Show general ads to most visitors who leave, not the exact product
Updated: Oct 11
An ad with the exact product does not always work best.
The study. Researchers from MIT and London Business School ran a field test with a travel company. Visitors who left the site saw either a general brand ad or an ad with the exact hotels that they viewed.
The finding. On average, the general ad brought more people back to buy. The exact-product ad worked better only for people who already knew what they wanted, for example people who had visited a review site.
Why it matters. Many teams think that a personal ad is always better. But at an early stage, people are still deciding what they want. A very exact ad can feel too narrow, or even strange.
The takeaway. Use general brand ads for early visitors. Use exact-product ads only for visitors who show that they are ready to buy.
Want to read more?
Subscribe to plaintalkbusiness.com to keep reading this exclusive post.
