Print Plus: 12 Benchmarks Across Integrated Channels

3. Selling Expense to Sales Ratio (print and web). Track your direct selling expenses as a percent of net sales after returns. This ratio shouldn't exceed 30 percent for a consumer company, 20 percent for B-to-B.

4. Repeat Buyers Percentage. Repeat buyers make your business profitable. How many buyers make a repeat purchase within one year? If you can benchmark your current rate of repeat buyers and focus on turning one-time buyers into two-time and more customers, you'll see significant gain. Your profitability will increase as a result, since it's difficult to make money on first-time print buyers.