E-commerce KPIs That Actually Matter (and Ones You Can Ignore)
There are 50+ ecom metrics. You need 12. Here's the real KPI dashboard for running an ecom store, ranked by what actually moves revenue.
Most ecom dashboards have 50+ metrics. Most operators react to noise instead of signal. Here are the 12 metrics you actually need.
TL;DR
The 12 KPIs:
1. Revenue
2. Orders
3. AOV
4. Conversion Rate
5. Sessions
6. CAC
7. ROAS
8. Repeat Purchase Rate
9. LTV (90-day)
10. LTV/CAC ratio
11. Email % of revenue
12. Margin per order
KPI 1: Revenue
Total sales. The North Star.
Track:
KPI 2: Orders
Number of completed orders.
Why: revenue alone hides what's driving it. Could be more orders OR higher AOV.
KPI 3: AOV (Average Order Value)
Total revenue / Total orders.
Levers:
A 10% AOV lift = 10% revenue with no new traffic.
KPI 4: Conversion Rate
Sessions that converted to a paid order.
Benchmarks: see E-commerce Conversion Rate Benchmarks Philippines.
Levers: page speed, reviews, trust signals, mobile UX.
KPI 5: Sessions
Total visitors.
Track:
Sessions × Conversion rate × AOV = Revenue. Each lever lifts revenue independently.
KPI 6: CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
Total paid acquisition spend / new customers acquired.
Calculate:
CAC by channel matters:
KPI 7: ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
Revenue from ads / ad spend.
Watch:
Healthy ROAS depends on margin:
KPI 8: Repeat Purchase Rate
% of customers who've ordered 2+ times.
Why: indicates product fit and brand loyalty.
Healthy: 25–40% within 90 days.
Levers: post-purchase emails, subscription option, loyalty program.
KPI 9: LTV (90-day)
Average revenue per customer in their first 90 days.
Why: short-term version of LTV that's actionable. Real LTV needs 365+ days but takes too long to act on.
See Customer LTV Guide for full calculation.
KPI 10: LTV/CAC ratio
LTV (90-day) / CAC.
The single most important business metric.
If your ratio is below 2.5, work on either side: lower CAC or grow LTV.
KPI 11: Email % of revenue
Klaviyo-attributed revenue / total revenue.
Healthy: 25–35%.
Below 15%: your email program is underperforming.
KPI 12: Margin per order
After COGS, shipping, payment fees, ad spend, fulfillment.
Why: revenue isn't profit. Track real margin per order to know if scaling is profitable.
Calculate:
What to ignore
Page views
Sessions matter; page views are noise.
Bounce rate (alone)
Some single-page conversions are fine. Don't optimize bounce in isolation.
Average session duration
Long sessions don't mean more conversions.
Email open rate (post-Apple MPP)
Apple inflates open rates. Use click rate and revenue per email.
Total subscribers
Vanity. "Engaged 30 days" matters.
Reach / impressions (in isolation)
Reach without conversion is wasted spend.
Vanity revenue (gross, not net)
Gross revenue is great but profit is what pays bills.
Daily, weekly, monthly cadence
Daily (5 min)
Weekly (30 min)
Monthly (1 hour)
Building a dashboard
Tools:
Build once, use weekly.
What I tell new operators
You don't need 50 metrics. You need 12, looked at consistently, and acted upon.
Most operators look at metrics but don't change anything. The action matters more than the data.
Want a custom dashboard?
A clear KPI dashboard is the foundation of running a store. My Shopify Expert service includes reporting setup. Or learn the system in the Shopify Course Philippines.
Related reading:
Written by Vince Servidad
I've spent over $26M on ads and built my own 7-figure brand from scratch. I don't just 'manage ads'—I build the growth systems that actually scale businesses profitably.
Want More Marketing Insights?
Get weekly tips, strategies, and case studies delivered to your inbox.
Need help with E-commerce?
Get hands-on support from a performance marketing consultant based in the Philippines.