In this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Darren delves into a critical error many ecommerce businesses make with Facebook advertising.
Instead of discussing the usual best practices, the focus is on a common mistake: linking Facebook carousel ads to a website’s homepage rather than the specific product pages. This approach frustrates potential customers and wastes advertising budgets.
The Pitfall of Facebook Ads
“I’m not going to give you the usual tips on how to do Facebook advertising; I’m actually going to talk to you about how you shouldn’t do it.”
Darren shares a personal experience with a poorly executed Facebook ad from a collectible toy website. This ad featured a carousel of products, including a sought-after Hot Wheels Optimus Prime truck. Despite the perfect targeting, the ad failed because clicking on any product directed users to the homepage instead of the specific product page.
The Targeting: Success and Failure
“The targeting on it was perfect, but the ad itself was unbelievably crap.”
The ad was effectively targeted at Darren, a collector interested in the advertised product. The product carousel showcased various items, drawing his interest. However, this success in capturing attention was squandered by the ad’s design.
The Core Mistake: Wrong Landing Page
“I clicked on this ad and I went through to the homepage of the website. I couldn’t believe it.”
Darren expected to be taken directly to the product page after clicking on the Optimus Prime truck in the carousel ad. Instead, clicking on any product led to the website’s homepage. This error forced users to search for the product manually, a frustrating experience that deters potential buyers.
Impact of Poor User Experience
“It’s like the advertiser saying, ‘screw you, you’re now going to have to look for this.’”
Darren describes the irritation of being directed to a generic homepage instead of the specific product. The inconvenience led him to abandon the site and search for the product elsewhere. This resulted in a lost sale for the advertiser, demonstrating the importance of seamless navigation in online shopping.
Misunderstanding of Ad Design
“We actually like to send our customers to the homepage of our website so they can look for the products from there.”
Darren criticises the advertiser’s response, which defended the homepage link strategy. This rationale indicates a misunderstanding of effective ecommerce advertising, where ease of access and direct pathways to products are crucial for conversion rates.
Best Practices for Facebook Ads
“Make it as easy as possible: one click, order, done.”
Darren emphasises that Facebook ads should lead directly to the product pages to maximise user engagement and conversion. He stresses the importance of integrating product catalogues with ads to automate this process, ensuring potential customers can effortlessly find and purchase the advertised products.
Final Thoughts
“Please, if you’re running Facebook ads, do not do what this imbecilic company is doing.”
The episode concludes with a plea to ecommerce businesses to avoid the costly mistake of linking ads to homepages. Instead, they should focus on providing a smooth, direct path to the products being advertised. By doing so, businesses can enhance user experience, improve conversion rates, and make better use of their advertising budgets.
“Do not make mistakes like this toy collectible company is doing and in the process piss off somebody who is very clearly their target market.”
Darren’s personal experience underscores the episode’s message: effective Facebook advertising relies on making it easy for customers to act on their interest immediately. Avoiding basic errors like improper landing page links can significantly impact the success of online marketing campaigns.
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/
Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com
Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk
