Scale new customers. Keep the ones you have.
Ad platforms blend repeat buyers into acquisition results, so you can’t tell growth from recycled demand. AdBeacon labels every attributed order new or returning using your store’s own data, so you can lower CPA, grow retention and put budget behind what truly drives revenue.
Connect in as little as 15 minutes. Every feature on every plan.
What is first-party attribution?
First-party attribution measures paid media performance using data collected directly from your own store: confirmed orders tied to real ad clicks.
AdBeacon focuses on paid events tied to store actions, not full-site analytics. Because the data comes from your store instead of browser identifiers, it stays stable through privacy changes, and every order can be labeled new or returning.
Platforms blur the line. Ad platforms often count returning customers as new buyers, which inflates acquisition results.
Retargeting takes credit for intent. Retargeting reaches shoppers who were already going to buy, then claims the sale.
Channels overlap. When several channels touch the same customer, it’s hard to see which one brought in each customer type.
Products sell differently. What new customers buy first is often different from what brings past customers back.
Retention drivers stay hidden. Without separation, teams can’t see what actually brings past customers back.
Two audiences. Two strategies. One source of truth.
AdBeacon separates new from returning customers in every report, so you can track performance by audience type, not just by campaign.
Optimize new customer acquisition with real data.
- See which campaigns bring in net-new buyers, not recycled demand.
- Measure true new customer acquisition cost (nCAC) from confirmed store orders.
- Stop retargeting from claiming shoppers who were already going to buy.
- Keep prospecting budgets focused on incremental growth.
See what really brings customers back.
- See which channels bring past customers back.
- Understand how retention efforts contribute to total revenue.
- Find where repeat purchases are being miscredited to acquisition.
- Build a retention advertising strategy on confirmed store data.
Customize how conversions get credit.
Use real click data and flexible settings to build attribution that matches how your customers actually shop.
First click
Gives 100% of the credit to the first ad click in the customer journey.
First-party vs platform and third-party attribution.
When it comes to optimization, data is not created equal.
Brands scaling smarter with first-party data.
Results from individual client accounts and averages across AdBeacon clients. Your results depend on your campaigns and strategy. See all case studies
More on acquisition, retention and measurement.
Guides from the AdBeacon blog on new customer costs, first-party attribution and incrementality.
New Customer Acquisition Cost Is Up 222% in Eight Years
What’s driving acquisition costs up, and why tracking new customer CAC can’t wait.
Read the article
View-Through Conversions Are Inflating Your Meta ROAS
Why first-party attribution is a today problem for ecommerce brands, not a roadmap item.
Read the article
Incrementality Testing vs. Attribution: What’s the Difference
How incrementality testing and attribution work together, and when to use each.
Read the articleNew and returning customers: FAQ
What is first-party attribution?
First-party attribution measures paid media performance using data collected directly from your own store, such as confirmed orders tied to real ad clicks. AdBeacon focuses on paid events tied to store actions. It does not track full-site analytics.
Why separate new and returning customers?
New and returning customers convert for different reasons and cost different amounts to reach. Separating them shows what each campaign really does, so you can fund acquisition and retention on their own terms instead of mixing them together.
Do ad platforms count returning customers as new?
Often, yes. Many platform reports blend returning purchases into acquisition results, which makes prospecting look stronger than it is and hides what is actually driving repeat sales.
What is new customer acquisition cost (nCAC)?
nCAC is what you spend on ads to acquire one genuinely new customer. Because it excludes repeat buyers, it shows the true cost of growth more clearly than blended CAC.
How does AdBeacon tell new and returning customers apart?
AdBeacon uses your store’s order history, so every attributed order is labeled new or returning based on whether that customer has bought before. All reports can be split by audience type.
Which attribution models does AdBeacon offer?
AdBeacon offers First click, Last click, Linear, Paid linear, Linear (excluding direct), Full Impact and Lighthouse, plus settings for conversion windows, source rules and campaign filters.
How long are AdBeacon’s attribution windows?
AdBeacon offers lookback windows of up to 180 days, so you can match attribution timing to your real sales cycle.
Is first-party attribution affected by privacy changes?
Much less than third-party tracking. Because the data comes from your store rather than browser identifiers, it stays stable as cookies and identifiers disappear.
Can I evaluate prospecting, retargeting and retention separately?
Yes. Campaign filters let you segment attribution by campaign type, so you can judge prospecting, retargeting and retention on their own results.
How much does AdBeacon cost?
Brands start at $299/mo and agencies at $750/mo, with every feature included on every plan. Both can start with a 30-day free trial.
See how else AdBeacon helps you grow.
Know who’s new. Know who’s back. Scale both.
Start a 30-day free trial, connect your store in minutes, and see exactly which campaigns bring in new customers and which bring them back.