Case Study: Why Your Ads Aren’t Converting—And How to Use Analytics to Fix That
- Zia Reddy
- Apr 10
- 9 min read
Background
A company approached me with a campaign that, on the surface, looked like it was doing all the right things. The Meta ads were pulling in strong click-through rates, the cost per click was reasonable, and the creative was visually solid. But when it came to results? Nothing. Very few demo requests. The campaign wasn’t delivering what it was supposed to.
That’s when they reached out for a proper audit.
What the Analytics Revealed
On the surface, the campaign looked like it was doing well. The ads were live, traffic was coming through, and Meta was reporting strong engagement. But when the company looked at the actual outcomes (specifically demo requests), things didn’t add up.
So we zoomed out and looked at both sets of data: what was happening before the click (on Meta), and what was happening after the click (on the website).
What Meta told us:
The ads were getting solid reach and impressions.
Click-through rates were healthy.
Users were spending time reading and engaging with the ad content.
In other words, the ads were doing their job: grabbing attention and getting people interested enough to click. This also told us something important: the audience targeting and segmentation were spot-on. We were talking to the right people. There was genuine interest in the offer and in the company’s solution.
So the issue wasn’t traffic quality.
What the website analytics told us:
Page load time was fast
TTI was fast
Bounce rates were high.
Time on page was low.
Demo form submissions were almost non-existent.
Once people arrived on the landing page, they dropped off quickly. That told us the disconnect was in the post-click experience, not the ads themselves.
Spotting the Misalignment
We started comparing the messaging. The ads were informative and helpful, designed to educate and spark curiosity. They were great for people who were early in the sales journey, still exploring their problem and possible solutions. Top of funnel content, in other words.
The landing page, however, was asking them to book a demo. No warm-up. No additional value. No explanation of why they should want the demo or what they were getting into. Just a single option: commit.
That’s a big ask for someone who’s only just found out your product exists.
There was a clear mismatch between the mindset the ads were speaking to and the action the landing page was asking for. We hadn’t lost people because they weren’t interested; we lost them because we didn’t support their decision-making journey.
And that’s what analytics helped us uncover.
Making the Fix: Aligning the Journey
Once we understood the disconnect between the ad content and the landing page, we had a decision to make: change the ads or change what happens after the click.
We chose the latter for two key reasons:
The ads were doing their job. Meta analytics showed strong engagement, meaning the message was resonating with the right audience.
Changing the ads would have reset the campaign’s learning phase, which could’ve disrupted performance and cost us valuable time and data. (More on that in the next section.)
Instead, we focused on what we could improve without affecting the ad flow—the landing page.
Here's what we changed (and why):
We reframed the purpose of the page
Instead of asking people to jump straight into a demo, we shifted the page into an informational hub. We answered the questions people were likely still asking and gave context around the product and its value, meeting them right where they were in the decision-making process.
We positioned the page as a continuation of the ad conversation. Same tone, same energy, same focus on helping… not selling.
We kept the lead magnet but changed the CTA
There was still a lead magnet on the page, but instead of treating it like the main event, we used it to support the value we were offering. The CTA was no longer “Book a demo” with no backup; it was more like “Here’s something helpful to take with you while you decide.”
This moved the pressure off the visitor and made the experience feel more like guidance than a pushy pitch.
We shifted our success metrics
The campaign was no longer judged solely on demo submissions. Instead, we started tracking:
Time on page – Were people actually reading?
Scroll depth – How far into the content did they get?
Click behavior – What were they interacting with?
These signals helped us understand whether the content was landing, not just if they filled out a form. It also gave us a better sense of intent and helped us identify warmer leads to focus on next.
This wasn't about tricking anyone or trying to “convert harder.” It was about building a better bridge between interest and action. Because when you respect the stage someone’s in, you create space for real conversions to happen without the friction.
Deep Dive: Why We Changed the Landing Page and Not the Ads
You might be wondering:
“If the ads were speaking to people earlier in the sales journey, why didn’t we just change the ads to match the landing page instead?”
Here’s why we didn’t:
First, the Meta analytics actually showed us that our audience targeting was working. The right people were seeing the ads. They were engaging, clicking through, and spending time on the ad copy. That told us the segmentation was solid and the content was attracting the right kind of attention.
Second (and this is key), changing the ads would have reset the campaign’s learning phase.
Wait, what’s the learning phase?
In Meta campaigns, the learning phase is when the algorithm is figuring out who’s most likely to take the action you're optimising for. It’s essentially the training period. Every time you make a significant change, like tweaking creative, changing copy, or starting a new ad set, Meta goes back to square one, and your results can become unstable until it re-learns.
Resetting the learning phase at that point would have set us back and likely increased costs while we waited for the algorithm to optimise again.
Instead, we kept the ads exactly as they were. Same creative, same targeting, same URL.
We changed what happened after the click.
By updating the content on the landing page (but not the URL), we avoided triggering a new learning phase. The ads kept running smoothly, the campaign stayed stable, and the user journey just made more sense.
Understanding the Sales Funnel: Why Stage Matters
Here’s where a lot of campaigns go sideways: they treat every click like it’s ready to convert.
But not all clicks are created equal, and not every person who sees your ad is ready to book a call or hand over their details.
To run effective paid ads, you need to understand the sales funnel. More importantly, you need to create content that respects where someone is in their decision-making journey.
Let’s break it down:
Top of Funnel (Awareness)
This is where people are just starting to realise they have a problem or need. They’re curious. They’re looking for information, not a solution (yet).
Your goal here: Educate. Spark interest. Start a conversation.
In this campaign, the ads were clearly top-of-funnel. They were informative, approachable, and focused on helping the user understand the problem.
Middle of Funnel (Consideration)
Now they know they have a problem and they’re exploring possible solutions. They’re comparing options, weighing pros and cons, looking for clarity.
Your goal here: Build trust. Prove you understand their problem. Show how your solution fits.
This is the stage we optimised the landing page for. People weren’t ready to commit, but they were ready to learn more.
Bottom of Funnel (Decision)
This is where someone is actively looking to take action. They know what they want; they just need the final nudge.
Your goal here: Remove friction. Make it easy to say yes.
The original landing page jumped straight here, and that’s why people bounced. They weren’t ready for that kind of commitment yet.
Why This Matters
When your content and your call to action don’t match the mindset of your audience, it doesn’t matter how good your ad is—you’ll lose them.
This case study is a perfect example of how a well-targeted, well-performing ad can still fall flat if what comes after the click doesn’t support the next natural step in the funnel.
What You Can Learn (And Apply Right Now)
This case study isn’t just about one campaign; it’s a lesson in how easy it is to waste money on ads that technically perform, but don’t actually convert. Here’s what you can take from it and start using in your own campaigns today:
1. Look at the whole picture, not just the platform stats
It’s easy to get distracted by shiny metrics like reach, impressions, and click-through rates. But they only tell half the story. If you’re not pairing your ad platform analytics with your website data, you’re missing the full narrative.
Tip: Check bounce rate, time on page, and conversion paths. If people are clicking but not sticking, something’s off post-click.
2. Your content has to match where your audience is mentally
People in research mode need info, not pressure. People ready to buy want clarity and ease, not fluff. Misreading this is where so many ad campaigns fall apart.
Ask yourself: “What does someone at this stage actually need to feel confident taking the next step?” Then build content that answers that question.
3. Set meaningful success metrics (not just leads)
Leads are great, but they’re not the only sign of a successful campaign. Especially in awareness or consideration stages, engagement metrics matter.
In this campaign, time on page became our north star. It told us if the content was doing its job, even before the form was filled.
4. Don’t be afraid to shift your campaign objective
Sometimes the goal you thought you needed isn’t the one that serves you best. That’s not failure, it’s strategy.
We shifted from lead gen to engagement, and it made the campaign actually useful. You can always re-engage warm users later, just don’t try to marry them on the first date.
5. Let your content and your analytics talk to each other
This is the golden thread of the whole case study. Your analytics shouldn’t just be a performance report, they should guide your content decisions. If people aren’t responding, find out why. If something’s working, lean into it.
The most expensive thing in your marketing? A campaign that doesn’t listen.
Moving Forward: What’s Next
Fixing the landing page was just the first step. Once we saw engagement improve and confirmed we were attracting the right people with the right message, the next question was:
How do we now turn that interest into action, without starting from scratch?
Here’s what we recommended to the client, and what you can apply to your own campaigns when you're ready to move beyond the basics:
1. Set up remarketing campaigns
Now that we knew people were genuinely engaging with the landing page, we didn’t want to lose them. We built a custom audience of users who visited the page but didn’t fill out the form, and set up a remarketing campaign targeting just those people.
These are warm leads. They’ve already shown interest. You don’t need to reintroduce yourself, you just need to give them the right next step.
2. Match ad content to landing page content
For the remarketing campaign, we made sure the message in the ad aligned with the message on the landing page. No mixed signals.
Consistency builds trust. Mismatch creates drop-off.
3. Reintroduce the demo… strategically
We didn’t just slap a “Book Now” CTA on everything and call it a day. In the remarketing ads, the demo invitation was introduced gently and framed as a helpful next step. By this point, the audience had already engaged with the value content; we weren’t asking too soon anymore.
4. Create an email nurture sequence
Anyone who downloaded the lead magnet was automatically added to an email flow. The emails weren’t just “salesy”; they provided more value, answered common questions, and included soft CTAs like “Want to see this in action?” that led into the demo invite.
Not everyone’s ready to book today. But if you stay useful and visible, you’ll be top-of-mind when they are ready.
5. Use this data to fuel future content
Now that we had insights into what people were engaging with, we could repurpose that into more top- and mid-funnel content. This included blog posts, videos, carousels, and even webinar topics.
Your best content strategy is often buried in your analytics. Dig it up and use it.
Final Word: Don’t Waste the Click
Getting someone to click on an ad is a win, but it’s only the start. What matters is what happens after that click.
This case study is proof that sometimes, it’s not the ad that needs fixing, it’s the journey that comes next.
Build for where your audience is, not where you wish they were.
Let your analytics guide you.
And treat your content like a conversation—not a sales script.
Need Help With Your Ads or Content Strategy?
If reading this made you realise your own campaigns might be out of sync, or you're just tired of guessing what’s going wrong, I can help.
I offer paid advertising management and content strategy services that do exactly what this case study shows: use data to guide decisions, align messaging across platforms, and get your content working with your ads, not against them.
Whether you need a full campaign audit, someone to manage the strategy for you, or content that actually speaks to your audience, let’s chat.
Book a Session or send an email to hello@ziareddy.com to get started.
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