How Do Pre-Orders Convert Relative To Available Products?

Running a campaign for a product that is currently in pre-order and debating on whether or not to hold off on spending the bulk of the PPC budget until the product fully available. Do you have any experience with how pre-orders convert relative to readily-available products?

 

I don't have data for you but I suggest to run a campaign when the product is available.

Reason is that most people will want the product right away. If you say it will be available in five weeks or whatever time, they'll just go elsewhere where it's available now. You therefore lose the clicks. Even if you retarget them and proclaim that it's now available, I think most people won't care at that time anymore. They will already have made their purchase elsewhere or if not, had long enough to decide they don't need it, don't want it anymore.

There are exceptions of course but few are in this situation. The most obvious is pre-selling of books but you have to be a well-known author. Noone in my opinion will pre-order a book of an unknown author. It works for Stephen King but not for N.E. Schuck. I don't know if other companies pre-sell like this. Does Apple for the next version of the iPhone?

 

Thanks for the reply! Definitely some good points there. The main reason we have it running for pre-order is because it was originally a kickstarter campaign that has been funded and is now in production. I agree that conversion will probably higher once the product is available. Was not sure if anyone had experience with it.