17 Key SaaS Marketing Metrics to Track in 2024

Growth is an essential metric for any business – but it's not the only metric worth following. 

Building a thriving SaaS business demands a broader lens of marketing metrics. These metrics ensure holistic development, sustainable growth and provide key data to make effective business decisions that boost your growth and revenue.

Much like how SaaS website design enhances the user experience, metrics enhance your digital footprint. 

At RCCO, we always keep our finger on the pulse of SaaS marketing trends and use it as the compass to guide growth. It helps businesses anticipate shifts in the market and seize opportunities before the competition, ultimately fueling their path to success.

Based on our expert’s insights, let’s explore more about the essential SaaS marketing metrics for the year 2024.

What are SaaS Marketing Metrics?

SaaS marketing metrics measure the effectiveness of marketing strategies for software-as-a-service companies. These metrics play an essential role in fine-tuning marketing strategies and help SaaS businesses in decision-making and improve business performance.

For instance, a SaaS business might track signups to evaluate the success of a recent marketing campaign. If the data indicates that social media marketing attracts more signups than email campaigns, it's worth allocating more resources.

At RCCO, we have a track record of helping established tech giants and exciting start-ups harness the power of SaaS marketing metrics. This is evident in our collaboration with Ad-Lib.io. 

We worked with Ad-Lib.io from day one, which meant we could support them from the beginning with brand strategy and identity. Together, we leveraged important marketing metrics to create a stand-out brand that held a bold position in the market and helped Ad.lib grow to a $100 million valuation.   

The Importance of SaaS Marketing Metrics

SaaS marketing metrics are unique because you're selling a service, not an item. SaaS is subscription-based, and you need customers to sign up and stay, which makes SaaS marketing different from selling physical products.

The merits of leveraging data extend beyond financial gains. You can improve your targeting, enhance customer engagement and get data-driven insights.  

• Better targeting: SaaS marketing metrics serve as essential tools for businesses seeking clarity on the effectiveness of their marketing strategies. Informed decisions, backed by these metrics, become the basis of successful marketing efforts.

• Enhanced customer engagement: SaaS marketing metrics provide valuable insights to help you paint a clear picture of customer behaviour, preferences, and engagement patterns. When businesses prioritise these insights, they position themselves to create strategies that resonate with their target audience. It enhances the marketing efforts that drive significant outcomes.

• Data-driven insights: A data-driven approach is a necessity these days. Making decisions based on robust data leads to a better return on investment (ROI) and accelerated growth. When a company can pinpoint where its marketing resources yield the highest return, it can allocate resources better to eliminate wastage and improve profitability.

Hence, you can use these metrics to drive a business forward. It’ll ensure you achieve sustainability, growth, and a competitive edge in the market.

17 Key SaaS Marketing Metrics You Can’t Afford to Miss

Now, we'll discuss the 17 essential SaaS marketing metrics important for any thriving SaaS business. Missing out on these can mean overlooked opportunities and potential pitfalls.

RCCO recognises the significance of these metrics. Our primary mission is to empower our clients with the knowledge and tools to navigate the challenges. We monitor these vital metrics to help our clients make informed decisions, optimise their marketing strategies, and stay competitive.

1. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

CAC, or Customer Acquisition Cost, represents the total cost to attract and convert a new customer. It's a crucial metric that correlates with a company's profitability and growth potential. 

Through CAC, you can check how much you spend to acquire each customer. It allows you to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of your marketing and sales efforts. 

A high CAC might suggest that you overspend or need to adjust your strategies. A low CAC suggests that you can get customers without incurring heavy costs.  

Monitoring CAC helps you adjust your tactics to maximise ROI while growing your customer base.

2. Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

LTV, or Customer Lifetime Value, calculates the total revenue you can expect from a single customer throughout their relationship. This metric offers deep insights into the prospective financial value of each customer. 

LTV helps you predict future revenue and understand the long-term worth of your customers. Your business can measure LTV to determine how much you must invest in retaining customers versus acquiring new ones. 

A high LTV indicates that customers continue to buy and contribute to revenue over time. It shows the importance of customer loyalty and satisfaction. 

Balancing LTV against acquisition costs ensures a profitable and sustainable growth trajectory.

3. LTV:CAC Ratio

The LTV:CAC ratio is a critical metric that compares the Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) to the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). It indicates the return on investment from acquiring a new customer. A higher ratio means that the value derived from a customer over their lifetime surpasses the initial cost of acquiring them.

The nature of SaaS is subscription-based, which means consistent revenue over time. Thus, understanding the LTV:CAC ratio helps you ensure that you're not overspending to get customers. You can also understand if the long-term value derived from these customers justifies the initial cost.

A healthy LTV:CAC ratio can signal a sustainable business model, while any significant discrepancies can prompt your SaaS business to refine its marketing and pricing strategies.

4. Activations

Activations refer to the initial interactions users have with a product. It marks their first successful experience. These moments set the tone for the user's perception and engagement with the product. A positive activation experience can boost user retention, instilling confidence and interest in the product.

Activations hold a lot of significance. In these crucial first interactions, users decide whether the product aligns with their needs and expectations. If the activation experience is seamless and valuable, users are more likely to stay engaged and continue using the product. Conversely, a lacklustre activation can deter users from progressing further.

Engaging video content significantly amplifies activations. In Q1 2023, online videos reached an impressive 92% of global internet users.

For expert insights and tips on crafting compelling video content that captivates and converts, explore the top 5 tips for creating engaging video content for your business.

5. Lead Velocity Rate (LVR)

LVR, or Lead Velocity Rate, shows you the growth rate of qualified leads from one month to the next. This metric acts as a real-time thermometer that looks at the effectiveness of a company's marketing and sales efforts. LVR offers a snapshot of potential future sales.

The importance of LVR lies in its immediacy. While other metrics might give insights into past performance, LVR provides insights into what's coming next. 

A consistent increase in LVR indicates that marketing and sales strategies are effective and that there's a healthy pipeline of potential customers. Conversely, a declining LVR might signal the need for strategy adjustments. 

Monitoring LVR allows you to be proactive. You can optimise your strategies based on emerging trends and stay on the path of growth. 

6. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

NPS, or Net Promoter Score, is a tool that measures customer loyalty and satisfaction with one simple question: "How likely are you to recommend our product or service to others?"

Based on the score, you can categorise users into three categories. 

Promoters (Score 9-10)

• Loyal customers who will refer others.
• Key drivers of growth.

Passives (Score 7-8)

• Satisfied but unenthusiastic customers.
• Vulnerable to competitive offerings.

Detractors (Score 0-6)

• Unhappy customers.
• Can damage the brand through negative word-of-mouth.

You can subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters to calculate NPS.

A high NPS indicates satisfied customers who can become brand ambassadors, promoting the product or service to others. It also hints at a lower churn rate, as satisfied customers are more likely to continue using the product. Conversely, a low NPS suggests potential issues with the product or service that may require immediate attention. 

A Fortune article reported that almost 66% of Fortune 1000 companies use NPS. Regular tracking allows you to gauge your performance in the eyes of your customers. This way, you can address concerns and continuously improve. 

7. Leads by Lifecycle Stage

Defining a lead varies based on a prospect's stage in the buying process. A lead may be someone starting their research. As they progress, they become:

• Marketing qualified lead (MQL): A prospect showing interest, like downloading ebooks or revisiting your site.

• Sales qualified lead (SQL): A prospect actively evaluating vendors and deemed ready to be a customer. 

Given that SaaS sales durations vary, clear definitions (MQL, SQL) pinpoint where leads stall in the funnel. With prospects often initiating the next step, like requesting demos, marketers should assess leads monthly by lifecycle stage. This approach reveals nurturing opportunities and informs sales strategies.

8. Lead-to-Customer Rate

The lead-to-customer conversion rate measures the percentage of qualified leads that become actual sales. 

Unlike regular leads, qualified leads have shown a genuine interest in a product and meet certain criteria. This metric is crucial to gauge a company's sales funnel efficiency. It accesses the capabilities of both individual sales representatives and the entire sales team. 

Conversion rates differ among companies; what's good for one may be unsatisfactory for another. 

To determine the rate, divide the number of qualified leads that resulted in sales by the total qualified leads for a period. 

For instance, if ABC Inc. had 50 qualified leads and 10 of them became sales, their conversion rate would be 20%.

9. Unique Visitors

Unique visitors represent the number of distinct individuals who access a website during a specific period. This metric doesn't count repeated visits from the same person. This makes it vital for understanding a site's reach and appeal. 

Tracking unique visitors gives insights into how well your marketing strategies attract new audiences. High numbers indicate successful outreach and increased brand awareness. 

If you want to improve your website's visibility and attract more unique visitors, you need to work on SEO. Read more about webflow SEO to understand the nuances and strategies behind it. 

Churn

10. Customer Churn

Customer churn refers to the rate at which subscribers or users stop using a service. Monitoring this metric is crucial as it directly impacts revenue and indicates customer satisfaction. 

High churn may suggest product issues, a lack of perceived value, or unmet customer needs. Keeping a low churn rate shows that a business retains its customers and provides value. 

If you want to reduce the customer churn rate, you need to optimise the user experience and better understand key indicators related to it. Read more about the top 12 UX KPIs to track and enhance the user experience. 

11. Revenue Churn

Revenue churn measures the rate of recurring revenue lost because of customer churn. This metric highlights financial implications and is vital to gauge the health of a subscription-based business. 

Monitoring revenue churn lets you understand how customer departures affect your bottom line. It's essential to address revenue churn to ensure sustainable growth and profitability. 

A high revenue churn rate may suggest it's time to reevaluate pricing, product offerings, or customer support.

Customer Scores

12. Customer Engagement

Customer engagement gauges the depth and frequency of customer interactions with a brand. It indicates how involved and invested customers are. 

High engagement often translates to loyal customers who actively interact with the brand, contribute feedback, and make repeat purchases. Monitoring engagement is essential. It provides insights into marketing effectiveness, product satisfaction, and growth opportunities. 

A robust brand strategy significantly impacts customer engagement. As you gain insights into the components of brand strategy, you can create a compelling brand strategy for your SaaS product. 

13. Customer Health

Customer health assesses customer satisfaction and success with a product or service. It combines various metrics, like product usage, feedback, and support requests, to provide a holistic view. 

This metric predicts potential churn, identifies areas for product improvement and offers insights into customer needs. 

A good customer health score indicates a satisfied customer base and a strong product-market fit. 

Qualified Lead

14. Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)

Marketing Qualified Lead, or MQL, identifies leads with a higher potential to become customers. These leads have shown interest through actions like downloading resources or attending webinars. 

Monitoring MQLs helps marketing teams understand campaign effectiveness and adjust tactics. MQLs are a bridge between mere interest and purchase intent. Tracking them ensures that your resources target the right prospects.

15. Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)

SQL pinpoints leads that are ready for a sales approach. These leads have shown clear purchase intent, often through actions like product demos or pricing inquiries. 

Monitoring SQLs ensures the sales team focuses on leads most likely to convert. It optimises sales efforts and accelerates the conversion process. When leads progress to SQL, it indicates they're at a critical moment, closer to making a buying decision.

Recurring Revenue

16. Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)

ARR calculates the yearly revenue from ongoing subscriptions. This metric sums up subscription-based earnings over a year, excluding one-time payments. 

It’s important to track ARR, as it offers a clear view of revenue stability and growth potential. A consistent or rising ARR suggests strong customer retention and product value.

17. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

MRR evaluates monthly earnings from recurring subscriptions. This metric gives a snapshot of revenue from subscribers in a specific month. 

Monitoring MRR is important for assessing short-term financial health and predicting cash flow. Regular checks on MRR help identify growth trends and areas that need attention. An increasing MRR indicates strong month-to-month business performance.

Leverage Your Data Effectively

Every SaaS company's success hinges on leveraging key metrics. These metrics not only track performance but also reveal areas for improvement. At RCCO, we see firsthand how metrics tracking isn't just about numbers; it's about decoding the story they tell. You need to understand your audience, discern trends and learn from every data point to make effective decisions that drive success. 

Don't leave your data's potential untapped. Collaborate with RCCO, and let's transform metrics into actionable strategies. Curious about how we do it? Explore RCCO's specialised services tailored for SaaS businesses.

To learn more about creating a better SaaS product for users, read our article on SaaS website best practices.