Sales Operations
Which Lead Source Produces Sales? Compare Meta Ads, IndiaMART and JustDial
The cheapest enquiry is not always the best investment. Compare sources using the same definitions and enough time for sales to happen.
One source sends 100 enquiries. Another sends 30. The first looks better in the weekly report until someone asks how many became customers. If the answer requires opening three spreadsheets and asking every salesperson, the source comparison is not ready to guide spending.
Lead source tracking in a CRM should connect acquisition activity to qualified enquiries, opportunities and sales. Meta Ads, IndiaMART and JustDial can serve different buyer journeys, so a fair comparison needs consistent definitions and a clear time period.
Keep the source and the campaign separate
“Meta Ads” identifies a source. The campaign, ad or form explains which acquisition activity produced the enquiry. Preserve those details where available. Do not overwrite the original source simply because the buyer later replies on WhatsApp.
Also record the latest enquiry source when useful. A buyer might first discover you through an ad, then submit an IndiaMART requirement later. First contact and latest contact answer different questions; neither should silently erase the other.
Define a qualified enquiry before comparing channels
Choose criteria your team can apply consistently. For a service business, that might mean a relevant requirement in a covered area with a feasible timeline. For a manufacturer, specification and quantity may matter more. A valid phone number alone is not necessarily a qualified enquiry.
Separate spam, duplicate submissions and existing-customer requests. Keep a record of exclusions so a source does not appear better simply because one team cleans its list more aggressively.
Use a comparison that reaches beyond cost per lead
The following figures are entirely hypothetical. They illustrate the calculation and do not represent platform benchmarks or SHVYA customer results.
| Measure | Source A | Source B |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition spend | ₹20,000 | ₹15,000 |
| Enquiries | 100 | 30 |
| Qualified enquiries | 20 | 15 |
| New customers | 4 | 5 |
| Cost per enquiry | ₹200 | ₹500 |
| Acquisition spend per new customer | ₹5,000 | ₹3,000 |
Source A has cheaper enquiries, but Source B has lower acquisition spend per new customer in this example. This is not fully loaded customer acquisition cost unless you also include the relevant sales and operating costs. Revenue, margin and repeat business may change the decision again.
Give each cohort time to mature
Do not compare yesterday’s new leads with last month’s completed sales. Group enquiries by acquisition period and allow for your normal buying cycle. Report unresolved opportunities separately rather than treating every open record as a loss.
For subscription or annual marketplace fees, state how you allocate cost across the period. Use the same method each time. A change in accounting method can create an apparent improvement without any change in lead quality.
Check the sales process before blaming the source
- Did all enquiries reach the CRM?
- Did they have an owner?
- Were contact attempts timely and appropriate?
- Were qualification criteria applied consistently?
- Were won and lost outcomes recorded with reasons?
A source handled by an overloaded team may look worse than an identical source handled promptly. Review the Meta lead capture checklist, IndiaMART workflow and JustDial setup guide before comparing downstream results.
Build a report you can explain
Start with a simple table: source, cohort, spend, unique enquiries, qualified enquiries, customers and open opportunities. Document the definitions. Investigate the largest drop before changing budgets.
Plan lead source tracking with SHVYA. Bring your source list and qualification rules. The goal is to trace where enquiries came from and what happened next, using evidence your team can inspect.
