eCommerce · Summary
You sell products online
What you need to know is which channels and products make money. Clicks on their own won't tell you that.
This guide sets up the platforms that drive and measure sales, in the order to do them, and shows what a healthy ROAS looks like before you scale spend.
Who are you reaching?
Past buyers, visitors and add-to-carts
Reach them with
Meta lookalikesYour own data, the strongest audience you have.
People already searching for what you sell
Reach them with
Google Shopping and SearchGoogle finds the intent for you.
Age and interests that match
Reach them with
Meta interest audiencesThe broadest, once the first two are proven.
Your target audience
Shoppers who look like your buyers
Demographics and interests. You reach people by age, interests and lookalike audiences built from past purchasers, plus anyone already searching for what you sell.
The strongest audiences come from your own data: past buyers, site visitors and add-to-carts. Google finds the intent; Meta finds the lookalikes.
Trail runner, women’s
$149
Free shipping, arrives Thursday
Free returns, 30 days
★ 4.8 from 212 reviews
Buy nowWhat matters to them
Price, shipping, returns, and an easy checkout
Before a shopper buys, they weigh price, shipping cost and speed, returns, and reviews, then judge how painful checkout looks, especially on mobile.
Make the path to buy obvious and reassuring and more paid visits become orders. A checkout that looks like hard work loses visits you have already paid for.
Recommended platforms
Where to show up, in order
ShopifyYour store and order truth.
Merchant CenterYour product feed for Shopping.Google AdsSearch and Shopping demand.Meta AdsProspecting and retargeting.
InstagramShoppable discovery.
TikTokYounger-buyer discovery.Your Shopify store and Merchant Center feed are the foundation: that is where orders and product data live. Google Ads captures existing demand; Meta and Instagram build new demand and bring shoppers back. Add TikTok as a discovery channel once the core is profitable.
Measuring success
Revenue and ROAS, not clicks
The scoreboard is revenue and return on ad spend: does each channel clear what you spent to earn it? A cheap click that never converts is not a win.
Watch revenue, ROAS against your break-even, conversion rate and average order value. Together they show what to scale and what to switch off.
Get this as a plan for your store
Answer three questions and the Clearly Digital Plan hands you your platforms, budget and first campaign.
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