Studies show that top-performing eCommerce brands track an average of 5.2 KPIs and metrics.
Running a successful eCommerce business involves managing multiple sales, marketing, and customer service processes, which become harder to track as you scale. That’s why identifying the most important eCommerce KPIs is essential.
With the right analytics software for eCommerce, you can automate tracking, spot growth opportunities, and get real-time insights to refine your strategy.
Here are the most impactful performance metrics to help you reach your business goals.
What is an eCommerce KPI?
An eCommerce KPI is a key performance indicator that directly impacts the profits, management, and performance of an online store. These eCommerce KPIs and metrics help track business growth, sales, and customer support goals, providing valuable insights into overall success.
Selecting the most important eCommerce KPIs should align with your business goals, whether you aim to improve conversion rates, enhance customer experience, or optimize your eCommerce metrics dashboard.
Why are eCommerce KPIs or metrics important?
Measuring the most important eCommerce KPIs provides you with updated and relevant information about revenue, marketing or customer experience, among other things. Unless these eCommerce KPIs are tracked, you’ll need to rely on non-reliable data to make decisions.
Most importantly, they help you understand which strategies work, and which don’t, providing insights to rectify problems. Overall, using key performance indicators will help you achieve your business goals and increase your conversion rate.
Top 39 metrics and KPIs for eCommerce businesses
The most commonly measured eCommerce KPIs for conversion and sales are:
1. Average order value (AOV)
Average order value (AOV) or “average market basket” provides information on how much customers spend per order, on average. The AOV KPI gives a clearer view of your revenue per customer and can help you make decisions, such as the minimum threshold to apply for free shipping.
Average order value = Revenue / Number of orders
2. Conversion rate (CR)
The conversion rate (CR) is a KPI that pinpoints the rate at which people are making a specific action that is perceived by your business as a conversion. Generally, when we talk about online stores, the conversion rate represents purchases.
By measuring your conversion rate, you'll be able to see what percentage of users arriving at the checkout end up making a purchase, or what percentage of the emails you send to your customers are actually opened.
Conversion rate = (Number of visitors / Number of conversions) x 100
3. GMV
GMV is a key eCommerce metric that measures the total sales value of products sold on an eCommerce platform before deductions like discounts or returns. It’s essential for tracking eCommerce business growth and comparing performance against industry benchmarks.
Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) = Total sales price of sold products (before deductions) over a specific period
4. Minimum order quantity (MOQ)
MOQ defines the smallest number of units a customer needs to buy in a single order. This eCommerce KPI benchmark is key for balancing costs and maximizing profits, especially in B2B eCommerce. By keeping an eye on MOQ, you can refine your pricing strategy and ensure your business stays profitable without overstocking
Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) = Minimum units required per order
5. Shopping cart abandonment rate (CAR)
The cart abandonment rate (CAR) is one of the most frequently tracked KPIs in eCommerce. This measures how many visitors add products to the shopping cart but don’t finalize the purchase. This can be due to the fact that there are frictions in the checkout process or some other factors interfering with the sale.
Cart abandonment rate = 1 – (Transactions / Shopping carts) x 100
6. Customer lifetime value (CLV)
The customer lifetime value is an important eCommerce KPI if your online store is focused on customer loyalty and retention. Basically, by tracking this KPI, you’ll know how much every customer is worth to your business —in dollars.
Customer lifetime value = (Profits of customers in a period of time X average period of time buyers are customers) – the acquisition cost
7. Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
The customer acquisition cost is one of the most important KPIs in eCommerce when it comes to measuring many of the resources you are spending on gaining customers.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that while the cost of customer acquisition is important, if your online store is focused on building a solid audience of buyers, you’ll need to focus more resources on customer retention.
Customer acquisition cost = Cost spent on acquiring customers / Nº of new customers
8. Churn rate
The churn rate is an especially important eCommerce KPI if you are an online store that offers products that should be recurrently purchased. By tracking your churn rate, you’ll know at what pace your customers are canceling the subscription to your product or service.
Churn rate = (Lost customers in a time period / Customers in the same time period) x 100
9. Repeat purchase rate (RPR)
The repeat purchase rate —or repurchase rate— is a great eCommerce metric if you sell a variety of products that can be purchased frequently.
The repurchase rate can also be used as an objective representation of the customer post purchase behavior and a way to obtain data for the optimization of your sales and marketing decisions.
Repeat purchase rate = Purchases from repeat customers / Total number of sales
10. Purchase frequency
The purchase frequency, similar to the repurchase rate, measures how many orders a customer makes in a specific time period.
While the repurchase rate is a percentage, tracking the purchase frequency provides an average number of orders during a specific period.
Purchase frequency = Number of orders / Number of one-time customers
11. Time between purchases
If you're tracking purchase frequency, another key eCommerce KPI to monitor is time between purchases. This metric helps you understand how often customers buy again and identify patterns that can improve marketing campaigns.
For example, frequent purchases of consumables like groceries may indicate a monthly cycle, while fashion items might follow a yearly trend. Analyzing this data allows you to tailor promotions and retention strategies based on real buying behavior.
Time between purchases = Purchase frequency / time period
12. Inventory turnover
Inventory turnover is an important KPI and financial ratio that eCommerce businesses need to take into account to maximize their warehouse resources and production levels. Inventory turnover will provide a clear view on your stock levels and sales performance.
One thing to consider before calculating your inventory turnover is that the inventory you include in this formula needs to have its regular retail price. Otherwise, this metric will cloud other eCommerce KPI benchmarks, such as ROAS (return on ad spend) and other marketing-related KPIs.
Inventory turnover = Net sales / Average inventory
13. DSI inventory
DSI inventory measures how many days it takes to sell your current stock, making it a key metric for eCommerce performance metrics and website analytics. A lower DSI means faster inventory turnover, while a higher one may signal excess stock or slow-moving products.
DSI = (Average inventory / Cost of goods sold) × Number of days in period
14. Revenue per visitor
This eCommerce KPI is crucial for growing stores or those adjusting their marketing strategy. Revenue per visitor (RPV) measures the value each visitor brings, not just conversions. It can be tracked monthly, yearly, or for specific events like product launches or campaigns. Unlike conversion rate, which shows the percentage of visitors who buy, RPV reveals the actual revenue generated per visitor.
Revenue per visitor = Net profits / number of visitors
15. Website traffic
Tracking website traffic is crucial to understanding how many potential customers visit your eCommerce platform and assessing the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. This metric is a fundamental part of your eCommerce metrics dashboard and can help refine your digital strategy.
Website traffic = Total number of site visits over a specific period
16. Referral sources
Understanding where your traffic is coming from—organic search, paid ads, social media, email marketing, or affiliates—is key to optimizing your eCommerce KPI benchmarks.
Referral sources = (Traffic from each source / Total traffic) x 100
17. Average session on the website
Another source of valuable information may be the amount of time a visitor spends on your site. For instance, if you see that the average session is just a couple of seconds (a.k.a. high bounce rate), you may realize that you have a problem with the loading speed or that your website has other usability issues.
Average session length = Total duration of sessions / Total number of sessions
18. Pageviews per session
Another relevant eCommerce KPI is the number of pages viewed by a visitor in each session.
This metric will help you understand not only the relevance of your webpages, but also the efficiency of the purchasing process.
For instance, if a customer needs to click many times to get to the product catalog or add products to their shopping cart, this is a possible point to improve to reduce frictions in the checkout process.
Generally speaking, online stores with a higher pageview/session rate will achieve less purchases.
Pageviews/session = Number of page views / Total number of visits
19. Cost per conversion (CPC)
The cost per conversion is one of the most important KPIs in eCommerce when it comes to measuring how many resources you are spending on to gain customers.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that while the cost per conversion is important, if your online store is focused on building a solid audience of buyers, you’ll need to invest more resources on customer retention than in customer acquisition.
Cost per conversion = Cost spent on acquiring customers / Nº of new customers
20. Pay-per-click (PPC)
This is an important eCommerce marketing KPI to consider if you are working with ads under a PPC model, such as Google Ads and ad campaigns on other platforms.
By knowing how much you are paying for each visit, you’ll be able to know how much you are spending in the first stage of the conversion funnel.
Pay per click cost = Total cost of ads / Number of clicked ads
21. Average position
Related to your marketing opportunities through online searches is the average position.
By measuring this KPI, you’ll be able to know how high or low your web pages appear —promoted or not— in the SERP (search engine results page). Ideally, you would want to rank in the highest positions to increase the chances of gaining new customers and boosting your repurchase rate.
Average position = (Sum of rankings for all indexed keywords / Total number of keywords tracked)
22. Bounce rate
As mentioned before, the bounce rate gives a clear view on possible web-related problems such as a slow loading speed, a non-responsive website, or a poor UX (customer experience, such as their ability to navigate your website).
By knowing your bounce rate, you can figure out if there’s an issue on your website that is holding you back from selling.
Bounce rate = Total number of one-page visits / Total number of entries to a website
23. ROAS
ROAS, or “return on ad spend”, reflects the revenue earned for every euro/dollar spent on a campaign. This eCommerce KPI is used to measure the profits obtained from a promoted marketing campaign.
It can be applied to an entire marketing strategy or to a specific marketing action, which is why it is so often chosen to be tracked.
Return on ad spend = (revenue from ads / cost of ads) x 100
24. Email list growth rate
This is another important eCommerce KPI that is relevant for all online stores who carry out email marketing strategies and need this information. Use the power of shipping notifications and the open rate of emails to cross-sell products and share discounts, offers, and other information relevant to your audience.
Email list growth rate = [(New subscribers – Number of unsubscriptions) / Subscribers] x 100
25. Email bounce rate
Now, related to email marketing actions, there are many other eCommerce KPIs to track.For instance, it’s important to measure your email bounce rate to make sure you are sending emails to existing and correct addresses.
Otherwise, you will be losing resources that could be spent somewhere else. Find out which email addresses should be deleted from your database to minimize your email bounce rate.
Email bounce rate = (Number of bounced emails / Number of emails sent) x 100
26. Email open rate
The open rate for emails is one of the highest when it comes to communicating with your customers. To create successful email campaigns, it’s important to create a catchy subject line and to include relevant information in the body.
Email open rate = (Number of opened emails / Number of successfully sent emails) x 100
27. Click-through rate
The click-through rate —or CTR— is a metric that can help you uncover the success behind your titles and meta descriptions, whether it be ads or organic posts.
A low CTR could mean that the keywords you are using aren’t right for your business or sector, or that the copy needs some tweaking.
Click-through rate = Number of clicks / Number of impressions
28. Email CTR
This marketing KPI measures how many email recipients click on links to your website, whether for promotions, upsells, or cross-sells. A low CTR may indicate poorly placed or unappealing links—consider using more visually engaging banners. It also helps assess how email clicks translate into sales.
A/B testing different subject lines and CTAs can improve click-through rates. Regularly analyzing this metric allows you to refine your email marketing strategy for better engagement and conversions.
Email click-through rate = (Number of clicks / Number of opened emails) x 100
29. Email conversion rate
The email conversion rate is the ultimate indicator of a successful email marketing strategy since, at the end of the day, the purpose of these emails is to boost sales.
Calculate your email conversion rate by following this formula:
Email conversion rate = (Number of email conversions / Number of emails sent) x 100
30. Social media engagement
For B2C eCommerce businesses, social media is a powerful channel for customer interaction and brand awareness. Tracking social media engagement helps measure content performance and customer interest. This metric is essential for brands optimizing their eCommerce kpis and metrics.
Social media engagement = [(Likes + Comments + Shares + Saves) / Total number of followers] x 100
31. Texting subscribers
SMS marketing is a growing trend in eCommerce KPI benchmarks. Monitoring the number of texting subscribers helps businesses evaluate the effectiveness of SMS campaigns and direct messaging strategies.
Texting subscribers = Total number of customers subscribed to SMS marketing
32. Product affinity
Product affinity is an often-overlooked eCommerce KPI that helps identify which products are frequently purchased together. Understanding this metric allows businesses to implement better upselling and cross-selling strategies, increasing their average order value (AOV).
Product affinity = (Number of times two products are purchased together / Total number of individual product purchases) x 100
33. Net Promoter Score (NPS)
NPS is one of the most important eCommerce KPIs related to customer satisfaction. It measures how likely customers are to recommend your business, providing insight into overall brand loyalty.
NPS = % of Promoters (9-10 ratings) – % of Detractors (0-6 ratings)
34. Customer service email/call count
Tracking the number of customer service emails, calls, or live chat requests is crucial for evaluating your support team’s workload and identifying potential issues in the customer journey. This customer service KPI is essential for improving eCommerce customer service KPI benchmarks.
Customer service email/call count = Total number of support interactions over a period
35. First response time
Another key factor for good customer service is a first-response time as low as possible. You can measure the average first-response time by adding all the first-response times (in minutes or hours) and dividing it by the number of responses.
Applied to every customer support agent, this KPI can also provide an overview of the efficiency of every employee.
First response time (FRT) = Total time taken for first responses / Total number of responses
36. Average complaint resolution time
Related to the first response time but aimed at a longer process is the average complaint resolution time.Providing answers and solutions that are fast and satisfactory to the customer is an essential practice for the long-term success of an online store that’s focused on its buyers.
To know how long it takes for your customer support team to solve, on average, calculate using the following formula:
Avg. Resolution time = (Number of CS requests – Number of unresolved requests) / Number of requests
37. Return rate (RR)
A high return rate (RR) often indicates issues with product quality, inaccurate product descriptions, or shipping problems. Monitoring this eCommerce KPI helps businesses reduce unnecessary returns and improve customer satisfaction.
Return rate = (Number of returned products / Total number of sold products) x 100
38. Hit rate
The hit rate measures how many sales a product generates compared to the number of inquiries customers make about it. This metric helps businesses evaluate product demand and adjust their eCommerce kpi benchmarks accordingly.
Hit rate = (Number of product sales / Number of customer inquiries about the product) x 100
39. Reviews
Customer reviews are a key eCommerce KPI metric as they impact SEO rankings, customer trust, and conversion rates. Positive reviews enhance credibility, drive more sales, and improve eCommerce KPI benchmarks. However, managing online reviews can be challenging, especially when negative feedback affects brand reputation.
Reviews = Total number of reviews received over a specific period
Want to make sure your products always get great reviews? Product review software like Outvio filters feedback so only happy customers leave ratings, keeping your brand reputation strong and sales growing.
How to use KPIs for your eCommerce: 5 practical examples
1. Adjust pricing based on customer spending habits
If your AOV is low, customers may not see enough value in purchasing more. Introduce bundles or product recommendations at checkout to increase cart size.
Set a free shipping threshold slightly above the current AOV to nudge higher spending. If your CLV is low, focus on subscription models, loyalty programs, and post-purchase engagement like follow-up emails with personalized product suggestions.
2. Improve checkout flow to reduce cart abandonment
A high shopping cart abandonment rate (CAR) often means friction in the checkout process. Eliminate unnecessary steps, offer guest checkout, and ensure payment options are diverse (PayPal, Apple Pay, BNPL).
If CR is low, analyze session recordings or heatmaps to pinpoint drop-off points. Exit-intent pop-ups with limited-time discounts or cart reminders via email and SMS can recover lost sales.
3. Manage inventory more efficiently
If your DSI inventory is high, products are sitting too long, increasing holding costs. Run targeted promotions, flash sales, or limited-time discounts to move slow stock. If inventory turnover is too fast, consider demand forecasting tools to avoid stockouts. Adjust supplier order frequencies based on sales trends to keep inventory lean but efficient.
4. Optimize marketing campaigns for better returns
If ROAS is low, your ads may be targeting the wrong audience. Refine audience segmentation, test different ad creatives, and shift budget towards high-converting channels.
If CPC is too high, optimize ad quality scores, improve landing page relevance, and experiment with retargeting instead of cold traffic. Track eCommerce analytics to see which campaigns contribute most to eCommerce performance metrics.
5. Improve customer retention with personalized strategies
If your repeat purchase rate (RPR) is low, focus on personalized retention tactics like replenishment reminders, exclusive discounts for returning customers, and post-purchase upsells.
High customer service inquiries may indicate friction—use AI chatbots and self-service portals to handle common issues. Measure customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) to identify pain points and optimize the overall experience.
Overview of the eCommerce metrics dashboard
| KPI | Formula |
|---|---|
| Average Order Value (AOV) | AOV = Revenue / Number of orders |
| Conversion Rate (CR) | CR = (Conversions / Visitors) × 100 |
| Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) | GMV = Total sales price before deductions |
| Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) | MOQ = Minimum units required per order |
| Cart Abandonment Rate (CAR) | CAR = 1 – (Transactions / Shopping carts) × 100 |
| Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) | CLV = (Customer profit × Lifespan) – Acquisition cost |
| Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) | CAC = Cost spent on acquisition / New customers |
| Churn Rate | Churn Rate = (Lost customers / Total customers) × 100 |
| Repeat Purchase Rate (RPR) | RPR = Purchases from repeat customers / Total sales |
| Purchase Frequency | Purchase Frequency = Orders / Unique customers |
| Time Between Purchases | Time Between Purchases = Purchase Frequency / Time period |
| Inventory Turnover | Inventory Turnover = Net sales / Average inventory |
| Days Sales of Inventory (DSI) | DSI = (Average inventory / Cost of goods sold) × Days in period |
| Revenue Per Visitor (RPV) | RPV = Net profits / Number of visitors |
| Website Traffic | Website Traffic = Total site visits in a period |
| Referral Sources | Referral Sources = (Traffic from each source / Total traffic) × 100 |
| Average Session Length | Average Session Length = Total session duration / Number of sessions |
| Pageviews Per Session | Pageviews/Session = Number of page views / Total visits |
| Cost Per Conversion (CPC) | CPC = Cost spent on acquisition / New customers |
| Pay-Per-Click (PPC) | PPC = Total ad spend / Number of clicks |
| Average Position | Average Position = (Sum of rankings for all keywords / Number of keywords) |
| Bounce Rate | Bounce Rate = Total single-page visits / Total site visits |
| Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) | ROAS = (Revenue from ads / Cost of ads) × 100 |
| Email List Growth Rate | Email List Growth = [(New subscribers – Unsubscribes) / Subscribers] × 100 |
| Email Bounce Rate | Email Bounce Rate = (Bounced emails / Emails sent) × 100 |
| Email Open Rate | Email Open Rate = (Opened emails / Sent emails) × 100 |
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | CTR = Clicks / Impressions |
| Email CTR | Email CTR = (Clicks / Opened emails) × 100 |
| Email Conversion Rate | Email Conversion Rate = (Email conversions / Emails sent) × 100 |
| Social Media Engagement | Engagement = [(Likes + Comments + Shares + Saves) / Followers] × 100 |
| Texting Subscribers | Texting Subscribers = Total number of SMS subscribers |
| Product Affinity | Product Affinity = (Times two products are bought together / Individual product sales) × 100 |
| Net Promoter Score (NPS) | NPS = % of Promoters (9-10) – % of Detractors (0-6) |
| Customer Service Email/Call Count | Total support interactions over a period |
| First Response Time (FRT) | FRT = Total time taken for first responses / Total number of responses |
| Average Complaint Resolution Time | Resolution Time = (Total CS requests – Unresolved requests) / Total requests |
| Return Rate (RR) | RR = (Returned products / Total sold products) × 100 |
| Hit Rate | Hit Rate = (Product sales / Customer inquiries about the product) × 100 |
| Reviews | Reviews = Total reviews received over a period |
Conclusions
After revisiting some of the most important eCommerce KPIs and potentially discovering new performance metrics, consistently tracking these sales, marketing, and customer service indicators will help you identify potential weaknesses and growth opportunities within your online business.
Achieving long-term business success requires a data-driven approach, leveraging real-time analytics to gain a complete overview of your company, its processes, and overall performance. By optimizing conversion rates, customer acquisition costs (CAC), and retention metrics, you can make informed decisions that drive profitability, efficiency, and sustainable growth.
