In short
- Likes, followers and views are "vanity numbers". They feel good but say little about sales.
- Track five numbers instead: leads, conversion rate, cost per lead, cost per customer and customer value.
- If one customer is worth more than it costs to win them, you can grow with confidence.
- Check these five numbers once a week. It takes ten minutes and changes your decisions.
The problem with likes
A post with 2,000 likes feels like success. But if none of those people call, book or buy, it did nothing for your business. Likes are cheap to get, and many come from people who will never be customers.
Businesses that grow online look at different numbers. Here are the five that matter most, in plain words.
1. Leads
A lead is a real person who raised their hand: filled in a form, called, sent a message or booked a call. This is the first number that connects marketing to money.
- How to count: every enquiry, from every channel, in one place (a simple CRM or even a spreadsheet).
- Good sign: leads grow month over month, and you know where each one came from.
2. Conversion rate
Out of every 100 people who visit your website, how many become a lead? That percentage is your conversion rate.
- How to calculate: leads ÷ visitors × 100.
- What good looks like: many service websites convert 2% to 5% of visitors. A focused landing page can do much better.
- Why it matters: doubling your conversion rate doubles your leads, without spending a cent more on ads.
3. Cost per lead
How much you spend on marketing to get one lead.
- How to calculate: marketing spend ÷ number of leads.
- Example: $1,000 on ads brought 40 leads. Your cost per lead is $25.
- Tip: compare it per channel. Often one channel brings leads at half the cost of another.
4. Cost per customer
Not every lead buys. Cost per customer tells you what it really costs to win one paying customer.
- How to calculate: marketing spend ÷ number of new customers.
- Example: 40 leads, 8 became customers. $1,000 ÷ 8 = $125 per customer.
- How to lower it: reply to leads faster, follow up better, and improve your offer.
5. Customer value
How much a typical customer spends with you over time, not just on the first order.
- How to calculate: average order value × how many times a customer buys.
- Example: a customer spends $200 per visit and comes back 4 times. Their value is $800.
The one comparison that matters: if a customer is worth $800 and costs $125 to win, every $1 you spend brings back more than $6. That is when you grow with confidence.
Your 10-minute weekly check
You can also automate this report so it lands in your inbox every Monday.
How to improve each number
- More leads: clear offer, strong call to action on every page, ads built for leads, not likes.
- Better conversion: a faster site, fewer form fields, trust signals like reviews and guarantees.
- Lower cost per lead: stop the channels that do not work, put more into the ones that do.
- Lower cost per customer: reply within minutes, follow up for days, not hours.
- Higher customer value: stay in touch, offer the next step, ask for referrals.
Growth with us
We build marketing around these five numbers and report on them every month, in plain words.
Read more about our digital marketing service.
Questions people ask
Are followers worth anything?
They can help, as social proof and as people you can reach. But they only matter if some of them become leads and customers. Track that, not the follower count.
What is a good cost per lead?
It depends on your industry and what a customer is worth. A $100 lead is cheap for a lawyer and expensive for a coffee shop. Compare cost per customer with customer value.
Do I need special software to track these numbers?
No. A simple spreadsheet works to start. Your website analytics and ad platforms give you most of the data. Later, a CRM and an automatic weekly report save time.
How often should I check these numbers?
Once a week for a quick look, and once a month for decisions. Checking every day usually leads to changing things too early.
Last updated . Prices are typical ranges and can change by country and project.
