“ROI” (return on investment) is a buzzword in its own right, but most marketers will tell you that it deserves to be. As bottom-line figures go, it’s one of the most reliable ways to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. The concept is simple—if you’re making more money than you’re spending, you’re doing well, and if you’re spending more money than you’re making, something’s wrong and you need to change.
But there’s a trap people fall into—thinking that ROI is the only thing that matters, or holding a skewed perception about what ROI really is. If you focus exclusively on ROI, ignoring all other metrics and developments, is it possible to still be successful in online marketing?