GROWINGTER
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A store is six phases that depend on each other

We call them product, acquisition, conversion, progression, recurrence and scalability. A weak phase drags the others down, so we review all six before changing anything, and then we start with the one that costs you the most.

Before the six phases: numbers you can trust

The first thing we check is the measurement itself: tracking, attribution and margin by product. If those numbers are wrong, every decision built on them is wrong too.

Phase 1

Product

Is the catalog built to sell at a profit?

We look at what you sell before we look at how you sell it: margin by product, which items bring in first-time buyers, which ones get reordered, and how prices and pack sizes are set.

What we check

  • Best sellers that carry the lowest margin.
  • Products that are out of stock half the month.
  • Pack sizes and bundles that nobody designed on purpose.
  • Products that bring customers back, and products that never do.

How it affects the four numbers

AOV
Moves it directly
Bundles, pack sizes and price steps decide how much fits in one order.
CR
Moves it indirectly
A clear range and stock that is really available make the decision easier.
LTV
Moves it directly
Products that get used up and reordered are the base of repeat revenue.
RPC
Moves it directly
A catalog with an obvious next purchase raises what each customer spends in a year.

Phase 2

Acquisition

Who arrives, and are they the right people?

We look at where traffic and first orders come from, what each channel costs and what kind of customer it brings. Cheap traffic that never buys again ends up being expensive.

What we check

  • Revenue and margin by acquisition channel.
  • Welcome discounts that attract one-time buyers.
  • Landing pages that do not match the ad that sent the visitor.
  • How many new subscribers turn into customers.

How it affects the four numbers

AOV
Moves it indirectly
The channel and the offer set the size of the first basket. A heavy welcome discount shrinks it.
CR
Moves it directly
Traffic that matches the page converts; traffic bought on the wrong promise does not.
LTV
Moves it directly
Some channels bring customers who come back and others do not. We measure it channel by channel.
RPC
Moves it indirectly
Better matched customers spend more over the year without anything else changing.

Phase 3

Conversion

What stops a visitor from buying?

We go through the store as a customer would, on a phone, from the ad to the confirmation email. Then we check the data to see where people drop off.

What we check

  • Delivery dates and costs that only appear at checkout.
  • A checkout that requires an account.
  • Product pages with no answer on sizes, materials or returns.
  • Slow pages caused by apps nobody uses.

How it affects the four numbers

AOV
Moves it indirectly
Cart and checkout add-ons raise the basket when they relate to what is already in it.
CR
Moves it directly
This is where CRO work happens: product pages, cart, checkout and page speed.
LTV
Moves it indirectly
A first purchase with no surprises in delivery makes the second one more likely.
RPC
Moves it indirectly
Customers who bought once without friction are easier to bring back within the same year.

Phase 4

Progression

What happens after the first order?

Progression means moving a customer from the first order to the second, and from one category to the next. We look at timing, at the products that usually come next and at the messages that ask for them.

What we check

  • Time between the first and the second order.
  • The products customers usually buy next.
  • Post-purchase emails that only say thank you.
  • Cross-sell offers that ignore what the customer already bought.

How it affects the four numbers

AOV
Moves it directly
Upgrades and larger formats offered at the right moment raise the next basket.
CR
Moves it indirectly
Returning customers convert better than new visitors, so the store average goes up.
LTV
Moves it directly
The second order is where lifetime value starts to build.
RPC
Moves it directly
More orders per customer and bigger baskets both show up here.

Phase 5

Recurrence

Do customers come back without a discount?

We look at repeat purchase, subscriptions and replenishment, and at the email and SMS program behind them. The goal is regular revenue that does not depend on a discount code every week.

What we check

  • Replenishment reminders timed to how long the product lasts.
  • Subscriptions or loyalty mechanics that suit the product.
  • Email flows in Klaviyo or Alia that nobody has reviewed in a year.
  • How much revenue only arrives when there is a code.

How it affects the four numbers

AOV
Moves it indirectly
Loyal customers add to the order when the offer fits. We avoid teaching them to wait for sales.
CR
Moves it indirectly
Visits from email and SMS come from people who already know you, which lifts the overall rate.
LTV
Moves it directly
This is the phase that builds lifetime value month after month.
RPC
Moves it directly
More purchases per year means more revenue per customer, with no extra acquisition cost.

Phase 6

Scalability

Can the business grow without the margin breaking?

We look at what happens to the operation when orders double: logistics, stock, customer service, tools and data. Growth that needs one more person for every few hundred orders does not scale.

What we check

  • Manual tasks that grow with every order.
  • Stock and order data that live in more than one system.
  • Shipping costs and delivery times by carrier.
  • Reports that someone builds by hand every week.

How it affects the four numbers

AOV
Moves it indirectly
Shipping and handling costs set the smallest order worth sending, and with it the free-shipping threshold.
CR
Moves it indirectly
Accurate stock and reliable delivery dates prevent lost sales and canceled orders.
LTV
Moves it indirectly
Late or wrong deliveries end customer relationships. An operation that works keeps them going.
RPC
Moves it indirectly
Systems that hold up let you run more campaigns and launches without losing control.

The six phases and the four numbers

Summary of which numbers each phase moves directly and indirectly.
PhaseAOVCRLTVRPC
ProductMoves it directlyMoves it indirectlyMoves it directlyMoves it directly
AcquisitionMoves it indirectlyMoves it directlyMoves it directlyMoves it indirectly
ConversionMoves it indirectlyMoves it directlyMoves it indirectlyMoves it indirectly
ProgressionMoves it directlyMoves it indirectlyMoves it directlyMoves it directly
RecurrenceMoves it indirectlyMoves it indirectlyMoves it directlyMoves it directly
ScalabilityMoves it indirectlyMoves it indirectlyMoves it indirectlyMoves it indirectly

How a project works

Everything happens remotely: video calls, shared documents and access to your tools. These are the steps, in order.

We talk by video call and email, and you can follow progress at any time in documents we share with you.

  1. 1

    First conversation

    A video call to understand the store, the numbers that worry you and what you have already tried. If we are not the right fit, we tell you.

    • Video call
    • Your numbers and goals
  2. 2

    Access and data

    You give us read access to the store, analytics and email platform. We pull orders, margins, traffic sources and customer data.

    • Read-only access
    • Orders and margins
    • Traffic sources
  3. 3

    Diagnosis

    We review the six phases and send you a written diagnosis: where revenue and margin are being lost, and what to do first.

    • Six phases reviewed
    • Written report
  4. 4

    Proposal

    We agree on the scope and how it is billed, by the hour or by project, before any work starts.

    • Scope
    • By the hour or by project
  5. 5

    Work

    We build the changes or work alongside your team, in short cycles with one clear goal each. Every change has a number to watch.

    • Short cycles
    • One number per change
  6. 6

    Monthly review

    Every month we review the four numbers and the margin in a report written in business terms, not channel jargon. We keep what works and drop what does not.

    • Business report
    • Keep or drop

What the diagnosis looks like

A written document you can share with your team. This is its structure; the content comes from your own data.

Store diagnosis

Prepared for your store

1. Baseline

  • AOV
  • Conversion rate
  • LTV
  • Revenue per customer
  • Gross margin

2. Where revenue and margin leak, phase by phase

  • Product
  • Acquisition
  • Conversion
  • Progression
  • Recurrence
  • Scalability

3. Priorities

  1. What to fix first, and why
  2. Who does it: your team, your agencies or us
  3. The number each change should move
Example of the structure. The bars are illustrative, not data.

Send us your store and the number you want to change.

Tell us which platform you sell on and where you think the problem is. We reply by email with the next steps.

Tell us about your store