We’ve all been there—obsessing over metrics like traffic, conversions, and customer acquisition. But what if we told you that focusing on these numbers alone might be giving you a false sense of success?
Enter the Aurora Score—a new feature we’ve developed at Laine to provide a more accurate, comprehensive view of your marketing performance. Unlike traditional metrics, the Aurora Score doesn’t just look at one piece of the puzzle; it assesses the entire picture across four critical areas: Growth, Profitability, Acquisition, and Retention.
Here’s why these four pillars matter:
Growth is often equated with revenue, but that’s only part of the story. The Aurora Score zeroes in on the growth in traffic—an early indicator that tells you whether your marketing efforts are bringing more eyes to your business. Specifically, the Growth metric leverages a multiplier calculated based on the comparison between this month's engaged traffic and the average from the last three months (e.g., 197k vs. 265k). If your traffic isn’t growing, your revenue might not be sustainable in the long run.
Acquiring customers is great, but doing so profitably is what keeps your business alive. That’s where the LTV:CAC ratio comes into play. The Aurora Score tracks this crucial metric to ensure you’re not just buying customers, but actually making money from them over time. The Profitability score uses a multiplier based on how close you are to the ideal LTV range, based on our benchmarks. A ratio below 2 detracts from your score, while a range between 3 and 5 gives you a full uplift. The closer you are to that ideal range, the better your profitability score.
It’s easy to pat yourself on the back when you see an uptick in customer numbers. But are they the right customers? The Aurora Score digs deeper, analyzing the mix and quality of your paid, earned, and owned traffic. We measure acquisition using 30+ metrics across four key categories: Effectiveness (e.g., ROAS and retargeting frequency), Engagement (e.g., conversion and engagement rates), Tactics (e.g., branded share of search, prospecting share of spend), and Traffic Quality (e.g., click-through rates). This approach helps ensure you understand which platforms and tactics are truly effective, so you’re not wasting money on channels that don’t deliver.
Many businesses focus so much on acquisition that they forget about retention. But keeping a customer is often cheaper and more profitable than acquiring a new one. The Aurora Score measures retention by looking at the net change in the average lifetime value of your customer base over the last three months (e.g., $209 this month vs. $175 L3M). This gives you insights into how satisfied your customers are, how good your products or services really are, and whether your retention strategies are paying off.
The bottom line? Looking at traditional metrics in silos can mislead you into thinking your marketing is performing better or worse than it actually is. The Aurora Score provides a holistic view that helps you see the full picture, so you can make smarter decisions and drive real growth. The Aurora Score is here to help you do just that.
Your Aurora Score updates monthly in your Laine dashboard. If you’d like to learn more about Laine, schedule a live demo, and let’s see if it’s the right fit for your D2C brand!
