The Metrics Every Business Owner Needs to Track for Growth

When I first started my business, I was honestly just excited to have actual clients. Like, real people paying me for my services?! That felt like winning.

But here’s the truth: I had zero clue what my numbers were saying. I didn’t know my profit margins; I couldn’t tell you how much it cost me to acquire a customer, and if you’d asked about “conversion rates,” I probably would have said, “What are we converting them into?”

I was hustling hard, but I wasn’t building smartly. And I definitely wasn’t scaling.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re running your business on vibes and sticky notes, don’t worry, you’re not alone. But friend, it’s time to turn the lights on and get cozy with your metrics because they are the map to your growth.

The Importance of Business Metrics for GrowthBusiness metrics for Growth (Yes, Even If You Hate Math)

Here’s the deal: data is power.

Tracking your metrics isn’t about being a numbers whiz. It’s about making decisions that help you grow without the guesswork. Think of metrics as your business BFF: they’re honest, clear, and they keep you grounded (even when your inbox is chaotic).

Before we dive in: take 5 minutes to jot down your top 3 short-term and long-term goals. Do you want to hit $10K months? Build a waitlist for your services? Grow your email list by 500? Knowing where you're headed helps you track what matters.

The Top 8 Metrics Every Business Owner Should Track

Here’s your cheat code to building a sustainable, scalable business without spreadsheets that make your eyes bleed. Let’s keep it simple, human, and helpful.

1. Conversion Rate

What It Is: The percentage of people who take a desired action, like buying, signing up, or booking a call.

Why It Matters: Because traffic without action is just... noise. This shows you if your offers are actually converting curious visitors into paying customers.

How To Track It: (Conversions ÷ Total Visitors) × 100.

2. Return on Investment (ROI)

What It Is: How much money you’re making back for every dollar you spend on your business.

Why It Matters: You’re not just here to be busy; you’re here to be profitable. ROI shows if your efforts are worth it.

How To Track It: (Gain − Cost) ÷ Cost × 100.

3. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

What It Is: The average amount you spend to get one customer.

Why It Matters: If you’re spending more to land a customer than they pay you... We’ve got a problem.

How To Track It: Marketing & sales spend ÷ Number of new customers.

4. Website Traffic

What It Is: The number of visitors coming to your site and what pages they’re viewing.

Why It Matters: It’s your digital storefront, and knowing where people go (or drop off) helps you optimize.

How to Track It: Google Analytics (free and gold).

5. Social Media Engagement

What It Is: Likes, comments, saves, shares, anything that shows people are interacting with your content.

Why It Matters: Engagement is a trust builder. It helps you spot what’s resonating and what needs a glow-up.

How to Track It: Use built-in insights on Instagram, Facebook, etc., and track weekly or monthly averages.

6. Email Open Rates

What It Is: The percentage of subscribers who open your emails.

Why It Matters: Because if they’re not opening, they’re not buying. Open rates reflect how connected your audience is to your brand.

How to Track It: Your email platform (like Flodesk) does this for you.

7. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

What It Is: The total amount a customer spends with you for your relationship.

Why It Matters: A high CLTV means your customer experience is on point, and it justifies spending more to acquire quality customers.

How To Track It: Average purchase value × frequency × retention time.

8. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

What It Is: The income you bring in every month from subscriptions, memberships, or retainers.

Why It Matters: This is your steady base, the kind of money that helps you plan, breathe, and scale with confidence.

How To Track It:

 Add up your recurring payments each month.

Tools I Swear By for Tracking (Without Wanting to Cry)

• Google Sheets – Free, flexible, and easy to customize.

• Notion – Track goals, metrics, and even content calendars in one place.

• Flodesk – Gorgeous email analytics and automations.

• Square (Paid Version) – This is what I use in my own business. It handles everything from sales to reports, and makes it super easy to keep track of what’s coming in, what’s going out, and how things are going without me needing to be an accountant.

• Trello – Perfect for planning your “Money Mondays” or monthly reviews.

Mistakes I’ve Made (So You Don’t Have To)

• Ignoring the numbers for too long. I thought tracking was for “later” once I was more successful. Spoiler: You need it now to get there.

• Trying to Track Everything (or Nothing) at Once. I’ve made the mistake of either not tracking anything or trying to track everything at once. Keep it simple with 1-2 key metrics and build from there.

• Avoiding tools. I used to avoid using any tools because I thought they weren’t needed or were too expensive, but the key is to start simple and use what works for you without overcomplicating things.

You don’t have to be a math genius to run a successful business; you just need to understand your numbers. Focus on business metrics for growth.

Start with one metric. Build the habit. Then add another. Your future self, the one with steady income and chill confidence, will thank you.

You’ve got this.

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