Paid ads definitely work ... when and where they are supposed to. I talked with an IT firm's owner who said he spent $20k on ads that simply offered "IT Services", and clicking the ad took respondents to his home page. (He shouldn't have expected any leads from that approach.) The appeal/offer should be uniquely to the audience who would want to see it, and when they click, your fulfillment of that appeal should be easy and exactly what they expected from clicking your ad. AdWords or FaceBook? Or other? AdWords when your offer is right for people searching for it ("good used car," "plumber now", "local jewelry artist", etc.). If it's an informational and long-sales-cycle search (financial planning), offer information (free consult or a free guide). AdWords clicks should go to a dedicated landing page for that campaign and that particular offer, not to your home page. FaceBook when you are targeting more by profile than search terms (i.e., women, ages 40 to 65, who visit online retail apparel sites); sometimes both if it's a special offer.  Sorry but not a simple answer. It's an extra large pair of "depends" :)