5 data points that reveal store health instantly

When you need to quickly assess how your e-commerce store is performing, you don't have time to dig through dozens of reports and analyze complex trends. You need a handful of critical indicators that instantly reveal whether your business is healthy, declining, or thriving. Think of these as vital signs—just as doctors check pulse and blood pressure for quick health assessment, these five data points tell you immediately whether your store is fundamentally sound or facing problems that need attention.

These metrics aren't vanity numbers that look impressive but don't indicate real business health. They're fundamental indicators directly connected to revenue, profitability, and sustainability. By checking these five points regularly—perhaps weekly or even daily—you maintain constant awareness of your store's condition without drowning in data. Whether you're using Shopify, WooCommerce, or GA4, these metrics are readily available and provide the most bang-for-your-buck in terms of insight per minute invested in checking them.

1. Revenue growth rate

Revenue growth rate shows whether your business is expanding, stagnating, or contracting. Calculate it by comparing current period revenue to the equivalent previous period—this week versus last week, this month versus last month, or ideally this month versus the same month last year to account for seasonality. Positive growth indicates health, flat performance suggests stagnation, and negative growth signals problems requiring investigation.

A healthy e-commerce store typically shows month-over-month growth in the 5-20% range, though this varies dramatically by business stage. New stores might grow 50-100% monthly as they gain traction. Mature stores might see 5-10% annual growth. The specific number matters less than the direction and consistency—sustained growth indicates health while declining revenue demands immediate attention regardless of absolute values.

Watch for revenue growth that's driven by unsustainable tactics like aggressive discounting or unprofitable advertising. Growing revenue at the cost of margins might look healthy on this metric but actually harms business sustainability. Cross-reference revenue growth with profitability metrics to ensure growth is genuine improvement rather than just increased busy-ness without better economics.

2. Conversion rate trend

Conversion rate measures what percentage of visitors complete purchases, revealing how effectively your store turns traffic into customers. This metric's trend—whether improving, stable, or declining—instantly shows whether your store experience, product-market fit, and value proposition are working. Improving conversion indicates strengthening business fundamentals. Declining conversion signals problems with site experience, pricing, or product appeal.

Calculate conversion rate by dividing orders by sessions and multiplying by 100. A store with 1,000 visitors and 25 orders has a 2.5% conversion rate. Track this weekly and look at the trend over the past 8-12 weeks. Is it consistently rising, falling, or holding steady? The trajectory matters more than any single week's value. Three consecutive weeks of declining conversion rate indicates a real problem. Three weeks of improvement shows successful optimization.

Segment conversion rate by traffic source and device to understand what's driving overall trends. Perhaps overall conversion is declining because mobile rates dropped while desktop held steady—that's a specific problem with a targeted solution. Or maybe conversion from paid ads fell while organic held strong, suggesting targeting or creative issues rather than fundamental store problems. These segments help you diagnose rather than just observe.

3. Customer acquisition cost relative to order value

The relationship between what you spend to acquire customers and what they spend on first purchase instantly reveals whether your business model works. If customer acquisition cost exceeds first-purchase value, you're losing money on every sale unless customers return frequently. This unsustainable dynamic indicates fundamental business problems requiring immediate addressing or strategic changes.

Calculate average acquisition cost by dividing total marketing spend by new customers acquired. Divide average first-order value by CAC to get your ratio. A ratio above 2 is healthy—customers spend at least twice what you paid to acquire them. Ratios between 1-2 might work if customers have high repeat rates. Ratios below 1 mean you're losing money on every customer and operating unsustainably without external funding.

Key thresholds for CAC to order value ratio:

• Above 3:1: Excellent economics allowing aggressive growth investment.

• 2:1 to 3:1: Healthy ratio supporting sustainable profitable growth.

• 1:1 to 2:1: Marginal economics requiring strong retention and repeat purchases.

• Below 1:1: Unsustainable without either reducing CAC or increasing order values significantly.

4. Cart abandonment rate

Cart abandonment rate shows what percentage of shoppers who add items to cart leave without completing purchase. This metric instantly reveals whether your checkout process, pricing, and value proposition are competitive or driving away ready-to-buy customers. High abandonment indicates friction preventing sales. Low abandonment suggests smooth purchasing experience that converts interested shoppers efficiently.

Calculate abandonment by dividing abandoned carts by total carts created (or subtract your conversion rate from people who reach cart from 100%). Most e-commerce sees 65-75% abandonment, meaning only 25-35% of shoppers who add items actually complete purchases. If your rate is significantly higher, you're losing sales to friction, poor pricing communication, or trust issues. Lower rates indicate exceptional checkout optimization.

Watch for sudden spikes in abandonment rate as these often indicate technical problems. If abandonment jumps from 70% to 85% overnight, you might have checkout bugs, payment processor issues, or shipping calculation errors preventing purchases. These technical problems cost enormous revenue if undetected, making cart abandonment a critical health indicator for catching issues before they cause major damage.

5. Repeat purchase rate

Repeat purchase rate reveals what percentage of customers buy more than once, instantly showing whether you're building a sustainable business with loyal customers or constantly churning through one-time buyers. High repeat rates indicate product satisfaction, strong brand connection, and sustainable economics. Low repeat rates suggest quality issues, poor customer experience, or product-market fit problems requiring addressing.

Calculate repeat rate by dividing customers with multiple orders by total customers. If you have 1,000 total customers and 300 have purchased multiple times, your repeat rate is 30%. Healthy rates vary by industry—consumables and fashion might see 40-60% repeat rates while furniture might be 10-20% due to longer purchase cycles. Compare your rate to industry norms and track whether it's improving or declining over time.

Low repeat rates indicate problems worth investigating immediately. Perhaps product quality doesn't meet expectations. Maybe customer service is poor. Or possibly you're attracting bargain hunters through aggressive discounting who never pay full price. Alternatively, you might simply lack effective retention marketing. Each of these problems has different solutions, but all manifest as low repeat rates that instantly signal business health issues.

How to check these five metrics efficiently

Create a simple dashboard or spreadsheet showing these five metrics with their trends over the past 8-12 weeks. Update it weekly—most platforms including Shopify and WooCommerce display all five metrics in standard reports, making updates quick. Spend five minutes each Monday reviewing this dashboard and noting whether any indicators show concerning trends. This minimal time investment provides comprehensive health monitoring without extensive analysis.

Set alert thresholds for dramatic changes in any metric. Perhaps you want to know immediately if conversion rate drops more than 20%, cart abandonment spikes above 80%, or repeat purchase rate falls below 15%. Configure automated alerts in your analytics platform or create manual rules where you investigate any significant deviation from normal ranges. These alerts catch problems early before they cause sustained damage.

Don't just track these metrics—act on what they reveal. Declining conversion rate demands investigation into recent site changes, pricing, or competitive factors. Rising cart abandonment suggests checkout problems requiring fixing. Low repeat rates indicate retention marketing needs or product quality concerns. Each metric's movement should trigger specific questions and actions rather than passive observation.

When these indicators conflict

Sometimes these five metrics tell conflicting stories about your store's health. Revenue might grow while conversion rate declines—you're getting more traffic but it's lower quality. Or conversion rate might improve while revenue stays flat—you're converting better but not attracting enough visitors. These conflicts require deeper analysis to understand what's really happening and whether the overall trajectory is positive or concerning.

Prioritize metrics based on your current business priorities. If profitability matters most, focus on the CAC-to-order-value ratio and repeat purchase rate over pure revenue growth. If you're in growth mode accepting thin margins, prioritize revenue growth and conversion rates over immediate profitability metrics. This strategic focus helps you interpret conflicting signals based on what matters most for your specific situation and goals.

These five data points—revenue growth rate, conversion rate trend, CAC to order value ratio, cart abandonment rate, and repeat purchase rate—provide instant insight into your store's health without requiring hours of analysis. By checking them regularly, you maintain constant awareness of business condition and catch problems early when they're easiest to fix. Most store health issues manifest first in one or more of these indicators, making them an efficient early warning system. Remember that no single metric tells the complete story, but together they reveal whether your fundamentals are sound or deteriorating. Ready to monitor your store health effortlessly? Try Peasy for free at peasy.nu and get all five critical health indicators in one simple dashboard.