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Cost per signed case by source: compare how you get clients
Type what each source cost, its leads and its signed cases. See what each signed client cost, from ads to lead vendors to referrals, and one next step.
Why compare by signed case?
Cost per lead rewards the source that brings the most calls, not the one that brings clients. A source that is cheap per lead can be the most expensive per signed client, and the other way round. This tool divides your own numbers so you can see what each signed client cost, by where they came from.
Use the same period for every row, such as the last quarter, and count signed cases by the same rule in each. The cost per signed case definition in The Probative Standard explains how.
Your numbers, by source
Fill in only the sources you use. Cost is everything you paid for that source in the period: ad spend, fees and vendor charges. Leave leads empty if you do not know them.
How should I read the result?
The result orders your sources from cheapest to most expensive per signed client and names one source to look at first. It is not a forecast and not a score against other firms: it only divides what you typed. A short period or a handful of signed cases can move the order a lot, so repeat it every quarter. For what belongs in each row, read lead vendor vs agency vs in-house.
How was this built?
What it covers. Nine ways a firm gets new clients (its own search ads, Local Services Ads, SEO and the Google profile, social ads, a lead vendor, a pay-per-case vendor, directories, broadcast and mail, and referrals), compared by what each signed client cost.
Method. For each source you type the cost, the leads and the signed cases for the same period. The browser divides your own numbers (cost by signed cases, cost by leads, signed cases by leads), orders the sources and names one to look at first. Nothing you type is stored or sent.
Limits. It only divides what you type. It is not a forecast, not a return-on-ad-spend figure and not a score against other firms. A short period or a handful of signed cases can change the order, so repeat it each quarter.
Related
Questions people ask
What counts as the cost of a source?
Everything you paid for it in the period: ad spend, management fees, vendor charges and directory fees. Use the same period for every source so the rows can be compared.
Is this a return-on-ad-spend calculator?
No. It divides your own cost by your own signed cases and leads. It does not estimate fees, revenue or what any source will bring next.
Why does it name only one next step?
Because changing one thing at a time is how you learn what worked. Fix the source it names, then run the same numbers again next quarter.
Sources
- Cost per signed case, as defined in The Probative StandardAccessed October 28, 2026
- The Probative Standard: how we count leads, signed cases and costAccessed October 26, 2026
- Google Ads Help: About offline conversion importsAccessed October 26, 2026
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