Last update: 16/06/2023

In a nutshell

This comprehensive guide delves into the significance of Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) as a potent metric in business success. Through this exploration, businesses can better understand how much revenue they generate per user and how they stack up against industry competitors. The article not only explains how to calculate and evaluate ARPU but also provides practical strategies to leverage it for sustainable growth. This includes segmenting customer bases, forecasting revenues, and even assessing the effectiveness of various growth strategies like upselling or price optimization. To illustrate the concepts, the article incorporates a real-world case study from the green cleaning industry. Whether you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or non-marketer interested in business strategy, this guide equips you with the knowledge and tools to transform ARPU from a simple number into actionable business insights.

In the Marketing Canvas

The Marketing Canvas is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs and non-marketers to build a robust marketing strategy. It consists of six meta-dimensions, each with four sub-dimensions, for a total of 24 sub-dimensions defining your Marketing Strategy. One of these sub-dimensions is ARPU, which falls under the METRICS meta-category.

Defining ARPU

ARPU, an acronym for Average Revenue Per User, holds significant weight in mobile telecom businesses and, indeed, any business that operates on a user-based model. This value-oriented metric is calculated by dividing the total revenue by the number of active users within a specific time frame, typically a month. The active users, in this context, generally refer to paying customers.

At its core, ARPU is a simple and unambiguous measure that facilitates direct comparisons with competitors, customer base segmentation, and financial forecasting. A business with a higher ARPU, assuming all other factors are constant, enjoys superior profitability.

ARPU's importance is twofold. Firstly, it serves as a testament to a business's customer-centricity, if measured accurately. A company that keeps track of its ARPU has a precise understanding of which clients contribute most significantly to their revenues (the top 10%), and those whose contribution is more modest (the bottom 10%). This metric also reveals the elements contributing to the revenues for each client.

Secondly, a strategy that focuses on improving ARPU is an effective approach to business growth. In the Marketing Canvas framework, we assess whether your ARPU aligns with and advances your business goals. A low ARPU, in comparison to your competitors, implies that each new customer acquired will generate less revenue than a new customer for your competitors. This scenario represents a hurdle that may be overcome by attracting more high-value customers through a stronger brand and value proposition.

Marketing Canvas Method - Metrics - ARPU

Guidelines

ARPU provides an easy, high-level benchmark to compare how much revenue one company generates from its users relative to another.
Examining ARPU by customer segments can yield valuable insights, particularly when paired with other metrics.
Many financial models start by forecasting your user numbers based on customer acquisition and retention assumptions. By multiplying this number by your ARPU, you can generate a revenue forecast.

Tools for ARPU

Calculating and tracking ARPU is straightforward, but requires the right tools. Revenue tracking software and business intelligence platforms can facilitate the process by automatically calculating ARPU over a given time period. Tools like Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, or Google Analytics are widely used for this purpose. It's crucial to ensure that these tools integrate seamlessly with your accounting or CRM systems to deliver accurate results.

Customer segmentation tools can also be helpful in analysing ARPU across different groups. For example, you might find that customers in a particular geographic area or of a certain age group have a higher ARPU. You can then focus your marketing efforts on attracting more of these high-ARPU customers.

Translating ARPU into Action

After calculating and analysing ARPU, it's time to leverage this metric to inform strategic decisions. A high ARPU relative to your competitors suggests a strong value proposition and efficient monetization. Conversely, a low ARPU may indicate the need for improvement.

If your ARPU is lower than desired, consider strategies such as upselling or cross-selling to existing customers. You could also revise your pricing strategy or explore new revenue streams. For instance, a SaaS company with a low ARPU might consider launching a premium tier of service.

Another way to increase ARPU is by refining your marketing efforts to attract high-value customers. By analyzing customer segments, you can identify the characteristics of your highest-value customers and then target similar prospects.

Question

Is the ARPU of your users helping you achieve your goals?

Assessing ARPU is vital to gauge whether it aids in attaining your objectives. To evaluate comprehensively, rate your agreement with the below statements on a scale from -3 (completely disagree) to +3 (completely agree):

You are capable to measure ARPU because you know who is buying and using your products and services.
The average purchase frequency of your users is above industry average and above direct competitors.
The average spending of each purchase of your users is above industry average and above direct competitors.
The historical trend of your ARPU evolution is positive (growth) and present a positive outlook for next year.

In addition to these statements, consider how ARPU interacts with other important metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV). For example, a high ARPU is even more beneficial if it is combined with a low CAC, leading to a high CLTV/CAC ratio.

Green clean use case

Let's examine how ARPU plays a role in the green cleaning industry. Assume we have a company named "Green Clean," which sells eco-friendly cleaning products through a subscription model.

Green Clean's total revenue for June is $200,000, and they have 5,000 active subscribers. This gives them an ARPU of $40 ($200,000 / 5,000). They find that the industry average ARPU is $35, so Green Clean's ARPU is higher than average, which is positive.

Green Clean then segments its customers by type: residential and commercial. They find that residential customers have an ARPU of $30, while commercial customers have an ARPU of $60. This information tells Green Clean that commercial customers are more valuable to them, so they decide to enhance their marketing efforts towards this segment to attract more high-ARPU customers and increase overall ARPU.

Conclusion

In essence, ARPU is a crucial metric that reveals the average revenue generated per user, shedding light on customer value and the effectiveness of monetization strategies. A high ARPU can be a potent weapon in a company's arsenal, contributing to higher profitability and paving the way for sustainable growth.

However, calculating and tracking ARPU is just the first step. Transforming this metric into actionable insights is key. Analyzing ARPU across different customer segments and devising strategies to increase it will keep a business competitive and customer-centric.

Whether you're in the telecom industry, where ARPU is a ubiquitous term, or another business operating on a user-based model, this simple yet powerful metric is not to be overlooked. It provides insights into your company's performance today and paves the way for tomorrow's success.