Most SaaS owners focus on the obvious metrics—monthly recurring revenue (MRR), churn rate, and customer acquisition cost (CAC). While these are important, they only tell part of the story.

If you are running a white-labeled GoHighLevel SaaS, you need a deeper understanding of your numbers to make better decisions, reduce churn, and increase revenue.

This guide will cover the overlooked SaaS metrics that have a direct impact on growth, retention, and profitability.

Why SaaS Metrics Matter

Your SaaS business is a machine. If you only focus on surface-level numbers, you won’t know what’s happening under the hood.

• A high MRR looks good, but if your activation rate is low, clients are not seeing value.
• A low churn rate is great, but if customer lifetime value (LTV) is also low, you may not be charging enough.
• High revenue means nothing if your expansion revenue isn’t growing.
  
  

By tracking the right metrics, you gain insights into client behavior and can optimize your pricing, onboarding, and retention strategies.

The Overlooked SaaS Metrics That Impact Growth

1. Activation Rate: The Hidden Cause of Churn

Most SaaS owners track churn, but by the time a client cancels, it’s already too late. The real issue often starts during onboarding.

Activation Rate = (Number of users who complete key onboarding actions ÷ Number of new users) x 100

A low activation rate means:

• Clients sign up but don’t experience a quick win.
• They don’t set up their automation or CRM, leading to low engagement.
• Churn happens within the first 30-60 days because they never saw the value.
  
  

How to Improve Activation:

• Ensure every new user completes at least one major action in the first 24-48 hours.
• Use an onboarding checklist inside the dashboard.
• Send automated follow-ups reminding users to set up key features.

2. Net Revenue Retention (NRR): The True Growth Indicator

Many SaaS owners focus on new sales, but the real growth comes from expansion revenue.

NRR measures how much revenue you retain (or expand) from existing clients, even after accounting for churn.

NRR = (Starting MRR + Expansion MRR – Churned MRR) ÷ Starting MRR x 100

If NRR is above 100%, your business is growing even without acquiring new customers.
If NRR is below 100%, you are losing revenue faster than you can replace it.

How to Increase NRR:

• Offer higher-tier plans that existing clients can upgrade to.
• Introduce add-ons and upsells (such as AI automation, additional users, or premium support).
• Reduce downgrades by ensuring clients see ongoing value.

   

3. Expansion MRR: The Key to Long-Term Growth

While new sales drive initial revenue, expansion revenue determines long-term profitability.

Expansion MRR = Additional revenue from existing customers (upsells, add-ons, upgrades).

A healthy SaaS should have 20-30% of its MRR coming from expansion revenue.

How to Increase Expansion MRR:

• Introduce a usage-based pricing model (for example, charge more as clients generate more leads).
• Offer premium features that clients can unlock.
• Create a VIP plan with done-for-you setup or priority support.

   

4. Time to Value (TTV): How Fast Clients See Results

TTV measures how long it takes for a client to experience real value from your SaaS.

If your TTV is too long, clients get frustrated and churn before they see results.

How to Reduce Time to Value:

• Simplify onboarding with pre-built templates and guided walkthroughs.
• Offer a white-glove onboarding service for high-ticket plans.
• Automate welcome emails and video tutorials to get users started faster.

   

5. Feature Adoption Rate: Are Clients Using What They Pay For?

If users aren’t adopting key features, they are more likely to churn.

Feature Adoption Rate = (Number of active users of a feature ÷ Total users) x 100

For example, if only 20% of users are using automated follow-ups, that’s a red flag.

How to Improve Feature Adoption:

• Highlight underutilized features with in-app notifications.
• Offer quick training videos or tooltips explaining key features.
• Use case studies showing how other clients benefited from those features.
   

6. Customer Support Load: Is Your SaaS Too Complicated?

Many SaaS owners don’t track how often users ask for support.

If your support tickets are high, your platform might be too complex or unclear.

How to Reduce Support Load:

• Improve your knowledge base and video tutorials to answer common questions.
• Simplify your onboarding flow to prevent confusion.
• Use chatbots or AI-powered help desks to resolve issues faster.

   

7. Customer Acquisition Payback Period (CAPP): How Long Until You Break Even?

If you spend $200 to acquire a customer and they only pay $97/month, it takes over two months just to break even.

CAPP = CAC ÷ Monthly Revenue Per Customer

If your payback period is too long, you need to:

• Increase your pricing or add higher-ticket tiers.
• Reduce acquisition costs by improving conversion rates.
• Offer annual billing discounts to get more cash upfront.

8. Logo Churn vs. Revenue Churn: Understanding the Difference

Many SaaS owners track churn rate, but not all churn is the same.

• Logo churn = Number of customers lost
• Revenue churn = Amount of revenue lost
  
  

If only small clients are canceling, your logo churn might be high, but revenue churn is low. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

However, if high-value clients are leaving, revenue churn will be high, and that’s a bigger issue.

How to Reduce High-Value Client Churn:

• Offer exclusive benefits for long-term clients.
• Provide personalized support for high-ticket plans.
• Gather exit feedback to find out why big clients are leaving.

Final Thoughts: Tracking the Right SaaS Metrics for Growth

If you only track MRR and churn, you’re missing critical insights into your SaaS performance.

The Key SaaS Metrics You Should Be Tracking

✔ Activation Rate – Are clients completing onboarding?
✔ Net Revenue Retention (NRR) – Are you growing from existing customers?
✔ Expansion MRR – How much revenue comes from upsells?
✔ Time to Value (TTV) – How quickly do clients see results?
✔ Feature Adoption Rate – Are users engaging with key features?
✔ Customer Support Load – Is your SaaS too complex?
✔ Customer Acquisition Payback Period (CAPP) – How fast do you recover acquisition costs?
✔ Logo vs. Revenue Churn – Are you losing small clients or high-value clients?

By tracking these often-overlooked metrics, you can increase retention, boost revenue, and scale more effectively.