More Traffic Isn’t the Answer

We’ve all seen the chart at some point. Traffic is down, conversions are flat, and someone suggests: “Let’s put some more budget behind ads.”

It’s the default move. But is that really the smartest one? In 2024, the average cost-per-click for Google Ads (rose by 10%) across many industries. That means every click is now more expensive — and getting pricier each year. So unless your website is converting better, more ad spend just means less return.

For most ecommerce teams, the real problem isn’t traffic. It’s what happens after the click.

One experience for everyone?

You wouldn’t send the same email to every customer on your list. But most websites still do exactly that, the same homepage, the same layout, the same promotions, no matter who’s visiting. And when people don’t see something relevant? They leave. Even if the perfect product is sitting just one scroll away.

This isn’t a traffic problem. It’s a relevance problem.

What the fast-growing brands are doing

The brands that are growing fastest aren’t pouring all their budget into ads. They’re making sure each visit counts.

• They show new visitors different messages than returning ones.
• They tailor content by country, channel or campaign.
• They make product discovery feel easy, because it’s shaped around what the visitor is likely to care about.

And no, they’re not rebuilding their sites to do this. They’re layering on tools that let them adapt the experience quickly, using the systems they already have.

This doesn’t have to be complicated

Personalisation used to mean long timelines, duplicated content, or yet another platform to manage. We built Contenzi to make it simple.

It connects to your existing data sources and lets you personalise content visually, using your own components and brand design. You don’t need a new CMS. You don’t need to copy your product catalogue. And you don’t need a developer for every change. You just make your site more relevant, fast.

What to ask before spending more on ads

Before raising the budget, ask:

• Are we doing enough with the visitors we already have?
• Do our pages speak differently to someone from Google vs. someone from Instagram?
• Are we helping customers find what they want — or hoping they’ll figure it out?

If the answer is “not yet”, then more traffic probably isn’t the answer. More relevance is.