You cannot tell whether a channel works without recording what happens to each enquiry. A spreadsheet is enough. It takes a minute per lead and turns opinions into numbers.
The columns
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| Date received | The day the enquiry arrived |
| Source | Where it came from: your site, a lead supplier, Google Ads, referral |
| Service | What they asked for |
| Area | Town or postcode area |
| Contacted | Yes or no, and when |
| Quote sent | Yes or no, and the amount |
| Outcome | Won, lost, no response, not suitable |
| Job value | What you earned if won |
| Notes | Why you lost, what the customer said |
The numbers to work out
- Contact rate: leads you reached divided by leads received.
- Quote rate: quotes sent divided by leads reached.
- Win rate: jobs won divided by quotes sent.
- Cost per customer: what you paid for the leads divided by jobs won.
- Revenue per lead: total job value divided by leads received.
Compare these across sources. A source that sends fewer leads but wins more may be the better buy.
Review weekly, not yearly
Spend ten minutes a week. Look for patterns. Are leads from one area poor? Do you win more when you reply within an hour? Are there services you keep getting asked for and don't offer?
Give feedback to your supplier
If a lead was outside your area or had fake details, tell the supplier with the evidence. A good one will use it to improve the source. If you are testing a new channel, ask whether they will agree a clear definition of a qualified lead first.
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