Agency cannot prove client profitability
Community signal
Agencies report revenue and ROAS, but clients increasingly ask for profit. Without cost data, the agency cannot prove it drove profit.
In real life: A client questions retainer value because the agency only shows ROAS, not profit after the full cost stack.
AgencyShopify / DTC
Data you need
- requiredClient order data with costs. COGS, shipping, fees, discounts.
- requiredAd spend managed. To compute POAS for the client.
Formula
Client profit contribution
Net Revenue - COGS - Shipping - Fees - AdsThe number a profit-focused client actually wants. (Net Revenue is already after discounts and refunds.)
Key insight
- Profit reporting differentiates an agency from ROAS shops.
- It requires client cost data, not just ad metrics.
Action checklist
- 1Collect each client cost stack · hard · onboarding
COGS and fees, not just spend. - 2Report profit and POAS, not just ROAS · medium · per cycle
Speak the client owner language. - 3Tie recommendations to profit impact · medium · per cycle
Defend the retainer with money.
Money impact · Improve clarity
Lets an agency prove profit impact, strengthening retention and pricing power, without inventing numbers.
Common mistakes
- Reporting only ROAS to a profit-minded client.
- Lacking client cost data to compute profit.
How Okiela helps
Per-store profit, workspace-readybeta
Okiela computes true profit per store, useful for multi-client reporting.
Trust & sources
- Community signalAgencies shifting from ROAS-only to profit reporting is a widely reported community pain
Last reviewed 2026-06-22 · Confidence 3/5