Expectation Setting in Facebook Advertising for E-Commerce Businesses

Last week I was served a Facebook ad on mobile for a mega sale by a retailer I adore. The Facebook ad called attention to the sale details and highlighted multiple products along with the savings in a carousel ad unit. A gorgeous coat struck me. I had to have it. I clicked the “shop now” call-to-action button, anticipation growing to see if they had my size in stock. The ad landed me on the entire sale section of the website, sorted in no particular order. I started scrolling to find the object of my lust and just kept scrolling... and scrolling. Only moments later my attention was stripped from my phone to tend to more crucial matters. Other retailers advertised to me shortly after that with other amazing products. The conversion was lost.This phenomenon can be easily avoided, though, with proper expectation setting. Even something as simple as the headline text including “Shop our entire sale selection” would have primed me for a very different user experience.In order to maximize your conversion potential, keep the following in mind:

Take into account the novelty of your product or service. How much education is needed for a conversion to occur? For example, it may be in your best interest to land the user on a page that highlights the most crucial details. Coupling this page with the “Learn More” call-to-action streamlines this interaction.

Scrutinize the landing page. Pay special attention to how it functions on desktop vs. mobile. In the consumer’s mind, there is an implicit expectation that you’ve set out the proper roadmap for their user journey. If the landing page is difficult to navigate, vague, or even too specific, you have given them an opportunity to lose interest.

When building your ads, start from the landing page and work backward. When you have a clear idea of where you are going to land the user, complementary copy and creative are easier to formulate.

With these points in mind for a Facebook ad, you’ll be less likely to lose a potential customer or sale again. And I’ll be more likely to find the coat I’m lusting after more easily. It’s a win-win situation!