The post-click gap: why your ads work but your conversions don't
By Asger & Erik, Founders of Kewise.com 2 min read
You launch a new campaign. The creative is sharp. The click-through rate is fantastic. Traffic is pouring in.
But nobody is buying.
When this happens, the immediate reaction is usually to blame the ads. "The traffic is low quality," you say. "We need to tweak the targeting."
But the problem is rarely the ads. The problem is the post-click gap.
There is a massive mismatch between what the ad promised and what the landing page delivered. Value is created in the alignment between the two. If the user clicks an ad expecting one thing and lands on a page that delivers something else, they bounce. Instantly.
In fact, according to Instapage, about 97% of marketing budgets go to waste because only 3% of ad clicks actually convert, largely because the post-click experience is ignored.
Ask the hard questions
You have to ask yourself some hard questions. Do you know where your competitors are sending their traffic? Have you tried different types of landing pages? Have you tested advertorials, quiz funnels, or direct product pages?
Most importantly, do you understand the buying stage of the traffic you are generating?
Facebook traffic vs Google Search intent
If you are running ads on Facebook, your audience might be problem-aware, or they might not even know they have a problem yet. Your landing page needs to pitch them accordingly. It needs to educate and persuade.
If you are running ads on Google Search, the intent is completely different. They are actively looking for a solution. They probably just need a direct "Buy Now" or "Book Demo" button.
If you send high-intent Google traffic to a long-form educational advertorial, you lose them. If you send low-intent Facebook traffic to a hard-sell checkout page, you lose them.
The ad gets the click. The landing page has to catch the intent. If there is a gap between the two, your conversions will always flatline.
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