Running an online shop without tracking the right numbers is like driving without a dashboard. These seven metrics show what is working and what needs fixing.
1. Conversion rate
The percentage of visitors who place an order. A low rate often points to slow pages, unclear prices, limited payment options or a complicated checkout.
2. Average order value (AOV)
Total revenue divided by number of orders. Increase it with bundles, related-product suggestions and free delivery above a minimum spend.
3. Cart abandonment rate
How many shoppers add items to the cart but do not finish. Common causes include surprise delivery fees, required account creation and missing payment methods such as EcoCash or card. Reminder emails or WhatsApp messages can recover some sales.
4. Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
How much you spend in marketing to gain one new customer. Compare it by channel, such as Facebook ads, Google Ads and SEO, to see where your money works hardest.
5. Customer lifetime value (CLV)
How much a customer spends with you over time. If CLV is much higher than CAC, you can afford to invest more in acquiring customers.
6. Repeat purchase rate
The share of customers who buy again. Good service, reliable delivery and follow-up messages all improve it, and repeat customers are far cheaper to win than new ones.
7. Traffic sources
Where your visitors and buyers come from: Google, social media, WhatsApp, email or direct. It shows which channels to grow.
Also worth watching
- Page speed on mobile.
- Top-selling and least-viewed products.
- Returns and complaints.
Set up tracking properly
Use Google Analytics e-commerce tracking and your shop’s reports, and review them monthly.
Need help with this in Zimbabwe?
Web Entangled has been helping Zimbabwean businesses grow online since 2002. Explore our e-commerce website development, or request a free quotation and we will get back to you with a clear, itemised proposal.