What to Check Before Spending Money on Google Ads

Ads buy attention quickly. Whether that attention becomes business depends on everything after the click. The real system is: advertising → landing page → conversion → tracking → optimisation. Skip a link and the money leaks.

Before you spend

1. Can you afford a lead? Work out what an enquiry is worth, and what fraction becomes a customer. If a click costs more than the margin allows, no optimisation will rescue it. The ad spend calculator helps.
2. Is the offer clear? One specific thing, for one specific audience.
3. Does the landing page match the ad? Same promise, one clear action.
4. Is the page fast and usable on mobile? Most ad clicks happen on phones.
5. Is tracking verified? Conversions fire, match your inbox and aren't double-counted.
6. Who follows up, and how fast? A lead nobody answers for two days is wasted spend.
7. What will you do with the results? Decide in advance what would make you increase, change or stop.

If any answer is 'not yet', fix that first. That's where analytics & tracking and conversion optimisation earn their keep, and paid advertising is what comes after.