For marketers · Ad testing
Ad testing with real people before you spend
Ad pretesting can catch a muddled message before you buy media. Check what people think your advert says. Ad testing on PennyForYours shows two versions to verified UK adults, who choose one and tell you why. We aim for first answers within about 15 minutes in UK daytime; that is an estimate, and replies can be slower for now.
We review requests by hand.
Questions for an ad testing tool
Give both versions the same space in one image. A useful ad testing question makes the choice specific:
- Example: Which DriftCoffee advert makes you curious, ‘A BETTER MORNING BREW’ or ‘FIND YOUR DAILY PAUSE’?
- What do you think this advert is selling?
- Does this claim feel misleading: yes, no or not sure?
That last question is a reader's reaction, not an advertising standards decision. Test only the element you can still change.
What ad pretesting reveals
Illustrative DriftCoffee example: 14 of 20 choose B, ‘FIND YOUR DAILY PAUSE’; six choose A. In the mock responses, people recognise the coffee in B and find its promise more specific. A sensible next step is to try B as the candidate for a live experiment. The 14-to-six preference does not tell you what either advert's click or sales rate will be.
How to test an advert
- Export two still adverts into one side-by-side image. Keep size and placement comparable.
- Ask a neutral pick-one or first-impression question and choose 5 to 50 UK adults. They answer blind, without seeing your business or earlier votes.
- Read the split and each short reason. Where the criticism points to a fix, change one thing and test that version.
See other questions you can put to people before a campaign goes out.
Why ask before buying media?
People can spot an unclear offer before a campaign budget starts moving. They may read an image differently from the team that made it or overlook a product the team thinks is obvious. Each answer comes with a signed receipt listing the checks passed. See what those checks cover.
Honest limit: This measures a stated preference, not a click, conversion or purchase. The pool is mixed UK adults, with no interest or demographic targeting yet. It is also not an ASA ruling or legal clearance of an advertising claim. Use live campaign data and specialist review for those decisions. Video adverts cannot be uploaded today; use a still frame.
What one question costs
Asking is free during early access. The paid-launch example is from 30p an answer plus 50p a question, so 20 quick takes would be about £6.50. You see the actual quote before you post.
Your questions, answered
What is ad pretesting?
It is a check of an advert before you spend on distribution. Show a draft to people outside the campaign team and ask what they notice, understand or prefer. A quick pretest can reveal confusion and give you a candidate for a live test; it does not predict campaign results.
How do I test an ad before running it?
Put two versions side by side in one image and ask which makes people curious. Keep everything except the element under test as similar as possible. Read the reasons behind the split, then decide whether to revise a claim, image or headline before buying media.
Is ad testing with people better than a live A/B test?
It serves an earlier decision. People can tell you which draft they understand and why before you run anything. A live A/B test observes real behaviour under campaign conditions. If you have enough traffic and budget, use the quick reaction to narrow candidates, then judge performance from the live data.
Can I test video adverts?
No. Quick takes currently accept text or one image, not video. You can show a representative still frame and test its message, but motion, sound and pacing are missing. If those make the advert work, you need a service that plays the whole video to participants.
Does an ad pretest check advertising rules?
No. People can say whether a claim feels confusing or misleading to them, but their answers are not an ASA ruling, a legal review or evidence that the advert complies with advertising rules. Check the claim and evidence through the appropriate review process before publishing.
What does an ad testing tool cost here?
Asking is free during early access. At paid launch, a quick take starts from 30p an answer plus 50p a question (launch example), making 20 quick takes about £6.50. You receive a quote before the paid question is posted.
Find out what people really think.
Free during early access. No card needed.
Free during early access. We review requests by hand. Have an invite code? Join