Conversion Optimisation

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Also known as: CAC, Cost per acquisition, Lifetime Value & Customer lifetime value

Definition

Customer Cost (CAC) is the total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing, sales, and related expenses.

In practice

Used to evaluate the of and compare against LTV.

The reality

If CAC is too high relative to LTV, growth becomes unsustainable.

Also known as

CAC, Cost per acquisition, Lifetime Value & Customer lifetime value

Plain English

How much it costs to get a new customer.

FAQ

Common questions

A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this term.

What is customer acquisition cost?

CAC is the total cost of acquiring a new customer.

Why is CAC important?

It shows how efficient your efforts are.

How do you calculate CAC?

By dividing total costs by the number of new customers.

How does CAC relate to LTV?

CAC should be lower than LTV for sustainable growth.

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Previous feedback

Will Parkhouse

Senior Content Designer

01/20