Metrics

Actionable metrics versus Vanity metrics

Vanity metrics could be total number of customers; number of web site page hits.

Actionable metrics could be sales revenue from different customer cohorts; one cohort being targeted with one web campaign, the other being targeted with another.

The difference between vanity metrics and actionable metrics is that the former can give you a warm feeling which you cannot convincingly relate to your product or service developments; the latter gives you evidence about the effects of different changes you have made and increases your understanding of the relationship between your product and service and your customers.