A general e-commerce offer (home goods, electronics accessories) run into Germany through the Q4 shopping season — 3,400 confirmed orders over 5 weeks, $1.40 average CPA.
The task
By the start, the advertiser had confirmed demand but no controllable volume. The task was to run a general e-commerce offer (home goods, electronics accessories) through the Q4 shopping season in Germany and generate volume in confirmed orders.
We worked the "E-commerce" vertical in the Germany market. Payment model — CPA per confirmed order, main sources — catalog campaigns, retargeting.
How we did it
The plan was built so each step could be rolled back on its own.
- Bet on close-up product shots with visible specs (dimensions, materials, certifications) instead of lifestyle visuals — this pattern held across nearly every category in the catalog.
- Placed trust signals — delivery timelines, return terms, payment method icons — directly in the ad creative, not just on the landing page.
- Built retargeting for users who had previously engaged with the catalog but hadn't purchased.
What went wrong
The first real setback hit during scaling. German consumers are generally more wary of online purchases than in most other European markets — a single touch without trust signals risked not working.
Placed trust signals directly in the ad creative, not just on the landing page — this measurably raised the click-to-purchase rate. Retargeting previously interested users brought in about 40% of all orders.
The result
By the end of the period, the setup hit its planned numbers. Over the five weeks: orders — 3,400, cpa — $1.40.
3,400 confirmed orders over 5 weeks at an average CPA of $1.40; about 40% of orders came from users who had previously engaged with the catalog but hadn't bought on the first pass.
What we took away
- On the German market, precise, verifiable product specs in the creative outperform lifestyle visuals.
- A single touch in e-commerce on this market leaves noticeable revenue on the table — retargeting is mandatory, not optional.
These numbers belong to one specific setup, geo, and buying period. Economics will differ on another offer or in another season — we always recalculate them before launch.