Product research
What your product really does better, in plain terms.
Creative-led paid social for founder-led brands
Every Ad Built Around Why Your Customers Buy
Most agencies rush to get ads up and hope they sell. We learn why your customers buy first, then we build campaigns around those insights. That's how we turn real customer insights into 25%-50% better ad performance within the first 90 days.
The feeling
Looking forward to this moment all year.
The selling point
Gear that helps you do what you love.
The desire
To be the one who stays when everyone else heads in.
- The feeling
The last light of a long morning on the water.
- The selling point
Waxed backwater gear, built to stay out until the last flight.
- The desire
To be the one who stays when everyone else heads in.
Back Down South Clothing Co · "Stay for the Last Flight"
Real customer insights, built into every ad.
Trusted by founder-led brands
$100M+in total revenue generated
1,400% Revenue Growth in 12 MonthsBogey Bros
The insight
People Buy Based on EmotionsToo Many Ads Only Give Them Logic
Your customers aren’t just buying a product. They’re buying how it makes them feel and who it helps them become. Then they use the facts to justify their purchase. Most ads skip straight to the facts: the features, the specs, the discount. They look fine, but they don't sell.
Better campaigns don't start with more ads. They start with understanding why your customers really buy.
What you've tried
You've Probably Tried Some of This Already
01
Running Ads in House
Nobody knows your brand better. But growth stalls when nobody has time to dig into why customers buy.
02
An Agency That Gets Ads Up Fast
Easy to hire, big promises. The ads go live without the research or the psychology behind them.
03
A Video or Creative Studio
The content looks great. Looking good and selling are not the same thing.
04
A Low-Cost Freelancer
Cheap to start. No system, no strategy, and nobody owning the result.
05
Organic Only
It feels safe. It rarely gives you a predictable way to grow.
Research First. Then We Build the Ads.
We learn why your customers buy, then build every campaign around those insights.
None of these is a bad call, but they all skip the same step: learning why your customers buy before the money goes out.
The standard
Here's What Great Looks Like
- A partner who knows your customer as well as you do.
- Every ad leads with the reason people buy.
- You see breakthrough results within the first 90 days.
How it works
The Conversion Engine Brand DNAPerformance System
Two parts. Real customer insights tell us why people buy. Consumer psychology turns those insights into ads that sell.
Step One · The research
Brand DNA: Real Customer Insights
Customer Sentiment Analysis
The change your customer is buying, not just the feature.
Mass Desires
The few big wants that move your whole market.
Customer Avatars
Who buys, and why each type buys.
Selling Point Hierarchy
Which point leads and which follow.
Step Two · The ads
Consumer Psychology: The Ads
Emotion First, Then Logic
Every ad leads with the feeling, then gives the reasons.
The Right selling Point First
No ad opens on a second-best reason.
Ad Angles and Creator Briefs
Built on the research, so every piece of creative says the right thing.
What it does to your results
Same Brand, With and Without Brand DNA Insights
Two real Back Down South ads. One from their previous agency. One built on why their customers buy.
- Without Brand DNATheir previous agency's ad leads with the product. It looks fine.
- Brand DNA goes inThe research finds why your customers buy: the feeling, the selling point, the desire.
- With Brand DNASame brand. Now the ad leads with why they buy. It performed 60% better.
Back Down South Clothing Co
Ad performanceBaseline60% better
One real example: two Back Down South ads, comparison based on return on ad spend.
The work
Ads Built on Why Customers Buy
Real ads from real brands.
Results
Read More Case StudiesResults Founders Can Feel
Three founders. Three different starting points. One way of working: learn why the customer buys, then build every ad on it.
Back Down South Clothing Co
68% Sales Growth in the First Year
Before: all marketing handled in house.
Within the first 30 days of taking over Meta Ads, we boosted ROAS by 34% and lowered CAC by 23%.
34%ROAS increase in first 30 days
23%CAC reduction in first 30 days
"Conversion Engine has been great to work with over the past 3 years." Michael Simms
Read the case study →
Bogey Bros
From a 5 ROAS to an 8-Figure Growth Engine
Before: a "good enough" 5 ROAS on a small budget.
A 5 ROAS on a small budget can still mean a brand is leaving millions on the table. In 12 months it grew from 6 to 8 figures.
5 ROASwhere they started, on a small budget
6 to 8figures, grown in one year
"Conversion Engine helped us take our sales to another level." Ryan Rizos
Read the case study →
Design Dua
Sustaining a 10+ ROAS for More Than Two Years
Before: a crowded, visually driven category.
We started by immersing ourselves in Design Dua's brand DNA: the product, the story, and the customer.
10+ROAS sustained
2+ Yearsof consistent performance
"ConversionEngine has done a great job helping us grow our sales." Coretta Owusu
Read the case study →The Conversion Engine team is by far the most effective agency I have worked with during my 20+ years in ecommerce.
Who it's for
Built for Founders with a Story Worth Telling
You run a consumer brand that sells online, most likely on Shopify. You're doing $2M a year or more, and you want to get toward eight figures. You know why your product is good. You want ads that say it.
The first step
Start with Your Brand DNA Analysis
Step 1
Speak with a Shopify Growth Expert
Tell us about your brand, your customers and your ads.
Step 2
Get Your First Brand DNA Analysis
We show you where your ads miss why your customers buy, and what to lead with instead.
Step 3
If It's a Fit, We Build Ads Your Customers Can't Ignore
Then every ad is built on it. Give it 90 days to show in your results.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Joe Putnam, Founder
The Founder Who Built the Brand DNA Performance System
Joe grew up in small-town Arkansas and started studying marketing when he was 13, fascinated by brand-name pocket knives. He has been taking apart marketing and branding ever since. He earned a BBA in Marketing at The University of Texas at Austin, taught himself digital marketing, and got his first win growing a nonprofit's free, organic search traffic from 5,000 to more than 150,000 visitors a month. Since then, he has partnered with 100+ businesses and helped brands grow from 6 to 8 figures in as little as 12 months.
The creative
Built around why customers buy.
The strategy
Better ads. Stronger offers. More room to scale.
"The Conversion Engine team has been incredible! Since we operate in a niche market, driving sales has always been challenging, but CE's dedication and strategic approach have made all the difference. We've been working together for nearly a year, and we're spending less and seeing greater returns."
Betty
Boo Beauty Bar
90Days
Better Ad Results Within 90 Days
Better ads start before the first headline is written. We uncover why your customers buy, what holds them back, and why they choose you. That’s your Brand DNA, and it shapes every ad we create. That’s how we turn real customer insights into breakthrough Meta ad campaigns, with ad performance improving 25%-50% on average within the first 90 days.
Questions
Questions Founders Ask
We already know how to sell our product. Why would we need this?
You probably know your product better than anyone. The question is whether your ads know it. Can you name the order of your selling points, or the main desires behind your buyers? The analysis shows you where the gaps are, in one call.
How is this different from a freelancer or a cheaper agency?
They get ads up. We find out why your customers buy first, then build every ad on that. You get a system and a team that owns the result.
Do you make the ads too?
Yes. We build the creative and run it. If we don't shape the creative, we can't shape the outcome.
How soon will we see results?
In our experience, 20 to 25 percent better ad results within 90 days. Good ads come from research, and research takes a little time to pay off.
What happens on the call?
You talk with a Shopify growth expert (usually our founder, Joe) about your brand and your ads. You get a first analysis of your Brand DNA. If there's a fit, we'll walk you through how we'd work together.
Who is this for?
Founders of consumer brands that sell online, usually doing $2M a year or more.
Every Ad Built Around Why YourCustomers Buy
Get a free Brand DNA analysis with an experienced Shopify Growth Expert. Walk away with a clear starting point: which customer motivations to target and which messages to test first.Yours to put to work, whether or not you hire us.