Two numbers called "conversions" can describe completely different things. The ad platform counts a form submission or a call click. Your business counts a booked estimate, a won job, a paid invoice. Mixing them is how marketing reports end up looking great while the calendar stays empty.
Keep five numbers separate
| Number | Comes from | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Network conversions | The ad platform | Actions the platform could see |
| Inquiries | Your CRM | Real people who contacted you |
| Estimated pipeline | Your CRM | Value of open opportunities, an estimate |
| Invoiced revenue | Your records | Billed work |
| Collected revenue | Your records | Money received |
Preserve the source
Every ad link should carry UTM tags. Your lead form should store them along with click IDs (gclid, fbclid, ttclid) and the landing page. That's what lets you connect a won job back to a campaign and a creative.
First touch vs. this touch
Store the contact's first touch once and never overwrite it. Store each opportunity's own touch separately. A repeat customer coming back through a branded search isn't new demand created by your latest campaign.
Check data freshness before acting
Before changing budgets, confirm the data is recent and sufficient: enough days, enough inquiries. Acting on stale or thin data is how good campaigns get switched off.
A weekly review in ten minutes
- Inquiries by original source, new customers only.
- Booked and won by campaign.
- Cost per inquiry (network spend ÷ CRM inquiries), labelled as derived.
- Open follow-ups older than a day.
- Creatives due for a refresh.