Customer lifetime value (CLV) is a key figure in marketing and sales. It measures the total financial value of a customer over the entire duration of the business relationship. Companies use CLV to assess customer profitability and develop targeted strategies for customer retention and acquisition.
A simple formula for calculating CLV is:
clv=average order value×purchase frequency×customer lifetimeCLV =\ text {average order value}\ times\ text {purchase frequency}\ times\ text {customer lifetime}
Expanded models also take into account costs such as marketing spending, customer service, and discounts to enable an even more accurate assessment of customer profitability.
The CLV helps companies to use their resources efficiently and to operate profitably in the long term. An overview of the most important benefits:
Several factors determine how high a customer's CLV is:
Companies can actively increase CLV by taking the following measures:
Customer lifetime value is an essential indicator for companies that want to work profitably in the long term. Through targeted customer loyalty measures, CLV can be increased, which has a direct effect on the company's success. Companies should therefore continuously adjust their strategies to maximize the value of each customer.