. You're getting data, which is good, but it's telling us that something is breaking down after the click.
Your CTR (Click-Through Rate) is around 1% for Creative A and a bit higher for Creative B. Honestly, for clothing, this is okay-ish but not great. It tells me that a small percentage of people who see the ad are interested enough to click. Creative B with the model is performing better, which makes complete sense. People want to see what the clothes look like on a person, not just laid on the ground. This is your first clue: your creative choices matter a lot. The model shot is connecting more, even if just slightly.
Now, let's look at the costs. Your CPC (Cost Per Click) is around $1.60 and your CPM (Cost Per Mille, or cost per 1000 impressions) is between $12 and $21. For a clothing brand targeting a broad audience, these numbers feel quite high. A high CPM often suggests you’re in a competitive auction or your audience targeting isn’t quite right, forcing Facebook to work harder to find people to show your ad to. The high CPC follows from that; you're paying a premium for each of those clicks.
But here is the biggest issue, the real red flag: You've spent nearly $150 and got over 100 clicks to your landing page, but zero 'Add to Carts' and zero purchases.
This is the most important peice of information you have. It tells us that the problem is almost certainly not the ad itself, or at least, the ad isn't the *main* problem. The ad is doing its basic job – it’s getting some people to click. The breakdown is happening the moment they land on your website. Pouring more money into these ads without fixing the destination is like pouring water into a bucket with a massive hole in the bottom. You can pour all you want, but it's never going to fill up.
So, before we even think about changing the ads again, we absolutely have to sort out your website and the product page. This should be your number one priority now.
I'd say you need to fix the website before spending more...
I took a good look at the product page you linked. I'm going to be brutally honest here because that's what's going to help you the most. Right now, your website doesn't build enough trust or create enough desire for someone to spend $45 on a pair of shorts from a brand they've never heard of.
Think about your own online shopping behaviour. When you land on a new site from an ad, you're subconsciously asking a dozen questions in a few seconds: Is this site legit? Can I trust them with my card details? Are the products any good? What if I need to return them? Do other people buy from here?
Your page doesn't answer these questions very well yet. Here’s a breakdown of what I see:
1. Product Photography and Presentation
The images are your most powerful selling tool for clothing. The photo of the shorts on the model is a start, but it could be much better. It's a bit dark, and it doesn't really show off the shorts in an exciting way. You need a variety of shots:
- -> A clear, bright, full-body shot of the model wearing them.
- -> A shot showing the shorts in motion – maybe the model walking or doing something athletic.
- -> Close-up shots of the details: the fabric texture, the paint splatter, the waistband, the logo.
- -> A short video is even better. A 15-second clip of a model wearing the shorts can increase conversion rates significantly. It helps people understand the fit, the material, and the overall look far better than a static image ever could.
2. Product Description
This is another huge missed opportunity. You have no product description at all. You've listed the features ("100% Polyester", "Drawstring waist"), but you haven't sold the benefits. Why should someone choose *your* shorts? What makes them "Dynamic"? What's the story behind the "Fearless Edition" name?
Your copy needs to create a feeling. You're not just selling shorts; you're selling a look, a style, a vibe. You need persuasive copy that connects with your target customer.
For example, instead of just a list of features, you could write something like:
"Unleash your creative side with the Dynamic Athletic Shorts. Each pair features a unique tan paint splatter design, meaning no two are exactly alike. Crafted from lightweight, breathable polyester that keeps you cool whether you're hitting the gym or the streets. The adjustable drawstring waist ensures a perfect fit for all-day comfort. These aren't just shorts; they're a statement. Be fearless. Be dynamic."
A bit of proffesional copy goes a very long way in making a product feel premium and desirable.
3. Trust and Social Proof
As a new store, this is your biggest hurdle. Your site feels very new, which makes potential customers nervous. There are many simple things you can add to build trust instantly:
- -> Reviews: You don't have any yet, which is normal. But you need a plan to get them ASAP. Maybe offer an incentive to your first few customers to leave a review with a photo.
- -> An 'About Us' Page: Who are you? What's the story of the brand? People connect with stories and with people. A simple page explaining your passion for design can make your brand feel more human and trustworthy.
- -> Clear Policies: Make your Shipping and Returns policies very easy to find and read. Customers need to know they can return the product if it doesn't fit.
- -> Contact Information: Provide a clear way to contact you. An email address is a minimum, maybe a contact form or even a business address if you have one.
- -> Trust Badges: Icons for secure payment (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal) in the footer can provide a small psychological boost of security.
You probably should rethink your targeting strategy...
Once the website is in a much better place, we can turn our attention back to the ads. Your current targeting – "Men 18-35 in Florida" – is incredibly broad. You're trying to talk to millions of people with vastly different interests, styles, and incomes. This is likely why your CPM and CPC are so high; you're competing in a huge auction and your ad isn't specific enough to resonate deeply with any particular sub-group.
For a new account with a limited budget, you need to start with much more specific targeting. You should be testing different 'pockets' of your potential audience to see who responds best. This is where detailed interest targeting comes in. Instead of just age and location, think about the *psychographics* of your ideal customer.
Who is the guy who wears paint-splatter athletic shorts?
- -> Is he into streetwear?
- -> Is he an artist or a creative type?
- -> Is he into fitness and athleisure?
- -> Is he a skater or into urban culture?
Here's a small table to show you what I mean:
| Ad Set Theme | Example Interests to Target | Potential Ad Angle |
|---|---|---|
| Streetwear Enthusiast | Hypebeast, Supreme, Stüssy, Complex Magazine, Kith | Focus on the unique design, the exclusivity, and style. |
| Fitness & Athleisure | Gymshark, Lululemon, Men's Health magazine, Bodybuilding.com | Focus on the comfort, performance (lightweight fabric), and looking good at the gym. |
| Creative / Artist | Behance, Dribbble, Art schools, interests in 'Graphic Design' or 'Illustration' | Focus on the 'paint splatter' as an expression of creativity. "Shorts for creators." |
By separating these audiences, you can see which group responds best. Maybe the streetwear crowd loves them, but the fitness guys don't care. That data is gold. It tells you exactly who your customer is, and you can then double down on what works and stop wasting money on what doesn't. You need to test, test, and test again. You can't just throw one audience at the wall and hope it sticks.
You'll need a proper funnel and a testing plan...
Advertising effectively isn't about running one campaign and hoping for sales. It's about building a system – a sales funnel – that guides a customer from awareness to purchase and beyond. Right now, you're only operating at the very top of the funnel (ToFu), trying to get cold traffic.
The real money in eCommerce is made in the middle and bottom of the funnel (MoFu and BoFu). This involves retargetting.
Here’s a simplified funnel structure I'd prioritise:
- ToFu (Top of Funnel - Prospecting): This is what you're doing now, but with the better, themed interest targeting we just discussed. The goal here is to drive new, relevant traffic to your product page.
- MoFu (Middle of Funnel - Engagement): This is where you retarget people who have shown some interest but haven't taken a key action. This audience would include people who have visited your product page or watched 50% of your ad video, but *haven't* added to cart. You could show them a different ad, maybe with customer testimonials (once you have them) or showing the shorts being styled in different ways.
- BoFu (Bottom of Funnel - Conversion): This is your most valuable audience. You'll retarget people who have added a product to their cart but didn't complete the purchase. These people are on the verge of buying. You can hit them with a direct, compelling ad. Maybe something like, "Still thinking it over? Your Fearless shorts are waiting for you." Sometimes a small discount code (e.g., 10% off) in a BoFu ad can be incredibly effective at closing the sale.
To do this, your Facebook Pixel needs to be set up correctly to track all these events (Page View, View Content, Add to Cart, Purchase). Once you start getting traffic and these events fire, you can build custom audiences for each stage of the funnel.
This systematic approach is how you scale. I remember one campaign we worked on for a medical job matching SaaS where we reduced their cost per user acquisition from £100 to £7 using Meta Ads and Google Ads. We didn't find a magic bullet; we systematically rebuilt their funnel, improved their landing pages, and tested dozens of audiences and creatives until we found a combination that worked and was scalable. It's a process of continuous optimisation.
This is the main advice I have for you:
I know this is a lot to take in. To make it simpler, I've broken down my main recommendations into a table for you. This is the action plan I would implement if I were in your shoes.
| Area of Focus | The Current Problem | Recommended Actionable Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Website (Priority #1) | Low trust, no persuasive copy, and weak product presentation is killing your conversion rate. Over 100 clicks resulted in 0 Add to Carts. | PAUSE ADS IMMEDIATELY. Overhaul the product page. Get professional model shots/video. Write a compelling, benefit-driven product descripion. Add an 'About Us' page, clear policies, and payment trust badges. |
| Ad Creatives | Model shot performs better but could be improved. Static flat lay image is weak. Lack of video. | Focus on high-quality video content showing the shorts in motion. Test different model shots and styles. Create creatives tailored to the specific audiences you'll be testing. |
| Ad Targeting | Audience is far too broad ("Men 18-35 in Florida"), leading to high costs and low-quality traffic. | Develop 3-4 customer personas (e.g., Streetwear, Fitness, Creative). Build separate ad sets targeting specific, relevant interests for each persona. Test them against each other with a small budget. |
| Overall Strategy | No funnel in place. You're only running a single prospecting campaign and losing everyone who doesn't buy immediately. | Structure your campaigns into a ToFu/MoFu/BoFu funnel. Set up custom audiences to retarget website visitors, video viewers, and cart abandoners. Plan for long-term optimisation, not quick wins. |
As you can see, there's a lot more to running successful ads than just setting up a campaign and hitting 'publish'. It's a combination of marketing psychology, data analysis, creative testing, and technical setup. It can be a bit of a minefield when you're starting out, and making mistakes can get expensive quickly.
Working with someone who has done this many times before can help you avoid these common pitfalls and get on the right track much faster. We can help with everything from writing the persuasive copy for your site to building out the full advertising funnel and managing the ongoing optimisation process.
If you'd like to chat through this in more detail, we offer a free initial consultation where we can review your strategy together. It might be helpful to have a second pair of expert eyes on it.
Regardless, I hope these detailed thoughts give you a much clearer path forward. Fix the website first, then get methodical with your ad testing. You have a product, now you just need to build the right machine around it to sell it effectively.
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
