What is Conversion & ROI Reporting?

Client ROI Reporting helps marketing agencies showcase the impact of their work.

"How do I sell ROI analytics reporting to my clients?" I'm Greg, the founder of SaturnOne. I am always shocked by this question. Why? As a business owner, I care about ROI, especially in my marketing budget. Client ROI Reporting helps marketing agencies showcase the impact of their work. This is especially needed for non-e-commerce marketing, where the transactions are delayed and harder to quantify. However, conversions and ROI can still be shown, and they are arguably more important.

Free Guide: How to Sell Conversion & ROI Reporting to Clients

Defining Conversion & ROI Reporting

Basics of Conversion

At the heart of marketing effectiveness lies the concept of conversion—a term that signifies when a target action is completed by a user, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a white paper. Conversion tracking is the process of identifying which marketing efforts have led to these desired actions. It is fundamental for agencies to grasp the nuances of conversion, as it serves as a primary indicator of campaign success and audience engagement. By meticulously measuring conversions, agencies can better understand their audience, tailor their strategies, and optimize their marketing funnels.

What is ROI?

The ROI (Return on Investment) shows the ratio of how much your investments pay off. How profitable (or unprofitable) your marketing is.

Revenue can be gross or net, depending on your goals. Just be consistent.

Expenses should include all costs. This would include ads, people, and overhead. 


Here is how we show it at SaturnOne. Below is the data to support these numbers. But it campaigns, channels, landing pages, SEO, Local marketing, organic, or paid.

What Is NOT ROI?

Below are great metrics, but they are not ROI. ROAS is close but does not include all costs.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV):

CAC: This metric calculates the cost incurred to acquire a new customer. It involves summing up all the costs associated with marketing and sales efforts aimed at acquiring customers. Businesses want to ensure that the cost of acquiring a customer is justified by the revenue generated from that customer.

CLV: Customer Lifetime Value measures the total value a customer is expected to bring to the business over their entire relationship. It helps businesses understand the long-term impact of their marketing efforts and customer retention strategies.

Note: Plugging these into the ROI formula will work

Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS):

ROAS is a metric that assesses the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. It helps businesses measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and allocate budgets to the most profitable channels.

ROI vs. KPIs

ROI

The ONE Thing Clients Care About

ROI is a more business-owner-friendly metric. It simply tells you how your investment performed.

The ROI metric compares across channels and campaigns.

KPI

100+ KPIs & Complex Dashboards

There are many KPIs, and they are not all created equal. Even for the same event.

A lead conversion from LinkedIn might be worth 4x one from Facebook.

KPIs are metrics you can use to improve ROI but are not a replacement for ROI.

Understanding ROI Reporting

ROI reporting is the quantitative analysis that helps determine the profitability of marketing efforts. It involves calculating the return generated from campaigns relative to their cost. ROI is the cornerstone of financial accountability in marketing, allowing agencies to prove their campaigns' value to clients. With ROI as a key performance indicator, agencies can make informed decisions about budget allocations, shift strategies as needed, and illustrate concrete outcomes to stakeholders. Effective ROI reporting translates complex data into actionable insights, ensuring that both agencies and clients have a clear understanding of where and how their investments are paying off.

Benefits of Client ROI Reporting

1. Demonstrates the Value of Marketing Efforts: Client ROI reporting helps agencies prove the value and impact of their marketing campaigns. It shows clients how their investments are translating into tangible results and justifies the expenses incurred.

2. Helps Identify Successful Strategies and Tactics: By analyzing ROI data, agencies can identify which strategies and tactics are driving the most significant results. This allows them to focus resources on high-performing areas and optimize campaigns for maximum effectiveness.

3. Enables Data-Driven Decision Making: Client ROI reporting provides agencies with actionable insights based on real data. It enables them to make informed decisions about campaign adjustments, budget allocation, and marketing strategies rather than relying on subjective judgments.

4. Enhances Client-Agency Relationship: Client ROI reporting fosters transparency and trust between marketing agencies and clients. It provides clients with clear visibility into campaign performance, ROI metrics, and the value they are receiving from the agency's services.