How much does online advertising cost? Budget, service and how to decide
Digital DopeIt is every entrepreneur's first question, but there is only one honest answer: it depends. It depends on what you sell, how much you earn on each sale, and how much you want to grow.
Two different costs
- Advertising budget: the money you spend on platforms (Meta, Google, and others).
- Service cost: the work of those who set up, monitor, and optimize the campaigns, create the creatives, and send you reports.
They are separate items. Be wary of anyone who mixes them into a single, unclear figure.
How to decide on a sensible budget
- Start with the margin: how much can you spend to acquire a customer without losing money?
- Estimate the necessary volume: how many sales or leads do you need to reach your goal?
- Leave room for a testing phase: the first few weeks are for learning, not for producing maximum results.
- Increase when the numbers hold up: the budget grows with the results.
Common mistakes
- Budget too low to provide useful data to the platform.
- Changing everything after a few days.
- Looking at clicks instead of sales.
- Not considering product and shipping costs.
What to expect
No one can guarantee a fixed result: anyone who does should be avoided. A good partner shows you how they think, what objectives they have, what data you will use, and when to decide whether to continue or change course.
Want a budget estimate for your business?
Digital Dope is a Shopify Partner and Meta Business Partner, among the leading Shopify partners in Italy.