By 2025 e-commerce faced a paradox: more users, but rising CPCs (15–35% yearly in some niches), falling conversion rates, fragmented customer journeys of 5–6 ad clicks, and channel monopolization. Goal: +15–20% orders while keeping CPA growth within +10%.
E-commerce & Retail
E-commerce Retailer — Lowering CAC While Growing 39%
Methodical hypothesis testing in Yandex Direct grew orders 39% year-over-year while cutting acquisition cost 22%.
+39%
Orders
−22%
Cost per order
−14%
CPC
+0.25 p.p.
Conversion rate
The challenge
The approach
A four-stage program: a registered hypothesis registry with three test regions; pilot analysis that identified Search + Product-campaign expansion as the winning combination (+77 orders at −32% CPA); scaling with deep placement analytics that found Product Gallery orders 50% cheaper than average; then a focus on high-performing placements with pay-per-conversion strategy in the new unified performance campaigns.
The results
March 2025 vs March 2024: orders up 39% (11,320 → 15,735), cost per order down 22% (2,371 → 1,848 ₽), CPC down 14%, conversion rate up 0.25 p.p. — growth with improving economics in a stagnating market.
