Before You Run Ads: 5 Critical Checks Every Business Must Do

“Most businesses don’t have a marketing problem. They have a readiness problem.”

In 2025, with digital ad spending projected to exceed $876 billion globally (Statista), it’s easy to assume that throwing more money at ads will solve revenue woes. But here’s a hard truth: ads amplify what already works—they don’t fix broken strategies.

At Wisoft Solutions, we’ve audited countless ad campaigns that wasted thousands. Why? Because the foundation wasn’t set. Before we invest a single dirham, rupee, or dollar in ads, we run every campaign through our 5-Point Ad Readiness Checklist.

Let’s walk you through it—and why skipping any step could cost you big.

 

1. Is Your Offer Strong Enough to Interrupt and Convert?

Your offer is your campaign’s heartbeat. If it doesn’t stop the scroll or spark interest in under 3 seconds, you’ve lost the battle.

What makes an offer “strong”?

• It solves a specific, urgent problem
   
• It’s easy to understand in one sentence
   
• It creates FOMO (fear of missing out) or urgency
   
• It differentiates you clearly from competitors

Example: A SaaS platform offering “14-Day Free Trial + Done-for-You Setup” sounds far more compelling than “Start your trial today.”

Action Step: Test your offer organically via email or social before investing in paid media. If it doesn’t convert there, ads won’t save it.

 

2. Do You Know Exactly Who You're Targeting—and What They Need to Hear?

Vague targeting leads to vague results. Ads must speak to one audience with one clear message.

Questions to answer before targeting:

• Who is your ideal customer? (Age, role, pain points, industry)
   
• What are they trying to fix or achieve?
   
• What do they already believe about your category?
   
• What objections must your message overcome?

Example: A campaign for a fitness coaching app for new moms must speak differently than one for male athletes in their 20s. Your messaging should reflect the mindset, not just the demographics.

Action Step: Build buyer personas and map their journey. Then craft your messaging to match the moment they see your ad.

 

3. Is Your Landing Page Built to Convert, Not Just Inform?

This is where most campaigns fall apart.

Too many businesses direct traffic to homepages or “pretty” pages with zero conversion intent. Your landing page needs to guide, not just “show.”

Must-haves for a high-converting landing page:

• One clear, bold CTA (no 3-button confusion)
   
• Social proof within the first fold (testimonials, logos, trust badges)
   
• Fast load times (especially on mobile)
   
• Zero distractions (no menus, popups, or unrelated links)
   
• Strong, benefit-driven headlines and bullet points

Example: A client offering legal document services increased conversion by 46% simply by removing the top navigation and adding a single “Start Now” button above the fold.

Action Step: Use tools like Hotjar or UserTesting to see how real users interact with your page. Tweak based on friction points.

 

4. Are Your Tracking Systems in Place—From Click to Conversion?

If you can’t measure it, you can’t scale it.

You need full visibility into what’s working and what’s not. That means proper tracking setups before the first ad runs.

What to set up:

• Google Tag Manager (for event tracking)
   
• Meta Pixel or LinkedIn Insight Tag (for retargeting & conversion tracking)
   
• UTM parameters on all links
   
• Funnel tracking via tools like GA4 or Mixpanel
   
• Attribution clarity: Where did that lead come from?

Example: One ecommerce client thought Instagram was underperforming—until accurate UTM tagging revealed it had the highest ROI. Without tracking, they were ready to pause their best channel.

Action Step: Audit your analytics stack. If data is unclear or missing, fix it before funding anything.

 

5. Do You Have a Plan for Retargeting and Nurturing Beyond the First Touch?

Only 3% of your audience is ready to buy today. What about the other 97%?

Running ads without retargeting is like dating someone once and expecting marriage. You need follow-up systems to convert casual interest into action.

 

Retargeting and nurturing essentials:

• Retarget site visitors and engaged users within 7 days
   
• Serve different messages to cold vs warm audiences
   
• Use email automation to nurture non-converters
   
• Customise retargeting by funnel stage (awareness vs consideration)

Example: A DTC skincare brand saw a 2.4X ROAS jump after adding a “Still Thinking About It?” retargeting campaign with testimonials.

Action Step: Map your follow-up journey before launching. If someone clicks today but doesn’t convert, what happens next?

 

Conclusion: Ads Multiply What’s Already Working

Running ads isn’t about budget—it’s about readiness.

If your offer isn’t tested, your funnel isn’t primed, or your systems aren’t set up, you’re not just wasting money. You’re burning opportunity.

At Wisoft Solutions, we help businesses move from “guess and burn” to strategic, scalable, and profitable ad campaigns. Our clients see better ROI not because they spend more, but because we help them spend smarter.

Ready to run smarter campaigns? Let’s talk strategy.

Schedule a call with our performance team

 

FAQs: Running Ads Successfully in 2025

 

Q1: What is ad readiness?

Ad readiness means your offer, audience, tracking, and follow-up systems are optimized so every dollar spent is aligned with ROI goals.

Q2: How do I know if my offer is ad-ready?

If your offer hasn’t generated interest or conversions organically, it’s not ready for paid amplification. Test it via email or social first.

Q3: Why are landing pages critical in ad campaigns?

Landing pages direct your visitors’ attention to one goal—conversion. Without it, you lose clicks, attention, and revenue.

Q4: Is retargeting still relevant in 2025?

Yes. Retargeting is essential, especially with longer sales cycles and increased user touchpoints across platforms.

Q5: How can I track ad performance effectively?

Use platforms like GA4, Meta Business Manager, or LinkedIn Ads Manager combined with UTM tagging and event-based tracking via GTM.