What are the Most Important Metrics to Track During a Product Launch

Before tracking anything else, identify your Launch North Star metric. This is the single number that proves whether the product is delivering value to the user. Without it, every other metric is just noise.

For different business models, the North Star looks different:

• SaaS: activated accounts, teams completing their first workflow, or projects successfully created

• Ecommerce: first-time buyers

• Mobile apps: day 7 active users

• Marketplaces: successful transactions or bookings

Bad vs good examples:

• Weak North Star: “Number of sign-ups” (this is activity, not value).

• Strong North Star: “Percentage of new accounts that complete their first workflow within 7 days” (this shows value delivered).

Why the North Star is essential

The North Star metric focuses your team’s attention on real value, not just activity. Everything else you track should support this one number. Without a North Star, teams can spend time optimizing metrics that do not impact actual product success.

Once you pick a North Star for a launch, avoid changing it mid-way unless your entire strategy or target audience clearly shifts. Constantly swapping the North Star makes it impossible to learn from your data.

How to choose your North Star in 3 questions

1. Who is your core user for this launch?

2. What action shows they gained value from the product?

3. Within what time frame should they complete this action?

Real-world example

Imagine a B2B project management tool. Its North Star could be “teams that create and complete their first project within ten days.” For a direct-to-consumer skincare brand, the North Star might be “first-time buyers within two weeks of launch.” Both measure value, but they are specific to the user and product context.

Metrics tracked before launch can predict whether your product will succeed. Ignoring these early signals often results in wasted spend and a weak start.

2.1 Qualified Waitlist and Lead Intent

Not all sign-ups are equal. A long waitlist looks impressive, but it is meaningless if the people on it are not genuinely interested.

Metrics to track:

• Number of qualified sign-ups

• Demo requests

• Early access registrations

• Engagement with pre-launch content like emails, webinars, or guides

Why this matters: If people who have actively expressed interest engage with your content, it’s a strong signal that your product will find its audience. Low engagement at this stage warns you that your message or positioning may need improvement before launch.

Common mistake: Counting all sign-ups as equal. Focus only on those who actively engage with content or request demos.

Directional benchmark: If fewer than, say, 30–40% of your pre-launch list opens or clicks important launch emails, treat it as a sign that your positioning or audience targeting needs work before launch day.

Example: A SaaS tool for marketing teams saw 500 sign-ups, but only 50 attended the pre-launch webinar. The team realized their messaging was unclear and updated it before launch, leading to a much higher conversion rate on launch day.

2.2 Landing Page Conversion and Message Fit

Your landing page is your first real test in the market. High traffic is useless if visitors don’t sign up.

Metrics to track:

• Visitor-to-sign-up conversion rate

• Conversion segmented by traffic source (organic, paid, social, referral)

Why this matters: Low conversion rates often indicate that your positioning, offer, or targeting is off. Fixing these issues before launch strengthens your first-week performance and reduces wasted ad spend.

Directional benchmark:

• For warm, pre-launch traffic (email list, existing audience), a conversion rate below roughly 20–25% is a warning sign. For colder paid traffic, you may accept a lower rate, but anything in the low single digits should push you to refine your message or audience.

Example: A D2C brand tested two landing page variations. Version A had long product descriptions; Version B had a clear headline, benefits listed in bullets, and a visible trust badge. Version B increased sign-ups by 20% before launch.

2.3 Beta Usage, Activation, and Satisfaction

Beta testers are your early advocates. How they interact with your product predicts general adoption.

Metrics to track:

• Percentage of beta users who reach your activation event

• Feature usage patterns

• Simple satisfaction measures such as NPS or CSAT

Why this matters: If beta users fail to reach value or provide negative feedback, broad launch adoption will likely suffer. This early insight allows you to fix onboarding, messaging, or UX issues before launch.

Turning feedback into action:

• If support tickets and survey comments repeatedly mention confusion at a particular step (for example, connecting an integration), that is a direct signal to simplify or better explain that step. Fixing this will usually improve activation, time to value, and retention.

Launch week reveals whether your product and marketing efforts cut through the noise.

3.1 New Users, Trials, and Qualified Leads

Track the number of new accounts, trial starts, and qualified leads generated during launch week.

Why it matters: Comparing these numbers against your pre-defined targets shows immediately whether your launch is performing. If numbers are lower than expected, you can adjust campaigns in real-time instead of waiting weeks for results.

Example: A SaaS tool aimed to generate 500 trial accounts in week one. Only 300 were created. The team quickly improved ad targeting and messaging, hitting the goal by day 5.

3.2 Activation Rate: How Many Reach “First Value”

Activation rate is the most telling metric of launch health.

Calculation: Activated users ÷ total new sign-ups Activation should align with your North Star metric.

Why it matters: You could have thousands of new sign-ups, but if only a small fraction reaches the first meaningful milestone, your product or onboarding may need improvement. High activation shows the product delivers clear value.

Directional benchmark:

• If fewer than around 40–50% of your new sign-ups hit the activation event (for example, creating a first project or placing a first order), treat onboarding, guidance, and expectation-setting as urgent priorities before increasing traffic. Exact targets will vary by product, but a very low activation rate is always a red flag.

Example: A mobile productivity app noticed that new sign-ups were high, but only 30% completed their first task. After simplifying the onboarding and highlighting the first task, activation rose to 65%, directly increasing long-term engagement.

3.3 Time to Value (TTV)

TTV measures how long it takes for a user to experience value after signing up.

Why it matters: A short TTV increases satisfaction and reduces churn. Long TTV often signals friction in onboarding, unclear guidance, or confusing interfaces. Reducing TTV during launch can rescue underperforming cohorts.

Practical fix: Templates, guided tours, pre-populated settings, and clear next-step prompts can dramatically reduce TTV. Ask a simple question for each step in your onboarding: “Can the user skip or automate this?” If the answer is yes, remove or streamline it to shorten TTV.

3.4 Cost Per Activated User

Traditional CPC or CAC metrics show how much you spend to acquire a lead, but they do not reflect actual value realization.

Calculation: Total marketing and sales spend ÷ number of activated users or first-time buyers

Why it matters: This metric ensures that every pound or euro spent contributes to real adoption. Channels with low CPC but poor activation may appear efficient but are not.

Common mistake: Optimising for the cheapest clicks or sign-ups instead of the lowest cost per activated user. A channel with higher CPC but strong activation can be far more profitable than a cheap channel with unqualified traffic.