Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)

Cost per acquisition, or CPA, measures advertising cost divided by the number of defined acquisitions or conversions attributed to that advertising. A lawn care business might track the average ad spend per measured booked estimate, provided booking events are reliably recorded. The result depends on what counts as an acquisition: a form submission, appointment, and paying customer are not interchangeable. CPA also may not include staff time, agency fees, or other acquisition costs. Customer Acquisition Cost is often broader, while Cost Per Lead specifically measures the cost of generating inquiries. Define the outcome before comparing numbers.