Most eCommerce teams drown in dashboards—Meta reports, Google Analytics, Shopify exports, agency spreadsheets—but can't answer the one question that matters: "Which channel is actually profitable?" You're tracking installs, clicks, and cart adds, but none of that tells you if you're spending $100 to acquire a customer worth $50.

The metrics that matter aren't the ones that look good in a slide deck. They're the ones that tell you where to scale spend and where to cut it—CAC, LTV, ROAS by channel, retention rate, and the ratios that connect them. This guide breaks down the eCommerce performance metrics that mobile-first brands use to make profitable decisions, not just drive more traffic.

Why most eCommerce metrics are vanity metrics

Most eCommerce teams track pageviews, social followers, and email open rates. The problem? None of those numbers answer the question you actually care about: "Should I spend more on this channel?"

The difference comes down to vanity metrics versus actionable metrics. Vanity metrics look impressive in a slide deck but don't connect to revenue. Actionable metrics tell you exactly where to spend more and where to cut.

Here's what separates them:

• Vanity metrics: Pageviews, impressions, social followers—numbers that feel good but don't inform budget decisions

• Actionable metrics: CAC by channel, ROAS from specific campaigns, LTV by cohort—numbers that tell you what to do next

If you're running a mobile-first eCommerce app, your users move between web, app, Meta ads, Google campaigns, and influencer links. When your data lives in five different dashboards, you're guessing at attribution instead of measuring it.

Key metrics for eCommerce vs KPIs that actually drive growth

A metric is any measurable data point. Total installs is a metric. Cart adds is a metric. Email clicks is a metric.

A KPI—key performance indicator—is a metric tied to a specific business goal. "Cost per install from Meta ads that convert to purchase within 7 days" is a KPI. It tells you whether that channel is worth scaling.

The best eCommerce KPIs answer questions like "Which channel brings customers who actually buy?" and "How much can I afford to spend to acquire one customer?" They ladder up to profitability, not just volume.

Tracking KPIs across Meta, Google, TikTok, and other channels requires unified attribution. Without it, you're reconciling screenshots and spreadsheets instead of making decisions.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC)

CAC is total marketing and sales spend divided by new customers acquired. If you spent $10,000 last month and acquired 200 customers, your CAC is $50.

This is the foundation of unit economics. If you don't know what a customer costs, you can't know if you're profitable.

How to calculate CAC across all marketing channels

Take your total ad spend, add creative costs, agency fees, and platform fees, then divide by the number of new customers. The formula is straightforward. The challenge is attribution.

If a user clicks a Meta ad, then installs your app via Google, who gets credit? If you're relying on each platform's self-reported numbers, you're double-counting conversions and inflating performance. Mobile measurement partners (MMPs) unify this data so CAC is accurate, not guessed.

They stitch together click, install, and purchase events across every channel. You get one source of truth for what a customer actually costs.

Benchmarks for profitable customer acquisition

CAC varies by vertical. Fintech apps typically spend more per customer than gaming apps. D2C brands fall somewhere in between.

The key isn't hitting a specific number. It's comparing CAC to customer lifetime value (LTV). Mobile apps often have lower CAC than web-only eCommerce because of better targeting, faster checkout, and higher conversion rates.

Customer lifetime value (CLV)

CLV is the total revenue a customer generates over their relationship with your brand. It's the counterweight to CAC—you can afford high acquisition costs if LTV is higher.

Calculating CLV for your business model

The formula is: average order value × purchase frequency × customer lifespan. If your average customer spends $50 per order, buys twice a year, and stays with you for three years, their CLV is $300.

Mobile apps can track this more precisely than web-only stores because you see in-app purchases, subscriptions, and repeat behavior in one place. Accurate CLV requires tracking installs, events, and revenue in a single platform—not stitching together Google Analytics, app store data, and payment processor reports.

5 ways to increase customer lifetime value

Here's what moves the needle:

• Personalized push notifications based on browsing or purchase history

• Loyalty programs that reward repeat purchases with points or exclusive access

• Upsell and cross-sell recommendations at checkout or in the home feed

• Simplified onboarding that reduces time to first purchase

• Retention campaigns that target users before they churn

Executing on any of this depends on event tracking and deep linking. If you can't see which users are about to churn or send them directly to a relevant in-app screen, you're running retention campaigns blind.

The CAC to LTV ratio that makes or breaks unit economics

The CAC:LTV ratio is the single most important eCommerce performance metric. It tells you whether you're acquiring customers profitably.

A healthy ratio means LTV is multiple times higher than CAC. That gives you room to scale spend without burning cash. If your CAC is $50 and your LTV is $100, you have a 1:2 ratio. That might work if your payback period is short, but it doesn't leave much margin for error.

If LTV is $300, you have a 1:6 ratio. Now you can afford to experiment with new channels and creative.

Mobile-first brands need real-time visibility into this ratio across channels, not monthly spreadsheets that arrive two weeks after the campaign ends. When you can see CAC:LTV by Meta campaign, Google UAC cohort, and influencer link, you know exactly where to scale and where to cut.

Marketing efficiency ratio (MER)

MER is total revenue divided by total marketing spend. If you spent $100,000 on marketing last month and generated $400,000 in revenue, your MER is 4.0.

It's a blended view of all marketing performance, useful for high-level budget decisions.

MER vs ROAS

ROAS—return on ad spend—is revenue from a specific campaign or channel divided by spend on that campaign. MER is revenue from all sources divided by all marketing spend.

ROAS tells you if a single Meta campaign is efficient. MER tells you if your overall marketing is efficient enough to justify more spend. You use ROAS for channel optimization and MER for business-level decisions.

Mobile apps need attribution platforms to calculate accurate ROAS across Meta, Google, TikTok, and organic installs. Otherwise, you're relying on platform-reported numbers that don't account for multi-touch journeys.

Using MER to scale profitably

If your MER is strong but one channel's ROAS is weak, you know where to reallocate budget. For example, if your overall MER is 4.5 but Meta's ROAS is 2.0 while Google's is 6.0, you might shift spend from Meta to Google.

Unified dashboards make this visible in real time. You're not waiting for end-of-month reports to spot problems.

Conversion rate optimization metrics

Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors or users who complete a desired action—install, purchase, subscription. Improving conversion rate lowers CAC and improves unit economics because you're getting more customers from the same traffic.

Measuring conversion rate by channel

Conversion rates vary by traffic source. Meta ads might drive high click-to-install rates but low install-to-purchase rates. Google UAC brings fewer installs but higher purchase intent.

Here's what to track:

• Click-to-install rate

• Install-to-signup rate

• Signup-to-purchase rate

Deep linking improves conversion by sending users to the right in-app screen—not a generic homepage. If a user clicks an ad for running shoes, they land on the running shoes category, not your app's home feed.

Mobile app vs website conversion benchmarks

Mobile apps typically convert better than mobile web because of faster load times, personalized experiences, and fewer distractions. You don't have users bouncing because a page took too long to load or getting distracted by browser tabs.

Tracking app conversion requires SDKs and attribution platforms that capture in-app events, not just installs.

Average order value (AOV)

AOV is total revenue divided by number of orders. If you generate $100,000 in revenue from 2,000 orders, your AOV is $50. Higher AOV means more revenue per customer, which improves LTV and unit economics.

Calculating and tracking AOV

Mobile apps can track AOV by campaign, channel, and user cohort to see which acquisition sources bring high-value customers. For example, users from influencer links might have a $75 AOV while users from display ads have a $40 AOV.

Event tracking and revenue attribution make this visible. Without it, you're looking at blended AOV that hides which channels are worth scaling.

4 proven strategies to increase AOV

Here's what works:

• Product bundles with discounts on multi-item purchases

• Free shipping thresholds that encourage larger carts

• Upsell prompts at checkout for complementary items

• Subscription options that convert one-time buyers to recurring revenue

You need in-app analytics to measure which tactics work. If you launch a free shipping threshold and AOV doesn't move, you know to test a different approach.

Cart abandonment rate

Cart abandonment rate is the percentage of users who add items to cart but don't complete purchase. Reducing abandonment directly increases revenue without increasing CAC—you're converting traffic you already paid for.

Why carts get abandoned

Common reasons include unexpected shipping costs at checkout, complicated checkout processes with too many steps, lack of preferred payment options, and user distraction or indecision.

Mobile apps have lower abandonment than mobile web because of saved payment info, faster checkout, and fewer opportunities for distraction.

Reducing abandonment with better attribution

Attribution helps you understand which channels and campaigns bring users who abandon versus complete purchase. If Meta ads drive high cart adds but low purchase completion, you might adjust targeting or creative to attract higher-intent users.

Deep links and deferred deep links can re-engage abandoners by sending them directly back to their cart with a discount code or reminder.

Customer retention rate

Retention rate is the percentage of customers who make a repeat purchase within a given period. Retention is cheaper than acquisition and directly improves LTV—a customer who buys twice is worth more than a customer who buys once.

Measuring retention for repeat purchase

The formula is: (customers at end of period - new customers) ÷ customers at start of period. Mobile apps can track retention by cohort—for example, users acquired in January—to see which channels bring loyal customers.

If Meta users have a 40% retention rate and Google users have a 60% retention rate, you know where to prioritize spend. Uninstall tracking and re-engagement campaigns require attribution platforms that monitor user behavior over time, not just first purchase.

Retention strategies that move the needle

Here's what works:

• Push notifications that remind users of new products, restocks, or personalized offers

• Email and SMS campaigns that re-engage lapsed customers

• Loyalty rewards that incentivize repeat purchases with points or exclusive perks

• Personalized recommendations based on past behavior

Event tracking and user-level data make this possible. Without it, you're sending generic messages that don't resonate.

Revenue per visitor (RPV)

RPV is total revenue divided by total visitors or users. It combines conversion rate and AOV into one metric, making it useful for comparing channel performance.

If Meta drives 10,000 visitors and generates $50,000 in revenue, your RPV is $5.

Using RPV to compare channel performance

RPV tells you which channels bring the most valuable traffic. A channel with high traffic but low RPV may not be worth scaling.

Here's what to compare:

• Meta ads RPV

• Google UAC RPV

• Influencer link RPV

• Organic RPV

Unified attribution makes this comparison possible. Without it, you're guessing at which traffic sources drive revenue.

RPV for mobile apps vs web

Mobile apps typically have higher RPV than mobile web because of better user experience, personalization, and retention. Tracking RPV requires attribution platforms that capture installs, events, and revenue in one place.

eCommerce performance metrics for sustainable growth

Tracking the right metrics—CAC, LTV, MER, conversion rate, retention—lets you make profitable decisions instead of guessing. Mobile-first eCommerce brands need unified attribution across Meta, Google, TikTok, and other channels to see the full picture.

Spreadsheets and siloed dashboards don't scale when you're running dozens of campaigns and need to know which ones are working today, not two weeks from now.

Track what matters and scale with confidence

Linkrunner unifies attribution, deep linking, and analytics so you can see CAC, LTV, ROAS, and retention by channel in one dashboard. No more reconciling screenshots and spreadsheets. Our platform auto-surfaces underperforming campaigns and suggests where to reallocate budget, so you move from manual reporting to always-on intelligence.

Request a demo to see how Linkrunner helps mobile-first eCommerce brands track what matters and scale profitably.

FAQs about eCommerce business metrics

What are the most important eCommerce metrics for mobile apps?

CAC, LTV, CAC:LTV ratio, retention rate, and ROAS by channel are the core metrics for mobile-first eCommerce apps. Each one ties directly to profitability and helps you decide where to spend and where to cut.

How do iOS privacy changes impact eCommerce metric tracking?

iOS privacy changes—ATT and SKAN—limit user-level tracking, making attribution harder. Mobile measurement partners decode SKAN data and use probabilistic modeling to maintain visibility into campaign performance and ROAS.

What is a good CAC to LTV ratio for eCommerce?

A healthy CAC:LTV ratio means LTV is multiple times higher than CAC, giving you room to scale profitably. The exact ratio depends on your business model, margins, and payback period.

How often should I review my eCommerce performance metrics?

Review CAC, ROAS, and conversion rate daily or weekly to catch issues early. Review LTV, retention, and MER monthly or quarterly to assess long-term trends and make strategic budget decisions.

Which metrics predict long-term eCommerce success?

LTV, retention rate, and CAC:LTV ratio are the best predictors of sustainable growth. High retention and strong unit economics mean you can scale acquisition without burning cash.