Holiday Campaign Report: Connect Clicks, Orders and Returns

Agree what counts before you compare channels

Write one conversion definition at the top of the report: for example, a completed paid order recorded in the shop system. A click, enquiry, booked appointment and paid sale are different events. Keep them in separate columns rather than calling them all conversions.

Use one date range and note the reporting time zone. Explain whether sales are attributed by the advertising platform or reconciled against orders. Different attribution windows can produce different totals. Do not add platform-attributed orders together and assume they represent unique customers.

Use a small, honest results table

Here is an invented two-channel example in USD. Revenue figures are attributed gross sales before returns, delivery costs, product costs and tax.

ROAS is attributed revenue divided by ad spend. Search’s cost per attributed order is USD 25; social’s is USD 30. Neither number establishes profit. Reconcile orders and record the costs before drawing that conclusion.

Add returns and timing as a second view

Suppose search later has USD 200 of attributed returns and social has USD 180. Revenue after those returns is USD 1,800 and USD 720. Dividing by the original ad spend gives 3.6× and 2.4×. Label this as a separate adjusted view instead of quietly replacing the original result.

Set a review date after the relevant return window and keep the first report as a dated snapshot. Record cancelled orders and failed payments consistently. If an order cannot be connected to a channel confidently, leave it unattributed rather than allocating it to make the totals look complete.

Keep the seasonal context in proportion

QuickBooks’ 2026 U.S. holiday survey identifies social shopping as an area of small-business interest. Your own customers and reconciled results should determine the next budget decision.

A low-spend channel with a handful of orders can fluctuate sharply. Compare like-for-like offers, stock availability and audience conditions. If one channel promoted discounted items and another promoted full-price services, write that difference beside the table.

End with one evidence-based next action

A useful conclusion might read: “Search generated more attributed paid orders at lower acquisition cost in this period. We will repeat the same offer for one further test, reconcile returns on 15 January and cap spend at the agreed test budget.” This states the evidence, uncertainty and next review together.

Build the report with the campaign results tool, then use a content brief to specify the next test’s audience, promise and call to action. For the broader reporting structure, see the campaign report guide.