Client spent $2000/month on ads with tiny results. We removed ads, made 5 changes to site — sales × 3.4.
**Client:** Sports nutrition online store
**Problem:** Spending $2000/month on Google Ads & Facebook, but few sales
Owner Maksym calls:
"We spend tons on ads. Traffic is there, but people don't buy. Maybe increase ads?"
We looked. Ad spend: $2000/month. Revenue: $8000/month. ROI: 400%. Seems okay?
But. Net profit after cost and ads: ~$1200/month. That's little.
I ask: "What if we remove ads, fix site, and sell organically?"
"Without ads no one will come!"
We proposed experiment: 1 month without ads. If doesn't work — we'll return them.
**What Was Wrong With Site**
**Problem #1: Loading Speed**
Homepage loaded 8 seconds. On mobile — 12 seconds.
Why? Protein can photos at 4-5 MB. Designer made it beautiful, but didn't optimize.
Google says: each second delay = -7% conversion.
12 seconds delay = -84% conversion. Meaning only 16% people wait for loading.
**What we did:**
- Compressed all photos (4MB → 100-200KB)
- Added lazy loading (images load only when visible)
- Connected CDN (fast content delivery)
- Minimized CSS/JS
Result: 1.9 seconds loading (was 8).
**Problem #2: Unclear Catalog**
150 products without structure. All proteins in one pile. Want to find "protein for muscle gain" — scroll 10 minutes.
**What we did:**
Created clear structure:
- Proteins (whey, casein, plant)
- For weight loss
- For muscle gain
- Vitamins
- Energy drinks
Filters: brand, price, flavor, weight.
Customer finds what they need in 30 seconds.
**Problem #3: Poor Product Descriptions**
Protein description:
"High-quality whey protein. 24g protein per serving. Flavor: chocolate."
That's it. No value. Why should I buy THIS protein, not another?
**What we did:**
Rewrote descriptions. Added:
- Who it's for ("Perfect after workout for muscle recovery")
- How to take ("1-2 servings per day. Mix with 250ml water/milk")
- Composition (detailed)
- Customer reviews
- FAQ ("Can pregnant women?" "Is there lactose?")
Description from 3 lines grew to 200-300 words of useful info.
**Problem #4: No Trust**
New site. No reviews. No social proof.
Customer thinks: "What if it's a scam? Paying by card is scary."
**What we did:**
- Added 30+ real reviews (asked customers)
- Photo reviews (customers photographed product)
- Brand logos ("Official distributor of Optimum Nutrition, MyProtein")
- Return guarantee ("Don't like it — we'll refund")
- Real contacts (phone, Instagram, office address)
Trust grew. People stopped being afraid to pay.
**Problem #5: No Onboarding for Beginners**
50% customers — beginners. They don't understand sports nutrition. See catalog with 150 incomprehensible cans — and leave.
**What we did:**
Added "For Beginners" page:
- What is protein and why you need it
- How to choose protein (for weight loss / for mass)
- How to take
- FAQ
- Recommended sets for beginners
Now beginner enters → reads 5 minutes → understands what they need → buys.
**Results After 1 Month (Without Ads!)**
**Was (with $2000/month ads):**
- Visitors: 4000/month (from ads)
- Conversion: 2%
- Sales: 80
- Revenue: $8000
- Net profit: ~$1200
**Became (without ads):**
- Visitors: 1200/month (organic: Google, social media)
- Conversion: 8.5% (!)
- Sales: 102
- Revenue: $10,200
- Net profit: ~$4500 (no ad spend!)
**+$2200 revenue and +$3300 profit**
Less traffic, but more sales. Why? Because conversion × 4.25.
**After 3 Months:**
Site started ranking in Google for organic queries:
- "buy protein kyiv"
- "sports nutrition ukraine"
- "protein for weight loss"
Organic traffic: 3500/month (without ads).
Conversion: 8%.
Sales: 280.
Revenue: $28,000.
**× 3.5 from starting level. Without ads.**
**Why Ads Didn't Work**
Maksym spent $2000/month on ads, but:
- Site loaded 8 seconds → 80% left without waiting
- Poor product descriptions → customers didn't understand what to buy
- No trust → afraid to pay
It's like taking customers by taxi to store with closed doors. Customers arrive, but can't enter.
First need to fix site. Then advertise.
**When Ads Are Needed**
We're not saying "ads are bad". Ads work, IF:
- Site is fast
- Conversion is high (5%+)
- Trust exists (reviews, guarantees)
- Clear product descriptions
Maksym now launched ads again. But already on optimized site with 8% conversion.
Result: $1500 ads → $18,000 revenue. ROI: 1200%.
**Conclusion**
Most online store owners think: "Few sales → need more ads".
But if conversion is low — more ads = more wasted money.
First fix site. Then advertise.
Maksym spent $2000/month on ads with ROI 400%. Now spends $1500 with ROI 1200%. Three times more efficient.
Want the same? Write — we'll conduct free site audit, show what to fix.
