If you’re running marketing campaigns and want to know if they’re actually working—or just burning your budget—this guide’s for you. We’ll walk through tracking and measuring ROI with Derrickapp’s reporting features, so you can stop guessing and start making decisions based on something more solid than “it feels like it’s working.”
This isn’t just a quick tour of dashboards. You’ll learn how to set up campaigns, avoid the usual tracking traps, and get real numbers you can act on. If you’re tired of vague reports and need to know what’s actually moving the needle, keep reading.
1. Understand What ROI Really Means (and What It Doesn’t)
Let’s get something straight: ROI (Return on Investment) isn’t just “did we get more leads?” It’s about whether your campaign actually made more money than it cost. If you’re only tracking clicks or impressions, you’re missing the point.
ROI formula in plain English:
ROI = (Net Profit from Campaign – Cost of Campaign) / Cost of Campaign
- Net Profit means the real profit, not just revenue. Subtract your campaign costs.
- Don’t let vanity metrics (likes, shares, even leads) distract you. Focus on what brings in revenue.
Pro tip: Before you use any reporting tool, decide what counts as a “win.” Is it a sale? A free trial signup? Figure that out first, or your reports will be useless.
2. Set Up Derrickapp for Real ROI Tracking
First things first, you need to actually track the right stuff. Derrickapp ([derrick-app.html]) makes it easy to spin up campaigns, but you have to set it up right or you’ll end up with a bunch of noise.
a. Define Your Campaign Goal
- Pick one clear goal per campaign—sales, signups, downloads, whatever.
- Make it measurable. “Brand awareness” is fine for a boardroom, but you can’t calculate ROI on a feeling.
b. Tag and Name Your Campaigns Clearly
- Use a naming convention you (and your teammates) will still understand six months from now.
- Include the channel, offer, and date (e.g., “FB_March2024_SpringSale”).
c. Set Up Conversion Tracking
- Derrickapp lets you define conversion events—spend some time here. If you sell online, set it to track completed purchases. If you want leads, track form submissions.
- Double check your conversion events fire correctly. Test them yourself. Don’t assume it’s working just because you set it up once.
What to ignore: Don’t get bogged down tracking every micro interaction. Focus on the actions that actually tie to revenue.
3. Connect Revenue Data (Don’t Skip This)
A lot of people set up campaigns, track conversions, and call it a day. That’s halfway. If you’re not pulling in revenue data, your ROI numbers are just guesses.
a. Integrate Your Payment System
- Derrickapp supports integrations with common payment processors (Stripe, Shopify, etc.). Connect yours so you can actually see revenue tied to campaigns.
- Make sure you’re tracking real revenue, not just attempted payments. Refunds and failed payments shouldn’t count.
b. Assign Values to Conversions
- If you’re running lead-gen campaigns (not direct sales), you’ll need to assign a dollar value to each conversion (e.g., based on historical close rates).
- Don’t inflate these numbers to make the campaign look better—be conservative.
4. Use Derrickapp’s Reporting Features (What Actually Matters)
Once your data is flowing in, it’s time to actually use Derrickapp’s reporting. The truth? Most dashboards are more confusing than helpful if you don’t know what to ignore.
a. Key Reports You Should Use
- Campaign Overview: Shows spend, conversions, and ROI at a glance. Bookmark this.
- Source/Channel Breakdown: Lets you see which channels are actually driving results, not just traffic.
- Time-Based Performance: Look at how results change week-to-week. Helps you spot trends (or when something’s tanking).
- Cost Per Result: The single most useful number—how much you’re paying for each conversion or sale.
b. Reports You Can Usually Ignore
- Raw Impressions/Reach: Good for brand campaigns, but not for ROI tracking.
- Clicks Without Context: Clicks are cheap and often meaningless without conversion data.
- Overly Granular Demographics: Knowing that 35-year-olds in Omaha clicked more isn’t always useful unless you’re hyper-local.
Pro tip: Export your reports and look at them in Excel or Google Sheets if you want to slice and dice the numbers your own way. Derrickapp’s export tools are solid.
5. Avoid Common ROI Tracking Mistakes
It’s easy to fall into some classic traps. Here’s what to watch out for:
- Counting All Revenue: Only include revenue that actually came from the campaign. Don’t pad the numbers with sales that would have happened anyway.
- Ignoring Lifetime Value (LTV): If your business model relies on repeat purchases, factor in customer LTV, but be realistic. Don’t assume every new signup is a gold mine.
- Double Counting Conversions: If your tracking is set up in multiple places, make sure conversions aren’t being counted twice.
- Not Factoring in All Costs: Include ad spend, creative costs, software fees—the works. Cutting corners here just gives you a fake ROI.
Honest take: If your data is messy, your ROI will be too. Spend time getting your tracking clean before you try to optimize.
6. Review, Adjust, and Actually Use What You Learn
Numbers are only useful if you use them. Once you’ve got reports coming in, here’s how to make them worth your time:
- Check Weekly or Biweekly: Don’t obsess daily—trends matter more than blips.
- Flag Underperformers Early: If a channel is burning cash, pause and redirect funds. Don’t “wait and see” forever.
- Double Down on What Works: If you find a campaign with a killer ROI, scale it up (but keep an eye on diminishing returns).
- Document Changes: Note when you make tweaks. Otherwise, you’ll never remember why your results changed.
What not to do: Don’t chase every little uptick or panic over small drops. Marketing is messy—look for clear patterns.
7. Keep It Simple and Iterate
At the end of the day, tracking ROI isn’t magic. Get your data straight, focus on what actually drives revenue, and ignore most of the noise. Derrickapp gives you solid reporting tools, but it’s still up to you to ask the right questions and act on the answers.
Don’t try to build the perfect system on day one. Start simple, improve as you go, and don’t be afraid to kill off things that aren’t working. The goal isn’t a dashboard packed with numbers—it’s knowing, with confidence, if your campaigns are worth it. That’s what will actually move your business forward.