Most small businesses spend on several kinds of marketing without knowing which actually pays. This tracker compares your channels side by side (Google, referrals, Yelp, Angi, Thumbtack, ads, mailers) by what matters most: how much each new customer costs, and what those customers bring in.
Your numbers stay on this device. Nothing is sent to Advanton.
How to use it
- Choose a period, such as the last three months, and gather your numbers.
- For each channel, enter what you spent, the leads it brought (calls, messages and quote requests), how many became customers, and what they paid.
- Compare cost per customer, not cost per lead. A cheap lead that never books is expensive.
- Repeat every quarter, and shift budget toward channels that bring customers profitably.
Get better numbers
- Ask every new customer how they found you, and note it.
- Use a different phone number or offer code on each mailer, sign or ad.
- Count referrals and repeat customers too, even though they cost nothing; they show where your best customers come from.
Frequently asked questions
What’s a good cost per customer?
It depends on what a customer is worth. Compare it with the profit from their first job, and their likely repeat business.
What does the return percentage mean?
Return on spend compares the revenue from a channel’s customers with what you spent: +300% means $4 of revenue for every $1 spent. It uses revenue, not profit, so also consider your margins.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026.
