Blog / The 10 e-commerce KPIs that actually matter
The 10 e-commerce KPIs that actually matter
By DashViz Team · 2026-05-08
Reviewed by the DashViz editorial team for SMB operators.
E-commerce platforms surface dozens of metrics; most are noise. The 10 KPIs that actually drive decisions for a small online store: AOV, repeat customer rate, return rate, conversion rate, channel mix, top products, refund rate, gross margin, customer acquisition cost, and lifetime value. This guide covers each with formulas, examples, and benchmarks for indie brands.
TL;DR
- •AOV, repeat rate, and conversion rate drive 80% of revenue decisions.
- •Return rate and refund rate are the early warning signals.
- •Channel mix tells you where to invest more — or pull back.
- •Gross margin matters per-product, not just blended.
- •CAC and LTV pair tells you if growth is profitable.
Methodology note
Benchmarks and healthy ranges are directional planning ranges, not financial, accounting, tax, or legal advice. Use DashViz to compare them against your own source systems before making operational decisions.
The 10 KPIs
Revenue and order quality
- AOV — Average Order Value. Total revenue / total orders.
- Repeat customer rate — Customers with 2+ orders / total customers.
- Conversion rate — Orders / total visitors.
Customer health
- Customer count — Total unique buyers in period.
- New vs. returning revenue mix — Revenue from new customers vs. existing.
- CAC / LTV — Acquisition cost paired with lifetime value.
Product health
- Top products by revenue and units — Which SKUs drive the business.
- Return rate — Returns / total orders, ideally by product.
- Refund rate — Refunded amount / gross revenue.
Efficiency
- Gross margin — Revenue - COGS / revenue, by product if possible.
Benchmarks
| Metric | Typical | Strong | Best-in-class |
|---|---|---|---|
| AOV (DTC apparel) | $40-80 | $80-120 | $120+ |
| Repeat customer rate | 15-25% | 25-40% | 40%+ |
| Conversion rate | 1-3% | 3-5% | 5%+ |
| Return rate (apparel) | 8-15% | 5-10% | <5% |
| Refund rate | 2-5% | 1-2% | <1% |
| Gross margin (apparel) | 40-60% | 60-75% | 75%+ |
How to track these
If you're on Shopify, much of this is in Shopify Analytics — but the cross-cuts and historical comparisons are limited. Connecting Shopify (and Stripe, if you also have subscriptions) to an analytics tool like DashViz adds AI chat, alerts, and per-product breakdowns Shopify doesn't surface.
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