Landing Page + Ad Synergy: 12x ROAS for an Online Course Creator
An online course creator struggling with $1.80 ROAS built campaign-specific landing pages that transformed performance to 12x ROAS in 60 days.
12x
ROAS Achieved
340%
Conversion Rate Lift
$187K
Course Revenue
The Challenge
Marcus had built a successful YouTube channel teaching digital marketing skills. His $997 course had strong testimonials and a 4.8-star rating. Organic sales trickled in steadily.
But when he tried to scale with paid ads, everything fell apart.
The numbers were brutal:
- $15,000 ad spend over 3 months
- $1.80 ROAS (losing 45 cents on every dollar)
- Landing page conversion rate: 0.8%
- Cost per sale: $554 (on a $997 course)
"I was sending paid traffic to my course sales page," Marcus told us. "The same page that converted my YouTube audience. But these people didn't know me."
He was right. Warm organic traffic and cold paid traffic are fundamentally different audiences. They need different experiences.
Why They Chose Us
Marcus had worked with a Facebook ads agency that blamed his offer. He'd hired a copywriter who rewrote his sales page. Neither moved the needle.
When we explained how Meta & Google Ads combined with Sales Funnels could solve his problem, the approach resonated.
"Your ads are fine. Your course is fine. What's broken is the bridge between them. Cold traffic needs a different path than warm traffic—a funnel designed for their psychology."
We proposed building campaign-specific landing pages that matched ad messaging, built trust progressively, and earned the right to make the offer.
The Solution
We created what we call "Ad-Funnel Pairs"—each ad campaign gets a corresponding funnel optimized for that specific audience.
Funnel Architecture
Funnel 1: Lead Magnet Path (Cold Audiences)
- Ad: Free "Digital Marketing Checklist" offer
- Landing Page: Simple opt-in for the checklist
- Thank You Page: Video introducing Marcus + webinar invite
- Email Sequence: 5 days of value → course pitch on day 6
Funnel 2: Webinar Path (Warm Audiences)
- Ad: Free training on "5 Skills to Land Your First Marketing Client"
- Landing Page: Webinar registration with countdown
- Webinar: 60 minutes of pure value + 15-minute course pitch
- Follow-up Sequence: Replay + testimonials + deadline
Funnel 3: Direct Offer Path (Hot Retargeting)
- Ad: Course testimonial video + limited-time bonus
- Landing Page: Full sales page with social proof heavy
- Urgency Elements: Cohort start date, bonus deadline
- Checkout: Payment plan options prominently displayed
Page Optimization
Each landing page engineered for conversion:
- Message match: Headlines mirrored ad copy exactly
- Trust signals: Reviews, media logos, student count above fold
- Mobile-first: 70% of traffic was mobile
- Speed optimized: Under 2-second load time
- Single CTA: One action per page, no distractions
Ad-Funnel Alignment
Creative Testing Process:
- Test 4 ad variations per funnel
- Winners scaled, losers cut within 72 hours
- Landing page elements tested based on ad performance
- Audience insights fed back to creative development
The Transformation
The results built over 60 days as we optimized.
Funnel Performance Comparison
| Funnel | Spend | Conversions | Revenue | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Magnet → Email | $3,200 | 12 sales | $11,964 | 3.7x |
| Webinar | $5,800 | 34 sales | $33,898 | 5.8x |
| Retargeting Direct | $2,400 | 29 sales | $28,913 | 12.0x |
| Total | $11,400 | 75 sales | $74,775 | 6.6x |
Note: This was month 2. Month 3 reached blended 8.2x ROAS as audiences matured.
The Before/After Comparison
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad Spend | $5,000/mo | $11,400/mo | +128% |
| Course Sales | 9 | 75 | +733% |
| Revenue | $8,973 | $74,775 | +733% |
| ROAS | 1.8x | 6.6x | +267% |
| Conversion Rate | 0.8% | 3.5% | +340% |
Beyond the Numbers
The funnel approach changed Marcus's business model:
- List building: 2,400 new email subscribers monthly (future customers)
- Webinar attendees: 340 live + replay viewers (warm for future offers)
- Brand awareness: Ad reach building recognition for organic growth
- Price confidence: Premium pricing validated by conversion data
The Scaling Phase
With profitable funnels running, we expanded:
- Google Search ads targeting "digital marketing course" keywords
- YouTube ads retargeting his channel viewers
- Affiliate funnel giving partners custom landing pages
- Upsell funnel for an advanced $2,497 course
Six months in, Marcus was doing $47K/month in course revenue with a sustainable 7.2x blended ROAS.
"I was ready to give up on paid ads. Now they're my primary revenue channel. The key was understanding that ads don't sell courses—funnels do. Ads just bring the right people to the right funnel. Once we got that alignment right, everything clicked."
— Marcus Chen, Founder, Academy of Digital Skills
Your Turn
Are your ads sending traffic to pages designed for that specific audience?
If you're running ads to a generic website or sales page, you're likely leaving massive conversion potential on the table. Cold traffic needs warming. Warm traffic needs urgency. Each audience deserves a path built for their psychology.
Ready to build funnels that multiply your ad performance?
We'll audit your current ad-to-landing page experience, identify the disconnects, and show you exactly how purpose-built funnels could transform your ROAS.
Start Your Free Growth Assessment →
See what happens when every ad drives to a page designed specifically to convert that audience.