Bottom-Line Data

We always use bottom-line metrics such as Purchase, AOV, LTV as the primary objectives and criteria for success. We do not try to optimize for metrics or engagement metrics, and we do not optimize for top-of-funnel or mid-funnel steps until after optimizing bottom-of-funnel. In fact, efforts to increase engagement metrics and top-of-funnel success often result in lower purchase results — optimizing for engagement frequently backfires.

Furthermore, as we observe behavior and data sets, a user purchase represents a far stronger signal of intent than a click or view. Therefore, observing *25% increased clicks or views* is a relatively meaningless insight as compared to observing *25% increased purchases* — clicks, views, engagement, and scroll depth are just not useful observations; that is, they are not signalling intent or interest related to purchasing. Aside from cases of verifying human vs. robot traffic, tracking engagement metrics is a waste of time, and a UX/UI expert can instantly predict engagement behavior without the need for observation.