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Process walkthrough · eCommerce

eCommerce: from the first click to the second, third and tenth order

The first order rarely covers the cost of the ad. Profit comes from the customer who returns, so the process is built from LTV towards the budget, not the other way round.

The pain points this process addresses

  • Ad costs rise while the margin shrinks.
  • Many visitors, few orders and abandoned baskets.
  • Customers who buy once and never return.
  • Returns and the same questions at customer support.

From cold traffic to LTV, stage by stage

1. Cold traffic

People who don't know you see you for the first time.

Strategy

The right product in front of the right person, with a message that stops the scroll.

Tools

  • Meta Ads
  • TikTok Ads
  • Google Shopping and Performance Max
  • Pinterest
  • Creator collaborations, labelled as such

Execution

  1. Test 3-5 creatives on the same audience, not 20 audiences with the same creative.
  2. Keep the product feed clean: correct titles, prices, stock and images.

Metrics tracked

  • CPMThe cost of 1,000 impressions.
  • CTRThe share of people who clicked after seeing the ad or the search result.
  • CPCThe cost of one click.

2. Interest

They come back, read, watch and compare.

Strategy

The product page answers questions before they are asked.

Tools

  • Product pages with genuine reviews
  • Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar
  • Dynamic retargeting

Execution

  1. Watch session recordings on pages with lots of traffic and few sales.
  2. Put sizes, delivery, returns and reviews next to the buy button.

Metrics tracked

  • Engagement rateSessions in which people read, scrolled or interacted, out of all sessions.
  • New visitorsPeople reaching the site for the first time, by source.

3. Lead

They leave a signal: an enquiry, a booking, a sign-up or a basket.

Strategy

Keep the basket or the email address before the person leaves.

Tools

  • Sign-up with a clear benefit
  • Klaviyo or Brevo
  • Abandoned basket emails, with consent

Execution

  1. A 3-email abandoned basket flow, the first on the same day.
  2. Sign-up with a guide or a welcome discount, with GDPR consent.

Metrics tracked

  • Cart abandonment rateBaskets left unfinished, out of those started.
  • Conversion rateThe share of visits that become an enquiry, a booking or an order.
  • CPLThe cost of one lead: an enquiry, a booking or a subscriber.

4. Qualification and offer

You check the fit and make the proposal.

Strategy

The buying decision needs a clear price, clear delivery and trust.

Tools

  • Simplified checkout
  • Local payment methods (card, cash on delivery)
  • Verified reviews

Execution

  1. Checkout in as few steps as possible, with the delivery cost shown early.
  2. Show reviews with their source and say how you verify them.

Metrics tracked

  • Cart abandonment rateBaskets left unfinished, out of those started.
  • Conversion rateThe share of visits that become an enquiry, a booking or an order.

5. Customer

The first order or the first contract.

Strategy

The first order is the start of the relationship, not the end.

Tools

  • Shopify or WooCommerce
  • Google Analytics 4 with ecommerce events
  • Confirmation emails

Execution

  1. Calculate CAC per channel, not just the ROAS reported by the ad platform.
  2. The confirmation email says what happens next and how to reach support.

Metrics tracked

  • CACCustomer acquisition cost: everything spent on marketing and sales, divided by new customers.
  • Average valueThe average value of an order, a bill or a contract.
  • Conversion rateThe share of visits that become an enquiry, a booking or an order.

6. Delivery and activation

The customer reaches the first good result quickly.

Strategy

Fast delivery and an unboxing worth talking about.

Tools

  • Courier integration with tracking
  • Delivery SMS or email
  • Short post-delivery survey

Execution

  1. Send parcel tracking automatically.
  2. Seven days after delivery, ask for a review, without incentives.

Metrics tracked

  • NPSHow likely a customer is to recommend you, on a scale from 0 to 10.
  • New reviews and average ratingHow many genuine reviews appear each month and how the rating moves.

7. Retention and expansion

They come back, renew and buy more.

Strategy

The second order is the one that makes the profit.

Tools

  • Post-purchase flows
  • RFM segmentation
  • Loyalty programme
  • SMS with consent

Execution

  1. A flow with the complementary product 14-30 days after the order.
  2. Replenishment reminders for consumable products.

Metrics tracked

  • Repeat purchase rateCustomers who buy again or renew within a given period.
  • ChurnCustomers lost in a period, out of those at its start.
  • Average valueThe average value of an order, a bill or a contract.

8. LTV and referrals

Value over the whole relationship and new customers brought by existing ones.

Strategy

The acquisition budget is set from LTV, not from the first order.

Tools

  • Cohorts in Google Analytics 4 or in the platform
  • Referral programme
  • Customer content, with consent

Execution

  1. A monthly cohort analysis: how much each month's customers buy over 6 and 12 months.
  2. The CAC ceiling per channel is calculated from LTV and margin.

Metrics tracked

  • LTVThe margin a customer brings over the whole relationship.
  • LTV : CACHow much a customer brings compared with what it costs to win them.
  • CAC paybackThe months in which the customer's margin covers the acquisition cost.

Copywriting on the industry's pain points

The same message written in five different frameworks. We use each at the right stage and test them against each other.

AIDA

Cold traffic ads and landing pages. · Cold traffic

Attention
Did you find the right size first time?
Interest
Our size chart is based on real measurements, not on labels.
Desire
Order today, receive it quickly, and returning is simple if it doesn't fit.
Action
Choose your size.

PAS

Ads and emails, when the pain is clear and recognised. · Interest

Problem
The product looks good in the photo and disappoints at home.
Agitation
You lose time on the return, and the money comes back slowly.
Solution
Real photos, exact measurements and customer reviews with pictures, before you order.

FAB

Product pages, technical sheets and offers. · Qualification and offer

Feature
[Material name] fabric with double stitching.
Advantage
It survives repeated washing without losing its shape.
Benefit
You wear it often and don't buy another one every season.

BAB

Case studies, retargeting and nurturing emails. · Lead

Before
Ordering from photos and frequent returns.
After
Buying with confidence about size and material.
Bridge
A real size chart, a product video and verified reviews.

4U

Headlines, email subject lines and the first lines of ads. · Cold traffic

“The right size first time: a chart based on real measurements and simple returns”

  • Useful
  • Urgent
  • Unique
  • Ultra-specific

Proposed A/B test

Hypothesis
Delivery and returns information next to the button lowers basket abandonment.
Variant A (control)
“The “Add to basket” button with nothing under it”
Variant B
“The “Add to basket” button with “Delivery in [N] days · Simple returns” under it”
Primary metric
Cart abandonment rate

Language and visuals adapted to the industry

Lexical field

  • delivery
  • returns
  • size
  • in stock
  • review
  • warranty
  • order
  • basket
  • secure payment
  • parcel

Words to avoid

  • the best product
  • revolutionary
  • premium quality (without proof)
  • one-off offer (without a real deadline)

Word family

to buy

  • buyer
  • buying
  • bought
  • rebuy

Language structure

Short, concrete sentences about using the product. Answers on delivery, size and returns before they are requested. A friendly, direct tone.

Visual structure

The product in use, close-up details, a size chart, customer reviews with photos (with consent), delivery and returns badges next to the button.

Calculator: from budget to LTV

Change the values and see how CAC, LTV and the payback period move.

Monthly results

Visits
6,000
Leads
480
New customers
144
CAC
€21
LTV (margin)
€126
LTV : CAC
6 : 1
CAC payback (months)
4

The calculator values are an example calculation for the chosen industry, not a client's results. Enter your own figures.

Visits = budget ÷ CPC · Customers = visits × conversion 1 × conversion 2 · CAC = budget ÷ customers · LTV = value × purchases per year × margin × years · Payback = CAC ÷ monthly margin per customer

The metrics, in plain words

CPM
The cost of 1,000 impressions.cost ÷ impressions × 1,000
CTR
The share of people who clicked after seeing the ad or the search result.clicks ÷ impressions
CPC
The cost of one click.cost ÷ clicks
Engagement rate
Sessions in which people read, scrolled or interacted, out of all sessions.engaged sessions ÷ sessions
New visitors
People reaching the site for the first time, by source.from Google Analytics 4
Cart abandonment rate
Baskets left unfinished, out of those started.abandoned ÷ started
Conversion rate
The share of visits that become an enquiry, a booking or an order.conversions ÷ visits
CPL
The cost of one lead: an enquiry, a booking or a subscriber.cost ÷ leads
CAC
Customer acquisition cost: everything spent on marketing and sales, divided by new customers.total cost ÷ new customers
Average value
The average value of an order, a bill or a contract.revenue ÷ orders
NPS
How likely a customer is to recommend you, on a scale from 0 to 10.% promoters minus % detractors
New reviews and average rating
How many genuine reviews appear each month and how the rating moves.per platform, monthly
Repeat purchase rate
Customers who buy again or renew within a given period.repeat customers ÷ customers
Churn
Customers lost in a period, out of those at its start.lost ÷ customers at the start
LTV
The margin a customer brings over the whole relationship.value × purchases per year × margin × years
LTV : CAC
How much a customer brings compared with what it costs to win them.LTV ÷ CAC
CAC payback
The months in which the customer's margin covers the acquisition cost.CAC ÷ monthly margin per customer

Further reading

Other industries