Advertising · Pay for performance
Marketing where our fee follows your results
Pay for performance marketing means our fee is linked to results we agree on in advance, such as qualified leads, bookings or sales, rather than to hours or a fixed monthly fee. You carry less of the risk, and we work toward the same number you do.
Why clients choose it
Shared goals, shared risk
Pay for performance builds the arrangement around the thing you need from marketing: customers.
A fee tied to what matters
We agree the result that counts for your business, such as a qualified lead, a booking or a sale, and link our fee to it.
Less risk to start
More of your cost depends on results that actually come in, so you don't pay in full for a channel before you know it works for you.
Clear numbers from day one
Because our fee depends on it, tracking is set up and checked by both sides before any campaign starts.
A partner with the same goal
We only do well when you do, so budget and effort go where the results come from.
Pay for performance explained
How performance pricing works
What is pay for performance marketing?
Pay for performance marketing is a way of paying for marketing where the agency's fee depends on results you agree on in advance: qualified leads, bookings, sales or appointments. Instead of paying for hours or a fixed monthly fee, you pay for outcomes. At Atelier ATTENTION we plan and run the campaigns, usually on Google Ads, social media ads and email, and our fee follows what they bring in.
How does payment work?
Performance agreements come in a few common forms:
- Cost per lead (CPL): a fixed amount for each qualified lead.
- Cost per acquisition (CPA): a fixed amount for each sale or booking.
- Revenue share: a percentage of the revenue the campaigns bring in.
- Base fee plus bonus: a lower fixed fee, with a bonus when agreed targets are met.
We usually combine a lower base fee with a fee per qualified lead or, for hotels with tracked direct bookings, a percentage of the extra direct revenue. You pay the ad budget directly to the platforms, such as Google and Meta, separately from our fee.
Whichever form fits, the definitions, prices and reporting are written down before any campaign starts, so there is nothing to argue about later.
What does pay for performance need to work?
- Reliable tracking. Every lead or sale has to be counted the same way by both sides. We set up conversion tracking and connect it to your CRM, booking engine or shop.
- A clear definition of a result. "A lead" might mean a form with a valid phone number from your service area. We agree it in detail.
- Fast follow-up. Leads cool down quickly, so someone has to answer them the same day. AI agents can help sort and answer the first questions.
- A page that converts. Ads send people to a page with one goal; see landing page design.
When is a fixed fee the better choice?
Pay for performance works best when results are easy to count and come quickly: bookings, appointments, online sales or inquiries for a clear service. For long B2B sales, brand building or SEO, results take longer or are hard to connect to one campaign. Then a fixed fee is usually fairer for both sides, and we will say so. A digital marketing strategy helps you decide which parts of your marketing suit which model.
Pay for performance vs PPC
The two terms sound alike but describe different things. PPC (pay per click) is how you pay an ad platform such as Google: per click, whether or not that click becomes a customer. Pay for performance is how you pay your agency: per result. Many clients combine them, with PPC campaigns bringing in the leads and our fee based on the leads that qualify. Our guide is PPC advertising right for your business? explains when paid search makes sense.
Which numbers should you watch?
Cost per lead, cost per customer, the share of leads that become customers, and revenue per customer. Together they show whether marketing pays for itself. For an introduction, read decoding marketing analytics: the KPIs every entrepreneur should monitor, or see how all our services fit together on the advertising overview.
How we set it up
Five steps to a fair agreement
- 1
Get to know your business
A free 45-minute call about your goals, your customers, your margins and what you have tried so far.
- 2
Define the result
Together we define exactly what counts, such as a lead with a valid phone number or a confirmed booking, and what each is worth to you.
- 3
Build the plan
We choose the channels, the budget and the targets, and put them in writing with the fee model.
- 4
Track everything
Conversion tracking, call tracking and links to your CRM, booking engine or shop, checked by both sides before launch.
- 5
Run, report and settle
Campaigns run, results are reported every month from shared data, and the fee follows the agreed results.
Pay for performance FAQ
Before you agree to performance pricing
The questions to settle before a pay for performance agreement starts, with our answers.
What is pay for performance marketing?
A way of paying for marketing where the agency's fee depends on results agreed in advance, such as leads, bookings or sales, rather than on hours or a fixed monthly fee. It gives the agency the same goal as you: more customers at a cost that works.
How much does pay for performance marketing cost?
It depends on what a result is worth to you and how hard it is to win in your market. A performance deal combines a lower base fee with a fee per qualified lead or, for hotels, a share of the extra direct revenue. We define what counts as a result in writing, and you get an offer after a free call.
Who pays for the ad budget?
You pay the ad budget directly to the platforms, such as Google and Meta; it is not part of our fee. We agree the budget before anything starts and put it in writing, together with the fee.
What counts as a result?
Something you can verify and that has value to you: a qualified lead that meets criteria you set, a confirmed booking, a sale or a booked appointment. Clicks and impressions don't count. We write the definition down before we start.
Is pay for performance right for every business?
Not always. It works best when results can be tracked reliably and come fairly quickly, such as bookings, appointments or online sales. For long, complex sales or brand building, a fixed fee is often fairer for both sides, and we'll tell you which fits.
Do you guarantee a number of leads?
No, we don't promise a number of leads. With pay for performance, the fee itself follows the results that actually come in, which protects you better than a promise made before we have data from your market. Any disputed leads are reviewed together every month.
Which channels work on a pay for performance basis?
Mostly channels where results are easy to track: Google Ads, social media ads and email campaigns. SEO and content take longer to pay back, so they usually run on a fixed fee.
How is pay for performance different from PPC?
PPC (pay per click) is how you pay the ad platform: per click. Pay for performance is how you pay us: per result, such as a lead or a sale. The two are often combined, with PPC ads bringing the leads that our fee is based on.
Testimonials
What our clients say about us
“Partnering with Atelier ATTENTION has transformed our business. Their lead generation in the competitive yacht transport market lets us focus on our core operations, driving our growth.”
Bas BosBas Bos Logistics B.V. · Yacht transport, the Netherlands
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Start today
Find out if pay for performance fits you
Book a free 45-minute call. We look at your numbers and sales process together and tell you honestly whether performance pricing or a fixed fee suits you better.