How We Reduced Cost Per Purchase by 40% for an Ecommerce Brand

Client Background

Client: Avry1 Pretty Beauty Oils

Industry: Beauty & Skincare

Business Model: D2C Ecommerce

Market: India

Avry1 Pretty Beauty Oils is an Indian D2C skincare brand selling products crafted with natural beauty oils for sensitive skin. It’s a science-backed, research-driven collaboration of top dermatologists, cosmetic chemists, and skin experts, all proudly associated with leading dermatology societies and associations in India.

The brand had already crossed the “initial traction” phase and was actively running Meta Ads to drive sales. Orders were coming in but profitability was under pressure.

The Situation Before Digi Suggest

When the brand approached us, they were not struggling with sales volume.

They were struggling with efficiency.

Key Problems

• Cost per purchase was increasing month over month
• Ads worked initially, then performance dropped
• Scaling budgets resulted in lower ROAS
• Too much dependence on discounts
• Funnel drop-offs were ignored

In the founder’s words:

“Sales aa rahi hain, par margin nahi bach raha.”

This is a dangerous stage for any ecommerce business.

The Real Problem: Ads Were Carrying All the Load

Most ecommerce brands assume:

“CPA zyada hai toh ads ka problem hai.”

Our audit showed something different.

👉 The ads were not the main issue.

The funnel was leaking money. Specifically:

• Cold traffic was sent directly to sales pages
• Creatives focused on discounts, not value
• Product pages lacked reassurance
• Checkout friction increased drop-offs
• Retargeting was underutilized

This caused:

• Low intent conversion
• Wasted ad spend
• Rising CPAs

Why Simple Bid or Budget Changes Wouldn’t Work

Many agencies would try:

• Lower bids
• Change objectives
• Switch audiences
• Reduce budget

But these are temporary fixes.

Without fixing the funnel:

👉 CPA always climbs back up.

So instead of “fixing ads”, we fixed what ads were sending traffic to.

Digi Suggest’s CPA Reduction Framework

At Digi Suggest, we reduce CPA using a three-layer approach:

• Better intent traffic
• Higher on-site conversion rate
• Stronger retargeting efficiency

This project followed the same framework.

Step 1: Funnel & Drop-Off Analysis

We mapped the entire user journey:
Ad → Landing page → Product page → Cart → Checkout

Key Observations

• High bounce rate from cold ads
• Add-to-cart rate was decent
• Checkout abandonment was high
• Mobile users dropped more than desktop

This indicated:
👉 Interest existed, confidence did not.

Step 2: CRO Fixes That Directly Impact CPA

We implemented high-impact CRO improvements.

Product Page Optimization

• Clear benefits instead of generic claims
• Ingredient & usage clarity
• FAQs addressing buyer doubts
• Reviews and reassurance near CTA

Checkout Optimization

• Reduced form friction
• Clear COD availability
• Transparent pricing
• Trust & security messaging

These changes:

• Increased checkout completion
• Reduced wasted ad clicks

👉 Better conversion = lower CPA.

Step 3: Creative & Messaging Reset

The brand’s ads were:

• Over-focused on discounts
• Selling too early
• Attracting low-intent buyers

We shifted strategy to:

New Creative Approach

• Problem-first storytelling
• Skin concern–based messaging
• Education-led creatives
• UGC-style content

This filtered out:

• Window shoppers
• Discount-only buyers

And attracted: 👉 Higher intent users.

Step 4: Smarter Funnel-Based Ad Structure

We restructured Meta Ads into:

• Cold traffic (education & awareness)
• Warm traffic (proof & benefits)
• Retargeting (reassurance & offers)

Each stage had:

• Different creatives
• Different messaging
• Different expectations

This reduced pressure on cold ads to convert immediately.

Step 5: Budget Reallocation (Not Increase)

Instead of increasing spend, we:

• Cut wasteful campaigns
• Shifted budget to high-performing funnels
• Focused on consistency over scale

👉 CPA dropped without aggressive scaling.

Results: 40% Reduction in Cost Per Purchase

After implementing these changes, the brand achieved:

📉 Key Outcomes

• 40% reduction in cost per purchase
• Improved ROAS across Meta Ads
• More stable performance after 30 days
• Reduced dependency on heavy discounts
• Higher-quality customer acquisition

Most importantly:

👉 Profitability improved without increasing ad spend.

Why This CPA Reduction Was Sustainable

This was not a short-term trick. CPA stayed lower because:

• Funnel conversion improved
• Low-intent traffic was filtered out
• Trust reduced hesitation
• Retargeting became more effective

👉 The overall system improved not just numbers.

Key Learnings for Ecommerce Brands

If your ecommerce brand is facing high CPA, learn this:

1️⃣ High CPA Is Often a Funnel Problem - Not just an ads problem.

2️⃣ Discounts Attract Expensive Customers - They convert, but don’t scale profitably.

3️⃣ CRO Reduces CPA Automatically - Better conversion = cheaper acquisition.

4️⃣ Ads Work Best When They Support the Funnel - Not when they replace it.

Who This Case Study Is For

This strategy is ideal for brands that:

• Are already running ads
• Get sales but low margins
• Want profitable scaling
• Are tired of unstable ROAS

If this sounds familiar then this approach works.

How Digi Suggest Reduces CPA for Ecommerce Brands

At Digi Suggest, we don’t chase vanity metrics. We focus on:

• Funnel efficiency
• Conversion improvement
• Intent-based traffic
• Sustainable performance

This case study reflects how we approach profitable growth.

🚀 Ads Running but Profit Not Growing?

If your ecommerce ads are generating sales but your cost per purchase is too high, the problem is rarely just bidding.

👉 Want similar results for your ecommerce brand? Talk to Digi Suggest.

👉 Get a free CPA & funnel audit and uncover where your money is leaking.

Final Thought

You don’t reduce CPA by:

• Spending less
• Testing randomly
• Chasing hacks

You reduce CPA by:

• Fixing the funnel
• Improving trust
• Aligning ads with user intent

This case study proves one thing clearly: When funnels improve, CPA drops naturally.