Every online seller should check seven numbers each week: visitors, conversion rate, orders, average order value, revenue, repeat buyers and ad cost per sale. Together they tell you whether you need more traffic, a better page, bigger orders or more loyal customers. You don't need to be a numbers person: look at the same few numbers every week, compare with last week, and fix the weakest one.
The seven numbers
1. Visitors
How many people saw your store or product page.
- Low? You need more traffic: post more, run ads, use influencers, grow WhatsApp contacts.
- See how to see who visits your online store.
2. Conversion rate
Orders ÷ visitors × 100. The share of visitors who buy.
- Low? The page isn't convincing: photos, price, trust, checkout. See conversion rate explained.
3. Orders
How many paid orders you got.
- Orders = visitors × conversion rate. To get more orders, improve one or both.
4. Average order value (AOV)
Revenue ÷ orders. How much each buyer spends.
- Low? Add bundles, order bumps and upsells, or a free-delivery minimum. See how to set delivery fees.
5. Revenue
Total sales in cedis. Revenue = orders × AOV.
- Remember revenue isn't profit. See how to calculate profit margin.
6. Repeat buyers
The share of orders from people who've bought before.
- Low? Follow up after sales, send reorder reminders, tell past buyers about new products. See how to get repeat customers.
7. Ad cost per sale
Ad spend ÷ orders from ads.
- Higher than your profit per order? Your ads are losing money. Change the video, the audience or the offer, or pause. See how to test ad creatives.
How they fit together
Revenue = Visitors × Conversion rate × Average order value
If revenue is down, find which of the three dropped. That's where to work.
Example:
| Last week | This week | |
|---|---|---|
| Visitors | 800 | 820 |
| Conversion | 2.5% | 1.5% |
| Orders | 20 | 12 |
| AOV | GH₵ 210 | GH₵ 215 |
| Revenue | GH₵ 4,200 | GH₵ 2,580 |
Traffic and AOV held steady, but conversion dropped. Something changed on the page or checkout: a price change, a sold-out best-seller, slow replies, or a new ad sending the wrong people. Look there first.
Where to find them in Paylead
- Dashboard: revenue today, this week or this month, plus orders, customers, average order and conversion.
- Sales: every order with its payment and delivery status, and carts left without paying.
- Customers: every buyer with their orders and lifetime value, to see repeat buyers.
- Funnels: each funnel's steps and where its buyers came from.
- Your ad accounts: connect your Meta and TikTok pixels so the ad platforms see your sales. See how to track sales from Facebook, Instagram and TikTok ads.
A 15-minute weekly routine
Every Monday:
- Write down the seven numbers for last week.
- Compare with the week before.
- Circle the number that got worse, or the weakest one.
- Pick one action for this week to fix it.
- Check next Monday whether it worked.
A simple notebook or spreadsheet is enough.
Common mistakes
- Only looking at followers and likes. They don't pay bills.
- Only looking at revenue. You can sell more and earn less.
- Changing everything at once. You won't know what worked.
- Ignoring abandoned carts. They're buyers who nearly paid. See how to recover abandoned carts.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I check my numbers?
Weekly for decisions, daily only if you're running ads or a sale.
Which number matters most?
The one that's weakest right now. Usually, small stores should fix conversion before buying more traffic.
Do I need special software?
No. Your Paylead dashboard plus a simple spreadsheet for ad spend and costs is enough for most small businesses.
Read next: customer lifetime value explained, why your online store is not making sales and how to write a business plan for an online store.
