20 checks for better acquisition decisions
Find where acquisition costs climb, budget loses efficiency, and first orders stop growing. Run the checks with your own data.
Before you compare
Use the same currency, customer definition, and date basis. Compare periods with equal time for orders and refunds to arrive. Keep unknown and unmatched records visible.
New customers
Separate first purchases from existing demand.
- #1Cost per new customer rises while purchase CPA stays flatSplit matched campaign orders into first and repeat purchases before comparing costs.
- #2Brand search grows while non-brand first orders fallSeparate searches containing your brand from other searches, then compare verified first orders.
- #3Retargeting spend rises while total first orders stay flatCompare retargeting spend with total first orders and the size of the eligible audience.
- #4Paid search growth offsets falling organic first ordersCompare paid and organic first orders using the same order and source definitions.
Spend efficiency
Check cost changes and the return on added spend.
- #5New-customer cost rises as ads cost more or response fallsBreak the cost into its measured parts before changing ads, bids, or landing pages.
- #6Higher spend produces fewer new customers per dollarCompare mature results by spend level within the same channel and demand conditions.
- #7More budget goes to weaker acquisition segmentsRank segments by mature acquisition economics and check why the stronger segment can't deliver more.
- #8Cost per new customer rises in your largest paid channelCompare channel concentration with the same channel’s cost and contribution trend.
Traffic and delivery
Find where delivery and demand no longer match.
- #9More search spend goes to terms that produce fewer first ordersGroup visible search terms by intent and compare purchase outcomes and spend share.
- #10More spend reaches the same people without adding first ordersCompare reach, frequency, and first orders over the same reporting window.
- #11More budget goes to regions and devices with worse acquisition costsCompare geography and device together before judging the account average.
- #12Budget stays high after demand and acquisition efficiency fallCompare the spend calendar with independent demand measures and mature first orders.
Customer value
Compare products, offers, and customer value.
- #13Promotions add first orders while full-price acquisition declinesSeparate promotion and non-promotion results, including contribution after discounts.
- #14Returning customers use offers reserved for new customersJoin offer redemptions to purchase history as it stood before each redemption.
- #15Higher-spend cohorts generate less contribution per customerCompare customer groups at the same time since first purchase, using contribution rather than revenue alone.
- #16Acquisition cost rises outside your leading productCompare first-order product mix with product-level acquisition cost and contribution.
Campaign decisions
Check goals, cost coverage, and decision timing.
- #17Purchase campaigns bid for actions that aren't purchasesInspect the campaign’s active bidding goal, not just the account’s list of conversion events.
- #18Acquisition cost exceeds observed customer contributionCalculate contribution after variable costs, then compare it with acquisition cost at the same cohort age.
- #19Spend is split across campaigns with too few purchases to judgeCompare spend by campaign with the amount and precision of mature purchase evidence.
- #20Campaign budgets are cut before purchase results have maturedCompare the result visible when the budget changed with a later read of the same period.
Next step
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