Are you running a tattoo shop business but not sure if it’s performing well? Don't worry, you are not alone. Tattoo shops can find it hard to determine how to track their success. But by understanding the core metrics that can uncover the strengths and weaknesses of your business, you can make more informed decisions. In this article, we will explore the top seven tattoo shop KPI metrics, so you can ensure your business is on track towards success.

  • Percentage of repeat customers: Measuring the percentage of repeat customers will show how many people return to your business and how loyal they are to it. This will affect your revenue in the long run, so it’s important to understand it.
  • Average revenue per customer: By tracking the average revenue per customer, you can see how much each customer is spending at your shop, allowing you to identify the areas with high and low revenue streams.
  • Customer satisfaction rating: Tracking the customer satisfaction rating lets you know how well your business is performing in terms of customer service and quality of work. It is important to aim for high scores, as they will help to attract new customers.

These are just a few of the KPIs that every tattoo shop should track. If you're serious about growing your business, you should be constantly exploring and tracking new KPIs. Continue reading to find out more about why these metrics are crucial for tracking your business growth.



Percentage of repeat customers

As a tattoo shop owner, it's essential to track your customer retention. The Percentage of repeat customers KPI is a crucial metric that determines how many of your existing customers keep coming back to your shop. A high Percentage of repeat customers is an indicator of customer loyalty, satisfaction, and trust. When your customers become loyal, they tend to refer others, which leads to your business's growth.

Definition

Percentage of repeat customers is a KPI that analyzes the percentage of customers who visit your shop more than once. It measures customer loyalty and retention by showing how many of your customers keep returning for another tattoo.

Use Case

Understanding the Percentage of repeat customers is essential for your tattoo shop's success because it provides insights into customer loyalty. It gives you an idea of your customers' behavior, and you can use this information to create targeted marketing campaigns for customers who have not returned to your shop.

How To Calculate KPI

You can calculate the Percentage of repeat customers KPI using the following formula:

(Number of repeat customers ÷ Total customers) x 100 = Percentage of repeat customers

Calculation Example

Suppose your shop had 200 customers in the last month, and 70 of them returned to get another tattoo. Using the formula, the calculation would be:

(70 ÷ 200) x 100 = 35%

In this example, your Percentage of repeat customers is 35%, which means that 35% of your customers came back for another tattoo.

KPI Advantages

  • Helps to identify loyal customers and create targeted marketing campaigns
  • Provides insight into customer satisfaction and trust
  • Aids in forecasting future revenue

KPI Disadvantages

  • Does not take into account the frequency of customer visits
  • The Percentage of repeat customers can be affected by seasonality and other external factors
  • Does not consider the quality of the visit or the customer experience

KPI Industry Benchmarks

The Percentage of repeat customers KPI benchmark varies from one industry to another. However, the average for a tattoo shop is around 30% to 40%.

Tips & Tricks

  • Provide exceptional customer service to increase the likelihood of customers returning
  • Capture customer data to understand why customers return and when they are most likely to return
  • Use a loyalty program to incentivize customers to return and buy more tattoos


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Average revenue per customer

Definition

Average revenue per customer is a KPI that helps tattoo shop owners track the amount of revenue they generate for each customer on average. This metric is crucial for understanding the overall health of your business and helps in making data-driven decisions that can improve the bottom line.

Use Case

Calculating the average revenue per customer is essential to optimize your pricing strategies, operational processes and make effective marketing decisions. For example, knowing your average revenue per customer can help you determine the right discounts and promotions to offer. It also guides you in setting profitable pricing for new tattoo services and products.

How To Calculate KPI

The formula for calculating Average revenue per customer is:

Average revenue per customer = Total revenue generated / Number of customers

Calculation Example

Let's say your tattoo shop has generated $10,000 in revenue in one month and had 100 customers during that time. The calculation would be:

Average revenue per customer = $10,000 / 100

Average revenue per customer = $100

KPI Advantages

  • Helps you understand the success of your pricing strategies and sales performance.
  • Highlights changes in your market trends and helps you stay ahead of your competitors.
  • Enables you to analyze the lifetime value of your customers.

KPI Disadvantages

  • Does not account for customer satisfaction or customer retention rates.
  • Can be negatively influenced by a small sample size of customers.

KPI Industry Benchmarks for the KPI: 'Average revenue per customer'

Industry benchmarks vary based on the size and type of the tattoo business. However, the average revenue per customer in the tattoo industry ranges between $80-$120.

Tips & Tricks

  • Consider upselling complementary products or services to increase the per-customer revenue.
  • Ensure customer satisfaction to increase the possibility of repeat business and revenue.
  • Offer loyalty programs to incentivize customers to spend more.


Number of custom designs created

Tracking the number of custom tattoo designs created is a crucial KPI metric for tattoo shops. It helps to measure the creativity and efficiency of the tattoo artists in producing unique and personalized designs for their clients.

Definition

Number of custom designs created is the total number of custom tattoo designs made by the tattoo artists of a shop during a specific period.

Use Case

Tracking this KPI metric is essential for tattoo shops to monitor how well their artists are performing in creating custom designs. It also helps the shop owners to identify which artist is more creative and productive in creating unique designs.

How To Calculate KPI

To calculate the number of custom designs created, you need to divide the total number of custom designs created by the total number of tattoo artists during a specific period.

      Number of custom designs created = Total number of custom designs / Total number of tattoo artists

Calculation Example

Suppose a tattoo shop has four tattoo artists, and they created 100 custom tattoo designs in a month. Then, the number of custom designs created KPI metric would be:

      Number of custom designs created = 100 / 4 = 25

The number of custom designs created KPI metric for this shop would be 25.

KPI Advantages

  • The number of custom designs created helps to measure the creativity and efficiency of the tattoo artists.
  • It allows the tattoo shop owners to identify which artist is more creative and productive.
  • Tracking this KPI metric can help to increase customer satisfaction by offering unique and personalized tattoo designs.

KPI Disadvantages

  • The number of custom designs created does not reflect the quality of the designs.
  • It does not take into account the time and effort required to create each design.
  • It may not be an accurate reflection of the overall business performance as it only measures one aspect of the business.

KPI Industry Benchmarks

Industry benchmarks for the number of custom designs created KPI metric may vary depending on the size and location of the tattoo shop. However, on average, a tattoo shop should aim to create at least 20-25 custom designs per month per artist.

Tips & Tricks:

  • Encourage your artists to be more creative by offering them incentives for producing unique and personalized designs.
  • Regularly monitor and track the number of custom designs created to identify and address any issues in the production process.
  • Use social media to promote your artists' unique and personalized designs to attract more customers.


Number of new customers acquired

Definition

The number of new customers acquired KPI is a metric that tracks the number of customers a tattoo shop gains in a given period. This KPI measures the shop's ability to attract new customers, calculate the effectiveness of marketing strategies, and identify possible bottlenecks that might hinder the growth of the customer base.

Use Case

The number of new customers acquired KPI is crucial for tattoo shops looking to expand their customer base. The metric helps managers identify the most effective marketing strategies for customer acquisition and evaluate the effectiveness of current marketing strategies. This KPI can also be used to evaluate the performance of sales staff or determine the need to deploy more resources to attract potential customers.

How To Calculate KPI

To calculate the number of new customers acquired KPI, you need to follow the formula below:
(New Customers - Lost Customers) / Total Customers
Where:
  • New Customers = number of new customers acquired during the period
  • Lost Customers = number of customers lost during the period
  • Total Customers = total number of customers at the end of the period

Calculation Example

Suppose a tattoo shop had 900 customers at the beginning of the quarter and acquired 200 new customers during the period. However, the shop lost 120 customers within the same period. Using the formula above, we can calculate the number of new customers acquired KPI as follows:
(200 - 120) / 900 = 0.08 or 8%
Therefore, the number of new customers acquired KPI is 8% for that period.

KPI Advantages

  • Identifies the effectiveness of marketing strategies in attracting new customers to the tattoo shop
  • Enables the management team to track progress and assess the effectiveness of sales and marketing strategies over time
  • Identifies possible bottlenecks in the customer acquisition process and triggers the management team to modify strategies and tactics

KPI Disadvantages

  • The KPI does not account for the quality of the customers acquired, it only measures the number of new customers acquired
  • The KPI does not distinguish between repeat customers and new customers acquired

KPI Industry Benchmarks for the KPI: 'Number of new customers acquired'

The industry benchmark for the number of new customers acquired KPI varies between 5%-20% depending on the specific niche within the tattoo industry. However, this KPI varies greatly by location and market saturation.

Tips & Tricks

  • Use digital marketing channels like social media marketing, influencer marketing, SEO, PPC, and email marketing to boost the number of new customers acquired
  • Capture customer data like emails and phone numbers to create personalized and targeted marketing campaigns
  • Ensure that the customer service experience is top-notch to keep the customer base and increase the retention rate


Customer satisfaction rating

Definition

Customer satisfaction rating is a KPI that measures how happy your customers are with your services and products. It’s an essential metric to track as it gives you insight into how well you are meeting your customer needs and expectations.

Use Case

High customer satisfaction rating means your customers are happy and content with the quality of products and services, and that is one of the most vital aspects of building a successful business. By tracking this KPI, you can identify where you need to improve and optimize customer satisfaction, leading to higher customer loyalty and retention rate.

How To Calculate KPI

Customer satisfaction rating requires surveying customers and asking them about their experience and satisfaction levels. You should use a scale of 1-10 (or stars) to rate their satisfaction, with 10 being the highest satisfaction level.

Customer Satisfaction Rating = (Number of 9-10 responses/Total number of responses) x 100

Calculation Example

Suppose you surveyed 100 customers, and 80 of them answered, with 60 of them giving a rating of 9-10. Then the calculation for customer satisfaction rating is:

Customer Satisfaction Rating = (60/80) x 100 = 75%

KPI Advantages

  • Helps identify customer pain points and areas of improvement
  • Encourages customer loyalty and retention
  • Provides actionable insight to improve customer service and experience

KPI Disadvantages

  • Can be subjective as it’s based on customer perception and opinion
  • May be difficult to survey all customers or get a high response rate
  • Results may not translate directly into revenue or sales

KPI Industry Benchmarks

In general, a customer satisfaction rating of 80% or above is considered an excellent benchmark. However, the benchmark may vary depending on the industry and product or service.

Quick Tips

  • Offer incentives or rewards to encourage customer feedback
  • Segment your customer base to survey them based on their purchase history and other factors
  • Ensure your survey questions are clear and concise to avoid misunderstandings


Percentage of revenue generated from ancillary products

Definition

Percentage of revenue generated from ancillary products refers to the portion of a tattoo shop's total revenue that comes from products or services other than tattooing. This KPI is useful for evaluating the effectiveness of a shop's merchandising strategy, as well as its ability to generate additional revenue from non-core products and services.

Use Case

For tattoo shops looking to diversify their revenue streams, focusing on ancillary products can be an effective strategy. For example, a shop might sell branded clothing, jewelry, or other merchandise to customers, or offer services like piercings or permanent makeup. Tracking the percentage of revenue generated from ancillary products can help shop owners identify which products or services are most popular with customers and make data-driven decisions about how to allocate resources.

How To Calculate KPI

To calculate the percentage of revenue generated from ancillary products, follow this formula:

(Revenue from ancillary products / Total Revenue) x 100

Calculation Example

Assume that in a given month, a tattoo shop generates $50,000 in total revenue, of which $10,000 comes from ancillary products. To calculate the percentage of revenue generated from ancillary products, use the formula:

($10,000 / $50,000) x 100 = 20%

Therefore, in this case, 20% of the shop's total revenue comes from ancillary products.

KPI Advantages

  • Indicates the effectiveness of a tattoo shop's merchandising strategy.
  • Helps shops identify popular products and services that can be used to generate additional revenue.
  • Can be used to evaluate the return on investment for marketing and advertising campaigns.

KPI Disadvantages

  • Does not take into account the cost of goods sold for ancillary products, which can impact profitability.
  • May be less relevant for tattoo shops that do not rely heavily on ancillary products for revenue.

KPI Industry Benchmarks

Industry benchmarks for the percentage of revenue generated from ancillary products vary depending on location, size, and other factors. However, a 2018 survey of tattoo shop owners conducted by Tattoo Smart found that the average percentage of revenue generated from non-tattoo products and services was approximately 15%.

Tips & Tricks

  • Consider offering a loyalty program or other incentives to encourage customers to purchase ancillary products.
  • Regularly evaluate the profitability of each ancillary product or service to ensure that it is contributing positively to the shop's bottom line.
  • Use data analysis tools to identify trends in customer purchasing behavior and adjust the shop's offerings accordingly.


Average time for tattoo completion

Definition

The Average Time for Tattoo Completion KPI measures the amount of time it takes for a tattoo artist to complete a tattoo. This KPI is essential for tattoo shops to track, as it helps to measure the efficiency of the tattooing process.

Use Case

Tattoo shops can use this KPI to identify areas where the tattooing process can be improved, such as reducing the time it takes to complete a tattoo or identifying bottlenecks in the tattooing process. This can lead to improved customer satisfaction and increased revenue for the tattoo shop.

How To Calculate KPI

The formula for calculating the Average Time for Tattoo Completion KPI is:

Average Time for Tattoo Completion = Total Time Taken to Complete All Tattoos / Number of Tattoos Completed

Calculation Example

Let's say a tattoo shop completes 100 tattoos in a month, and it takes a total of 500 hours to complete all these tattoos. To calculate the Average Time for Tattoo Completion KPI, we use the formula:

Average Time for Tattoo Completion = 500 / 100 = 5 hours per tattoo

KPI Advantages

  • Enables tattoo shops to measure the efficiency of the tattooing process
  • Identifies areas where the tattooing process can be improved
  • Improves customer satisfaction and increases revenue for the tattoo shop

KPI Disadvantages

  • Does not take into account the complexity or size of a tattoo, which can affect the time it takes to complete
  • May not be useful for tattoo shops that specialize in large or complex tattoos

KPI Industry Benchmarks for the KPI: 'Average time for tattoo completion'

According to industry benchmarks, the average time for tattoo completion is between 2 to 6 hours, depending on the size and complexity of the tattoo.

Tips & Tricks

  • To improve the Average Time for Tattoo Completion KPI, consider ways to streamline the tattooing process, such as using stencil transfer machines, improving workspace ergonomics and investing in quality tattoo machines.
  • Consider offering a consultation service for customers to discuss their design ideas and evaluate the complexity of their tattoo.
  • Track the Average Time for Tattoo Completion KPI over time to identify trends and adjust the tattooing process as needed.


In conclusion, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial for any tattoo shop business that wants to measure its success. Factors such as the percentage of repeat customers, average revenue per customer, and customer satisfaction rating are important metrics that can help businesses uncover their strengths and weaknesses. By understanding these KPIs, tattoo shops can make informed decisions, identify areas with high and low revenue streams, and work towards improving customer service and quality of work to attract new customers. It is important for businesses to constantly explore and track new KPIs to ensure their continued growth and success. So, start tracking your KPIs today and make sure your business is on the path towards success!

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  • 40+ Charts & Metrics
  • DCF & Multiple Valuation
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