Mistakes happen to everyone. Some order pineapple pizza, some still believe in “the diet starts on Monday”. And right between these life fails lie the Traffic-Buying Mistakes that can hit your quarterly budget much harder. 

Running the campaign for 1–2 days and expecting miracles. 
You launch, wait 24–48 hours and already want “final results”. In an advertising network this is usually just test data. Give the campaign time to collect enough impressions and conversions so you can actually optimize instead of rage-pausing. Popunder traffic needs a bit more time to stabilize, especially when you buy traffic inside a large ad network.

Chasing the absolute minimum bid
Picking the minimum bid means you do not get the first impression on a site. You usually receive the second, third or later placements after higher bidders take premium spots. Some sites will not be available at all because publishers set their own bid floors. If your bid is below that floor, you simply do not enter the auction. Sometimes adding a bit to the bid unlocks both volume and new sites, especially in an ad network where you buy traffic and rely on popunder traffic that never opens at ultra-low bids.

Starting with a strict WL from day one
Trafficshop is careful with the sites we sell, so you will not find unrealistic volumes of popunder traffic (we avoid resell). Assuming that sites that converted for another brand will convert for you is a huge mistake. First explore broadly, then build the WL based on your own data inside the advertising network where you buy traffic.

Ignoring the offered API and extra stats
Refusing to work with our API means cutting yourself off from deep statistics you do not see in the standard UI of any ad network. The API gives detailed logs that help identify discrepancies and understand which segments actually work. It makes optimization easier, especially with large volumes of popunder traffic inside an advertising network.

Using landing pages that do not match the site or audience
Some advertisers believe that weak or confusing landings will magically convert if placed on strong websites. They will not. Bad creatives do not start converting just because the advertising network provides high-quality popunder traffic. The message, style and expectation must align with the user journey.

Not updating your BL / WL for months or years
Blacklists and whitelists get outdated. Sites change, users change, formats change. Lists built two years ago for a different GEO or funnel cannot remain your only “strategy”. In an advertising network that sells popunder traffic, updating these lists is essential if you want to buy traffic efficiently.

Ignoring additional traffic types
If your offer allows it, sticking only to popunder traffic limits scale. Many advertisers succeed by combining multiple sources inside the same ad network. A mix of traffic types often performs better than relying on a single source, no matter how well you buy traffic.

No proper tracking or postback
Buying traffic without proper tracking is like driving with your eyes closed. If you do not send conversions, do not track by subIDs, do not split by GEO/device/OS, you are guessing, not optimizing. This applies to every advertising network and every buyer working with popunder traffic.

Testing everything at once
Ten GEOs, five landing pages and 20 offers in one campaign. Then it becomes impossible to see what actually worked. Test systematically, especially when you buy traffic through an ad network where different segments of popunder traffic behave differently.

Turning off “bad” sources too early
Some sites need more spend to show their real potential. Killing everything after 20–30 clicks may eliminate future top performers. Popunder traffic often needs a bit more data before you decide whether to keep or remove a source.

Not building a real relationship with your account manager
Treating your AM as “just support” is expensive. A good relationship gives you insights, hidden placements, private deals and faster resolutions. In any ad network or advertising network, the AM helps you buy traffic smarter and scale popunder traffic more effectively.

If you found yourself making these mistakes, message us and we’ll figure out how to fix them together!

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