ROAS isn't the whole story (and what to track instead)

ROAS is the metric every founder asks about first — and it's genuinely useful. But on its own, it can paint a flattering picture of a business that's actually stalling.

The retargeting trap

Pour budget into retargeting and your blended ROAS will look fantastic. You're just taking credit for sales that would have happened anyway, while net-new customer growth quietly flatlines.

Pair ROAS with these

We always read ROAS alongside new-customer acquisition cost, contribution margin, and the ratio of prospecting to retargeting spend. Together they answer the real question: is this account growing the business, or just harvesting it?

Use our ROAS calculator to pressure-test your own numbers — then ask what the figure is hiding.