3 Online Advertising Mistakes to Avoid (From 7+ Years of Experience)

Running ads online sounds simple—set a budget, launch a campaign, and wait for the leads to roll in. But after managing online advertising campaigns for over seven years, I can tell you: it's rarely that easy.

At Weber Strategic Solutions, where we help businesses in Gainesville, GA with marketing, advertising, and website design, I’ve seen firsthand how small mistakes can lead to wasted budgets and missed opportunities.

Here are the three most common mistakes I see people make with online ads—and how you can avoid them.

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1. Listening to Every Platform's Recommendations

In 2024, Google’s ad revenue hit $265 billion. That alone should tell you something: Google’s "recommendations" aren't always about your best interest—they're often about getting you to spend more money.

While ad platforms like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft Ads provide "helpful" suggestions, you need to be able to discern between advice that improves your results versus advice that just drains your wallet.

Blindly accepting every recommendation can:

• Inflate your daily ad spend unnecessarily
• Target audiences that aren’t a good fit
• Push campaigns toward less profitable conversions

Pro Tip: Always review recommendations critically. Prioritize adjustments that align with your original goals—whether that's lead generation, website traffic, or e-commerce sales.

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2. Never Testing New Creative

Just because you love an ad’s design doesn’t mean your audience will.

Over the years, I’ve been shocked how small changes—like simply switching a background color—have drastically improved ad performance. What you think "looks good" may not resonate with the people you’re trying to reach.

If you’re not testing variations of:

• Headlines
• Images or videos
• Colors and layouts
• Calls to action (CTAs)

then you're missing opportunities to optimize your results.

Pro Tip: Always run at least two versions (A/B testing) of your ads to see what actually connects with your audience.

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3. Not Continually Optimizing

"Set it and forget it" might work for crockpots—but it's a disaster for online ads.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is when businesses launch ads and never touch them again. But successful campaigns require ongoing optimization. If you're not constantly analyzing and adjusting your campaigns, you're leaving money and customers on the table.

Regular optimization can include:

• Adding new keywords
• Refining negative keywords
• Refreshing creatives
• Testing different audiences
• Launching retargeting campaigns

Pro Tip: Block time each week to review your campaigns, even if it's just 30 minutes. Small tweaks can lead to massive gains over time.

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Want Help Making Your Ads Work Smarter?

If you’re tired of wasting money on ads that don’t deliver, I get it. That’s why at Weber Strategic Solutions, we help businesses in Gainesville, GA and beyond run smarter, better-optimized ad campaigns that actually drive results.

Whether you need help launching your first campaign, improving your current ads, or building a strategy that scales, we’re here to help.

Schedule a free consultation today and let’s build ads that actually grow your business.