Plain-language questions
Ask for revenue per visitor per month, customer or product in the SQL Explorer with AI. The AI writes the SQL, you see the query and run it yourself; the AI only receives metadata.
KPI · E-commerce
Revenue per visitor: formula and example.
Revenue per visitor (RPV) is web shop revenue divided by the number of visitors or sessions in the same period. It combines conversion rate and average order value into one number. That lets you see at a glance whether a change to your store brings in more or less overall.
Revenue per visitor formula
Web shop revenue ÷ number of sessions (or visitors)
Worked example
Acme Groothandel's web shop has 64,000 sessions and €192,000 in revenue in September. Revenue per visitor is €192,000 ÷ 64,000 = €3.00. That equals the 2.0% conversion rate × the €150 average order value.
Fictitious figures for Acme Groothandel, a sample wholesaler.
How to read this KPI
A higher revenue per visitor means you earn more from the same traffic, through better conversion, larger orders or both. It is a useful metric for A/B tests, because a test that lifts conversion but lowers order value can be worse overall. Compare it by traffic source and set it against your cost per visit from advertising.
Pitfalls with revenue per visitor
- Mixing users and sessions; unique users cannot be summed per day to get a monthly total.
- Using revenue from web analytics that differs from the shop platform or the accounts, for example because of returns.
- Not filtering out bot traffic or your own staff.
SQL & DAX
Calculating revenue per visitor in SQL and DAX
Two examples on a fictitious data warehouse for Acme Groothandel: a PostgreSQL query and a measure for a Power BI model. Adjust table and column names to your own model.
SELECT date_trunc('month', session_date) AS month,
SUM(sessions) AS sessions,
SUM(revenue) AS revenue,
ROUND(SUM(revenue) / NULLIF(SUM(sessions), 0), 2) AS revenue_per_visit
FROM web_sessions
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 1;Revenue per Visitor =
DIVIDE(SUM(WebSessions[revenue]), SUM(WebSessions[sessions]))In ENABLE
Tracking this KPI in ENABLE
In your Power BI dashboard
Define the KPI as a measure in your Power BI model and show it in the portal, with "Last refreshed" next to it. Access profiles and optional row-level security decide who sees which figures.
Custom dashboards (pilot)
Add the KPI as a tile to a custom dashboard, compared with last year. The Dashboard Builder is a pilot and can be switched on per client.
Monthly targets
With the built-in Targets app you set a target for the KPI per month, so you see actuals and target side by side.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate revenue per visitor?
Divide your web shop revenue by the number of sessions or visitors in the same period. With €45,000 in revenue and 20,000 sessions, revenue per visitor is €2.25. Multiplying conversion rate by average order value gives the same result.
Why use revenue per visitor instead of conversion rate?
Revenue per visitor accounts for both the number of buyers and the size of their orders. A change that gets more people to buy, but with smaller baskets, can raise conversion rate and still bring in less revenue. That makes it a better outcome metric for tests and campaigns.
How can you increase revenue per visitor?
Raise conversion rate, average order value or both, for example with a faster checkout, better product pages and relevant recommendations. Traffic that matches your range more closely also helps. Measure by traffic source, as revenue per visitor varies widely between sources.
Further reading
- KPI libraryE-commerce KPIs: formulas and examplesE-commerce KPIs cover visitors, orders, returns and margin per channel. The data comes from your web shop, marketplaces and payment provider, alongside purchasing and stock from your ERP.Read more
- ResourcesHow to build a KPI dashboard: steps and examplesA KPI dashboard is an overview of the key figures you use to steer towards your goals, such as revenue, margin, on-time delivery or absenteeism. A good KPI dashboard does not start with the software, but with the decisions it needs to support. You then choose a limited number of KPIs, define them, sketch the dashboard and only then build it.Read more
- SolutionPower BI dashboard portal: share dashboards securelyShare your Power BI dashboards securely in your own portal, with role-based access.Read more
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