Product images vs. lifestyle images: Which one is better for Google Ads?

A few months ago, we ran an A/B test for one of our partners.

The goal was simple.

We wanted to see how lifestyle images would stack up against standard product images.

To test this, we created 2 different feeds:

Feed A showed the products in use.

Feed B showed the products with a neutral background.

We included both feeds in the same Performance Max campaign, targeting the same countries.

After 90 days, here’s the result:

Impressions:

Lifestyle Images Feed: 5,583,945

Product Images Feed: 1,258,372

Clicks:

Lifestyle Images Feed: 18,899

Product Images Feed: 2,029

Click-Through Rate (CTR):

Lifestyle Images Feed: 0.34%

Product Images Feed: 0.16%

Conversion Value:

Lifestyle Images Feed: $189,645.77

Product Images Feed: $8,970.85

Lifestyle images crushed product images.

It wasn’t even close.

What’s interesting to me is…

Such a small change led to a $180k difference in revenue.

It highlights a key insight every brand should keep reminding themselves of:

Google Ads isn’t a linear returning platform.

Slightly better strategic decisions can unlock outsized results.

The optimizations you make can drive exponentially more sales.

Let it compound over time and the effect is even more dramatic.

At Echelonn, we’re always looking for these opportunities for our partners.

It’s a simple way to increase your profit margins and open up more room for scale.

Sometimes, that optimization is obvious.

Where we know exactly how we can improve your ad copy, bidding strategy, etc

But sometimes, it’s much harder to tell.

As for the brand we just talked about, lifestyle images work for them.

But for another, they might not work just as well.

That’s when you couldn’t “guess” which one will perform better.

Because the only way to know for sure is to test it.

It’ll take extra effort to create a new landing page or re-write the product titles.

But with an exponential platform, it can pay.

Jackson

Founder and CEO of Echelonn.

How we can help:

• Get a free Google ads audit: For brands spending more than $20k/mo. or making over 1 million annually, we’ll identify the key bottlenecks in your account, and turn it into a free 90-day scaling plan. Click here.

• Get a 1-time Google ads buildout: For brands that are new to Google or looking to add another revenue model WITHOUT a retainer. We’ll do a one-time buildout over 30 days for you to profit from day 1. Click here for more info.

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