One marketing number your whole company can trust.
Revenue, CAC, LTV and profit in one view, built on click-only, first-party data. One trusted view for every team, every agency and every board meeting.
- 2026 MarTech Breakthrough Award winner
- 4.8 out of 5 on G2
- No black boxes: every calculation shown
The slide uses the store.
How should a CMO measure marketing effectiveness for an ecommerce brand?
Store revenue, new customer cost, customer value and profit.
Platform numbers help the people running campaigns, not the board.
The same first-party numbers from the buyer’s dashboard to the board slide.
Read the full answer
A CMO should measure ecommerce marketing on outcomes the business can verify: total store revenue against total marketing spend (MER), the cost to acquire a new customer, what those customers are worth over time, and the profit left after marketing. Channel-level numbers matter for the team running campaigns, but leadership reporting should rest on first-party store data, not each ad platform’s self-reported results. Marketing attribution for ecommerce CMOs, like AdBeacon, ties every order to the real ad click behind it, so the same verified numbers flow from the media buyer’s dashboard to the board slide.
AdBeacon reports all five on first-party data, from one platform. See the brand overview
What is a good LTV to CAC ratio for ecommerce?
There’s no universal target, because it depends on margins, repeat purchase rate and how quickly you need cash back. Many ecommerce teams use around 3:1 as a common rule of thumb, but a lower ratio can work for high-margin, fast-payback products and a higher one may be needed for low-margin categories. The more useful habit is tracking LTV to CAC by acquisition channel over time, so you can see which channels bring customers worth paying for. AdBeacon reports LTV by acquiring channel and 30-60-90 day cohorts on first-party data.
The number nobody trusts.
The CFO has store revenue. Paid has Meta and Google. The agency has its own deck. Email has Klaviyo. Each number is accurate on its own terms, and none of them agree.
Why that becomes a credibility problem
Every quarter it’s the same conversation. The CFO has store revenue. Your paid team has Meta and Google. Your agency has its own deck. Email has Klaviyo. Each number is accurate on its own terms, and none of them agree.
When marketing can’t show one consistent number, the budget conversation turns into a credibility conversation. It’s not because the team did bad work. It’s because ad platforms grade their own homework, and leadership can tell.
AdBeacon starts from the one number finance already trusts: orders in your store. Every channel, team and agency is measured against it with click-only attribution, and every calculation is visible. Marketing stops defending its numbers and starts using them.
When platform-reported revenue exceeds store revenue, every marketing number gets discounted, including the right ones.
Paid chases ROAS, email chases opens, the agency chases its own report. Nobody is optimizing to the business.
Without LTV by acquiring channel, you can’t tell growth that pays back from growth that just looks good this quarter.
What marketing metrics should I report to the board?
The board doesn’t want channel dashboards. It wants answers to four questions. Pick one to see how AdBeacon helps you answer it.
Is marketing driving profitable growth?
Show MER, revenue and contribution after marketing on first-party data, with returns, discounts and coupon codes accounted for. Profit and loss reporting sits next to marketing performance, so growth and margin are in the same view.
- MER and contribution after marketing
- Profit and loss reporting
- Orders, returns and coupon codes accounted for
Returns, discounts and coupon codes accounted for.
Are we acquiring the right customers?
See new customer CAC, LTV by acquiring channel and 30-60-90 day cohorts, so you can show which channels bring customers worth keeping.
- New vs returning customers by channel
- LTV and 30-60-90 day cohort reporting
- LTV to CAC by acquiring channel
Google Shopping customers: highest 90-day value.
Are we keeping the customers we pay for?
Retention is marketing’s job too. RFM segments show your best, at-risk and lapsed customers, and audiences sync to ad platforms for win-back, so retention and acquisition are measured on the same data.
- RFM analysis and segments
- Returning customer revenue and repeat rate
- Audiences synced to ad platforms
Where should next year’s budget go?
Pair click-only attribution with Google Meridian media mix modeling for a channel-level view of contribution and headroom, so annual plans rest on evidence, not on whichever channel reported the biggest number.
- Google Meridian MMM included
- Channel contribution and headroom
- Goals and pacing by channel
Modeled estimates from Google Meridian MMM, not guarantees.
Stop defending the numbers. Start leading with them.
See your marketing on first-party data in a 30-minute executive demo, or start a 30-day free trial.
Every team, one set of numbers, each in the view they need.
Alignment doesn’t mean everyone looks at the same dashboard. It means every dashboard starts from the same data.
How AdBeacon keeps every team aligned
Alignment doesn’t mean everyone looks at the same dashboard. It means every dashboard starts from the same data. AdBeacon gives each team the view that fits their job, all built on the same first-party store orders and the same click-only rules, with every calculation visible.
Every metric shows how it’s calculated, so nobody has to take a number on faith.
Each channel’s self-reported results stay visible next to first-party results, so teams can see and explain the gap.
One attribution standard, one lookback approach and seven models to view it through, applied to every team and partner.
How do I hold my agency accountable for performance?
Short version: agree on the scoreboard before the work starts, and make it your store’s data.
Read the full answer
Hold an agency accountable by agreeing on the scoreboard before the work starts. Use first-party store data, not platform-reported results, as the source for every report. Agree on outcome metrics such as new customer CAC, first-party ROAS and contribution after marketing, and give the agency access to the same numbers you see. When you and your agency report from the same first-party data, reviews focus on decisions instead of whose numbers are right.
First-party store orders, click-only attribution, same models and lookback for everyone.
Your agency works from your AdBeacon account, so their reports start from the data you see.
Monthly and quarterly reviews on CAC, LTV and contribution, with platform numbers kept as context.
Same agency, same month. One number holds up in the boardroom.
Agencies that do strong work benefit most from first-party measurement, because it proves their results. Many of AdBeacon’s brand results came from brands and agencies working together on the same data.
AdBeacon for agenciesWhy does a first-party data foundation matter for AI?
Short version: AI is only as accurate as the data it reads. Feed it platform numbers and you get confident guesswork, faster.
Read the full answer
AI tools are only as accurate as the data they analyze. If your team’s AI assistants and agents read platform-reported numbers, they inherit the same over-counting and self-crediting, just faster and with more confidence. A first-party data foundation gives AI verified store orders tied to real ad clicks, so its recommendations and reports start from what actually happened. AdBeacon provides that foundation: Luma, its built-in AI, works on click-only, first-party attribution, and the AdBeacon MCP Server and API connect the same data to assistants like Claude.
Plain-language answers, anomaly alerts and recommendations on first-party data.
Hover for details“Summarize Q3 marketing performance for the board in five bullets.”
Teams build agents for recurring analysis and reporting.
Hover for detailsA weekly retention agent, a creative insights agent, a leadership summary agent, all reading the same verified data.
Connect AdBeacon to the AI tools your company already uses.
Hover for detailsUnlike platform-blended data feeds, AdBeacon passes through click-only, first-party attribution.
Results measured where leadership looks: profit, customers and loyalty.
90-day results from AdBeacon brand accounts, chosen for the metrics that show up in a leadership review.
Results from individual brand accounts and averages across AdBeacon clients over 90 days, many managed with an agency partner. Results vary with your campaigns, budget and strategy. AdBeacon provides the data; your team’s decisions drive the results. See all case studies
What leaders and teams say
“MMM and creative dashboards that drive MER growth.”
“AdBeacon consolidates my marketing data, like other similar platforms, but also gives me MMM analysis and creative dashboards which allow our team to analyze and plan for ads that actually move the revenue MER needle.”
“A central hub for effective ad strategy and optimization.” “The whole system has become a central hub for all our marketing data and proper attribution.”
“Accurate reporting, real value and an exceptionally responsive support team.” “It’s become a core part of how we manage client performance.”
How should a marketing leader evaluate attribution software?
Before you choose an attribution platform, ask the same six questions of every vendor. They separate tools that report what platforms say from tools that report what happened.
See the full comparison1What does it measure from?
Store orders as the source of record.
First-party orders from Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce or custom stores.
2Does it count views or clicks?
Clarity on view-through credit.
Click-only.
3Can you see how numbers are calculated?
No black boxes.
Every calculation shown, with platform numbers alongside.
4How does pricing scale?
Pricing that doesn’t penalize growth or ad spend.
Brand plans from $299/mo, and Annual Scaling offers fixed pricing regardless of revenue tracked.
5What’s gated behind higher tiers?
The full feature set from day one.
Every feature on every plan, including Google Meridian MMM.
6Can your AI tools use it?
An API or MCP access to verified data.
MCP Server and API with click-only, first-party data.
Built for marketing leaders at multi-channel ecommerce brands.
The short answer, in one paragraph
AdBeacon is built for marketing leaders at ecommerce brands on Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce or a custom store who run multiple channels, typically spend $10,000 or more per month on ads, and need one trusted view of marketing’s contribution for their teams, agencies and leadership. It isn’t built for lead generation, local service or B2B businesses without online checkout.
Great fit
- Ecommerce brands running multiple channels
- $10k+ a month in ad spend
- Leading paid, retention, creative and agencies
- Reporting to a CEO, founder or board
Not the right fit
- Lead generation
- Local services
- B2B without online checkout
Running ads for clients? See AdBeacon for agencies
AdBeacon for marketing leaders: FAQ
What is marketing attribution for ecommerce CMOs?
It’s attribution that gives marketing leaders one verified view of how marketing drives revenue, customers and profit. AdBeacon uses click-only, first-party data tied to store orders, so leadership reporting and day-to-day optimization run on the same numbers.
What marketing metrics should I report to the board?
Focus on MER, new customer CAC, LTV by acquisition channel, LTV to CAC and payback, and contribution after marketing. Keep platform-reported numbers as context, not headlines.
What is a good LTV to CAC ratio for ecommerce?
It depends on margins and repeat purchase rate. Around 3:1 is a common rule of thumb, but the more useful view is LTV to CAC by acquisition channel over time. AdBeacon reports LTV by acquiring channel and 30-60-90 day cohorts.
How do I hold my agency accountable?
Agree on first-party store data as the scoreboard, share the same AdBeacon view with your agency, and review results on outcome metrics like CAC, LTV and contribution.
How is AdBeacon different from other attribution tools?
AdBeacon combines click-only, first-party attribution with transparent calculations, flat brand plans from $299/mo, and every feature on every plan, including Google Meridian MMM. See the full comparison.
Does AdBeacon include media mix modeling?
Yes. Google Meridian MMM is included for brands, alongside click-based, first-party attribution.
Can our AI tools use AdBeacon data?
Yes. Luma, AdBeacon’s built-in AI, works on first-party data, and the AdBeacon MCP Server and API connect the same data to assistants like Claude.
How long does implementation take?
Most stores connect in as little as 15 minutes. Setup is simple, with hands-on help from our team to make sure every connection is complete and accurate.
How much does AdBeacon cost?
Brand plans start at $299/mo billed monthly with a 30-day free trial, or $239/mo on the 12-month Annual Anchor plan. Annual Scaling offers fixed pricing regardless of revenue tracked. See brand pricing.
Does AdBeacon guarantee results?
No. AdBeacon provides more accurate, verifiable data. Brands on AdBeacon have seen average gains like 12 to 22% higher profitability after 90 days, but results depend on the decisions your team makes with the data.
More for marketing leaders.
What Is Google Meridian MMM?
A plain-language guide to Google’s open-source marketing mix model.
Read the article
Multi-Touch Attribution for Ecommerce: A Plain-English Guide
How multi-touch attribution works, and how to choose the right model for your store.
Read the article
Ecommerce Ad Spend Optimization: A Practical Framework
A step-by-step framework for moving budget to what really drives profit.
Read the articleWalk into the next review with numbers nobody questions. Because they come from your store.
Book a 30-minute executive demo to see your marketing on first-party data, or start a 30-day free trial with every feature included.