Proven e-commerce business ideas, backed by real ad data

Why ads prove an idea

An online store is the most common first business, because anyone can open one in an afternoon. The hard part is finding an offer people want badly enough to act on from a brand they have never heard of, and that is where most new stores stall.

A simple way to find what works is to follow the money. Meta ads cost money every day they run, so a brand that keeps one ad live for most of a year is telling you that ad pays for itself. These four e-commerce brands do exactly that.

1. Whiteboards that stick to any wall

Greenstory sells reusable sticky whiteboards that go up on walls, doors and desks at home, in offices and in classrooms. It advertises in more than 25 European countries.

Its longest-running ad has been live for close to a year and a half and is still running. Three versions of the same video have each run for more than a year, all with one headline about its Trustpilot reviews.

GreenstorySustainable whiteboard products for planning and organization

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2. Straps for one popular watch

Wristbuddys sells premium rubber watch straps, with a range built for one popular watch, the MoonSwatch. It advertises across most of Europe.

Its longest-running ad has been live for close to a year. It is a playful list of five reasons to hate the strap, and every one of them is really a compliment.

WristbuddysPremium rubber watch straps for luxury timepieces

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4. Bold home textiles with a design identity

Tarta Gelatina sells colourful bath mats, towels and placemats, designed in Barcelona. It has run more than 400 ads across Europe.

Its three longest ads ran for close to ten months, and all of them are images, not video. Each shows one product in strong colour and lists the same three points: where it is designed, what it is made of and that it ships worldwide.

Tarta GelatinaReversible towels and home textiles

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4. Buying people's old things by post

Vintage Cash Cow buys used and vintage items from people across the UK. Sellers fill a box with their old things, post it for free and get an offer, or have everything sent back.

Its longest ads have been live for more than a year and are still running. They are short videos and step-by-step image ads that explain the whole process in four steps.

Vintage Cash CowOnline marketplace for selling used and vintage items

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What their ads have in common

Three moves come up again and again in these brands' longest-running ads.

They lead with proof. Greenstory puts its reviews in the headline, not the product: “1,600+ Reviews on Trustpilot”.

They make the ad fun to read. Wristbuddys turns praise into a joke the reader wants to finish: “5 reasons why I hate our Moonswatch straps”.

They make it sound easy. Vintage Cash Cow sums up the whole service in one line: “Box it, send it, sell it.”