Testing new feed designs is a lot different from testing regular ad creatives.
There are three crucial rules:
RULE 1: Never test with your current catalog
Because catalogs collect audience data over time, your current catalog has a huge advantage over brand-new catalogs. You must create a new control catalog (without design) to get a fair test.
If you add your current catalog to a test, it will always win.
RULE 2: Replace your current catalog once you have found a winning design
Add the winning design as a supplementary feed to your existing catalog. Now you have the best of both worlds: a catalog with years of learning + your winning catalog design.
RULE 3: Don't compare your DPA testing campaigns with running ads
Performance will be lower in testing campaigns because you're advertising with new catalogs. Instead, compare the performance lift over time after replacing your current catalog (rule 2).
Follow these steps to set up your DPA test.
1. Create feed designs
To determine which enhanced feed layout improves performance, we must conduct tests comparing design variations against each other plus a standard control.
We recommend testing three different designs at minimum. Here's an example:
Tips for your first test
👉 Try using diverse designs. Use different angles and layouts (eg. promo vs social proof vs authority)
2. Create and connect your Catalogs
Before setting up your test campaigns, create a new catalog on Meta for each design.
⚠️ Also Create a Control Catalog (without design), to ensure all tested catalogs are at the same level.
First add a new control catalog
You can copy the URL from your Adflow account:
Add the testing catalogs
Setting up 3 testing catalogs is easier than you’d think. Create the catalog, add your design, start the catalog, and then click 'Add catalog to Meta'.
3. Campaign Setup
After creating the catalogs, you can set up your test in Ads Manager. We recommend most brands to test with Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns.
It is the simplest and most efficient way to achieve ROI.
Create an Advantage+ Shopping Campaign in the ads manager.
Then, create an ad for each new Adflow catalog and also add the control catalog.
All settings should be the same in each ad. The easiest way to set this up is to duplicate one ad three times.
Don't add your current catalog to the Advantage+ testing campaign. The algorithm will favor this catalog and eat all the budget.
Run the campaigns for 14-30 days. Make sure you have a sufficient budget (at least 50 conversions).
4. Scaling the winner
Found a winner? Great! Now, take the top-performing feed design and assign it to the dynamic product ads used in your regular campaigns.
Avoid comparing the performance of your testing campaigns to your other campaigns. Use the scaled performance to determine the ROI of using enriched catalogs.
You can take advantage of the years of learning from your original catalog by adding a supplementary feed.
Here's how:
Go to your original catalog and click 'Add Supplementary feed'.
This will override the plain product images with the winning design.
You now have best of both worlds: Years of learning in the original catalog + Your improved design.
Once applied, it will automatically add your new design to all running campaigns. Now keep track of your campaign's performance to see the lift in results.
Didn't find a clear winner?
Try something very different. For example, test an entirely new template and all new variants.
Or just schedule a meeting here and we will help you to create a new test.