Sophia
Sophia
Expert Content Writer at Dipdux Analytica

Unlocking the Hidden Value: A Guide to Measuring the ROI of Your Digital Product

March 14th, 2023
Unlocking the Hidden Value: A Guide to Measuring the ROI of Your Digital Product

Content Table:

  • How to Determine ROI for Digital Products?
  • Steps for Calculating the ROI of a Digital Product
  • Step 1: Set Your Digital Transformation Project Goals
  • Step 2: Calculate Project Hardware, Software, and Labor Expenses
  • Step 3: Identify Project Outcomes
  • Metrics for ROI Calculation
  • Calculating Tools for ROI
  • Mistakes to Avoid While Calculating ROI
  • Key Factors That Affect ROI
  • Explore Customer Needs
  • Digital Innovation Investment
  • Data-Informed Decisions
  • Track Performance
  • Ways to Improve Your ROI
  • Conclusion


In order to operate a successful business, one of the most important metrics to track is the return on investment (ROI). This is especially important for digital goods, which have a great potential for growth. When it comes to a digital product, calculating the return on investment (ROI) might be the difference between success and failure. 


We at Dipdux Analytica will discuss the processes we used to involve while calculating ROI, with a focus on how these phases apply to the process of computing ROI for digital products.


How to Determine ROI for Digital Products?

In its most basic form, return on investment (ROI) in digital products is the amount of revenue that is directly driven by your marketing activities, minus the amount of money that is spent on marketing, divided by the amount of money that is spent on marketing.


ROI = (return - initial Investment / initial investment) * 100


When ROI is determined as a percentage, the "* 100" symbol is used. You are determining the amount, in percentage terms, by which your initial investment increased or decreased. A more straightforward formula might look like this:


ROI = (net profit / total cost) * 100


If you are establishing a new campaign, you should probably estimate how much return on investment (ROI) you can anticipate right from the start. Multiplying the number of prospective consumers you're targeting by your conversion rate and the average purchase price will allow you to forecast future returns on investment. This value shows the return you anticipate receiving.


Predicted return = (number of leads * lead-to-customer rate * average sale price)


The number of leads represents an approximation of the number of individuals that you anticipate converting into leads; nevertheless, not all leads are converted into customers. Multiplying this by the lead-to-customer rate, which is the average proportion of leads that convert into customers, will thus make this calculation more accurate.


Take, for instance, the case of a digital marketer that anticipates their campaign will create 1,000 leads and whose rate of conversion from leads to customers is 25%. Let's imagine that the average sale price gets to $50 after taking into account any applicable promotions or discounts. It anticipated that the return would be $12 500.


1,000 leads * 0.25 * $50 = $12,500


Now that you are aware of the anticipated cost of your marketing activities, you can include that figure in the calculation of your return on investment.


Predicted ROI = ([Predicted return – Cost for marketing] / Cost for marketing) * 100


Using this campaign as an example, the digital marketer has determined that they will spend $5,000 on it. That indicates:


([$12,500 - $5,000] / $5,000) * 100 = 150% predicted ROI


These equations do not take into account any external factors or unforeseeable circumstances that may have an impact on the final result of a campaign. You need to augment ROI with additional indicators like the ones we examine below so that you can obtain an accurate view of the overall performance of your marketing efforts.


Steps for Calculating the ROI of a Digital Product

Step 1: Set Your Digital Transformation Project Goals

First, you need to determine what you expect to accomplish with your digital transformation project before you can calculate the return on investment (ROI) for it. This might involve boosting income, enhancing the level of happiness provided to customers, or simplifying business procedures. 


You will be able to measure the outcomes more accurately and have a clear target to shoot for if you first determine the objectives of the project you are working on.

Step 2: Calculate Project Hardware, Software, and Labor Expenses

You will need to know how much your digital transformation project costs in order to determine the return on investment for it. This comprises the original investment in hardware and software as well as recurring expenditures such as maintenance and support services. 


In addition, you will need to take into consideration the personnel expenses that are related to putting the project into action and sustaining it. These costs include the amount of time and resources required to educate staff and manage the project. 


You have the option of using the services of a digital transformation consulting organization to do the job of project management for you.

Step 3: Identify Project Outcomes

The next step is to determine the advantages that will result from your digital transformation project. This might include greater income as a result of the sale of more items or services, cost savings as a result of simplifying operations or decreasing physical infrastructure, and enhanced efficiency as a result of automating activities or using data analytics. 


You will be able to determine the return on investment (ROI) for the project by comparing the advantages you have identified and quantified against the expenses of the project.


Metrics for ROI Calculation

When determining the return on investment (ROI) for a digital product, it is essential to take into account the many variables that may be used to establish the overall cost and the total income. This encompasses all of the costs that are involved with the product, such as wages, software licensing, hosting fees, and so on, and is included in the overall cost of the product. 


When calculating overall revenue, this includes money from all sources, such as sales and subscription fees, as well as income from advertising. In addition to these indicators, it is essential to keep track of other metrics that might contribute to a more accurate evaluation of the product's overall success. 


User engagement, customer retention rate, customer lifetime value, and other similar measures are examples of these metrics. Monitoring these indicators can assist in locating places that require enhancement and provide direction for decisions on the product's future.


Calculating Tools for ROI

Estimating the return on investment (ROI) for a digital product may be done using any one of a number of different techniques that are now available. Depending on the requirements of the company and the intricacy of the product, these tools may take the shape of anything as straightforward as a spreadsheet or as complicated as an analytics platform. 


Calculating the return on investment (ROI) for a firm that sells a straightforward product may be accomplished by utilizing a straightforward spreadsheet to record the entire cost of the product as well as the total income. 


You may improve the accuracy of your marketing ROI calculation by streamlining your marketing and sales operations, provided that you have the appropriate technologies at your disposal. ROI calculating tools include:


  • Ruler Analytics
  • Cyfe
  • Google Analytics
  • Kissmetrics
  • Plannuh


Mistakes to Avoid While Calculating ROI

When estimating the return on investment (ROI), we at Dipdux Analytica provide some of the most common errors that should be avoided:


  • Not keeping track of all of the costs involved with the product It is essential to keep track of all of the costs related to the product, such as wages, software licensing, hosting fees, and so on. If you do not keep track of all of the product's costs, you may end up with an erroneous evaluation of the product's return on investment (ROI).


  • It is crucial to keep track of all sources of money, including sales, subscriptions, and advertising revenue. Failing to do so might result in lost revenue. If not all potential sources of revenue are accounted for, the return on investment for the product may be calculated incorrectly.


  • Failure to track other critical metrics It is essential to measure other significant metrics, such as user engagement, customer retention, and customer lifetime value, in order to have a more in-depth insight into the success of the product. If these measurements are not tracked, it is possible that the return on investment for the product would be calculated incorrectly.


  • Using metrics that are no longer relevant: When determining ROI, it is critical to make use of measures that are current. When calculating the return on investment for a product, it's important not to use indicators that are out of date.


Key Factors That Affect ROI

If you already have a successful product, calculating the return on investment (ROI) from digital transformation is simple. If you are trying to break into a new market with an innovative product, you need to place a strong emphasis on recognizing trends in the level of consumer satisfaction and making positive adjustments to the quality of your product or service. 


The return on investment (ROI) of digital transformation is often unchanged for existing organizations. Yet, the likelihood of a business's digital footprint expanding is significantly increased whenever new technology is implemented within that firm.


Timing is key in marketing new products, which may lead to a return on investment that is both long-term and elastic. While introducing a new and unique product or service, it is essential to have a head start over one's competitors as soon as possible. 


Focusing on the market value, total revenue, and year-over-year growth data included in your digital transformation plan is the most effective method for determining the return on investment (ROI) for your digital innovation activities.

Explore Customer Needs

In order to succeed as a digitally driven company, you need to provide your consumers with engaging digital experiences and work hard to go above and beyond their requirements. 


This may be accomplished through the use of social media interactions or by the collection of consumer data depending on the activities of the customer with your company.

Digital Innovation Investment

The digitization of business processes is something that companies need to concentrate on if they want to enhance workflow and provide more engaging experiences for their customers. To successfully foster a digital culture in the workplace, it is imperative that new digital processes and technologies be put into place.

Data-Informed Decisions

Data provided by customers are among the most valuable pieces of information you may consult when making decisions on your organization's subsequent digital transformation efforts. 


When making judgments that are guided by data, the ideal indicators to use are previous purchase history, customer evaluations, and comments, as well as sales numbers.

Track Performance

Maintaining a digital culture that can be monitored requires ongoing prototyping, testing, and promotion of the culture. Your attempts to convert your business through digital technology should result in increased sales, revenues, and happy customers. 


Your efficiency in digital transformation will directly correlate to the rate at which you use newly available technologies across your company.


Ways to Improve Your ROI

Because you now have an understanding of the ROI targets you want to achieve, you may be interested in strategies and advice to increase your ROI. Setting precise targets for your return on investment is the first step in boosting your ROI. 


They should be adapted to fit each individual component of your marketing approach (e.g., pay-per-click ads should not have the same goal as SEO investments). When you have decided what you want to accomplish with your marketing strategy, you can begin dissecting each individual component into more specific aspects. 


You may investigate the number of leads generated, the conversion percentage, and the conversion value. You may then determine how much money each customer spends on average using this information, as well as how frequently a certain marketing strategy pulls in new customers. 


This can help you direct your marketing budget into the channels that will provide you with the most return on investment (ROI). An investment in high-level analytics can, in the end, give you sophisticated breakdowns of both your expenditure and your results. 


It is possible for it to deliver predictive modelling, which assists you in better timing your spending and eventually gives you the ability to wring every last drop of value out of your marketing expenses.


Conclusion

The return on investment (ROI) of every marketing strategy will, in the end, be measured in terms of increased sales. Because it takes time for the effects to build up, it is a good idea to conduct your calculation using sales growth less than the average organic growth on a frequent basis during any campaign you are running. 


Determining the return on investment (ROI) of a digital product calls for an in-depth understanding of the product's performance, which is essential for the success of a firm.