Click-through rates have long been the go-to metric for digital advertising success. Sure, getting people to click on your ads feels great – but what happens after the click? That’s what really counts. Smart advertisers are now focusing on metrics that truly impact their bottom line.

Think of it this way: if you owned a store and 100 people walked in but nobody bought anything, would you call that success? Probably not! The same goes for online advertising. Getting clicks is just the first step – like getting people through your store’s door.

Here’s what you should actually pay attention to:

• Engagement Time: How long do users interact with your landing pages after clicking? If someone clicks your ad and spends 5 minutes reading your website, that’s way better than someone who clicks and leaves after 2 seconds. It’s like the difference between someone genuinely browsing your store versus someone who walks in, realises it’s not what they wanted, and immediately walks out. This metric often correlates more strongly with conversion rates than CTR alone.
• View-Through Conversions: In an omni-channel world, users might see your display ad but convert through a different channel days later. Understanding these patterns is crucial for proper attribution.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) by Campaign: Some campaigns might have lower initial conversion rates but attract customers who make larger purchases over time. Tracking CLV helps justify higher acquisition costs for these valuable segments.
• Brand Lift Metrics: Using controlled experiments to measure changes in brand awareness, consideration, and purchase intent provides a more complete picture of campaign impact.

The key is building a measurement framework that aligns with your business objectives rather than focusing solely on vanity metrics.

While clicks are easy to measure, they’re just the beginning of your customer’s journey. Focus on building meaningful connections and measuring what happens after the click. Start by looking at your customer engagement metrics, track how long people stick around, and pay attention to who becomes a repeat customer. Success in digital advertising isn’t just about getting attention – it’s about keeping it and turning it into real business results.