Understanding how to evaluate the performance and growth of marketplace platforms is essential for anyone involved in growing these businesses. To do this, key metrics are employed. Metrics are a type of measurement used to assess specific aspects of a business. Let's go deeper into some fundamental metrics.

1. Gross Service Volume (GSV)
GSV is the total value of transactions that happen on the platform. It's a direct metric of the activity and demand in the marketplace. It's calculated by multiplying the cost of services by the number of services sold or booked. An increase in GSV may suggest growth in active customers or an increase in overall demand.

2. Net Revenue
This refers to the money the marketplace earns after removing costs such as payment processing fees or refunds. This can be diverse between marketplaces, depending on how they charge for their service (i.e., a percentage of each transaction or a flat fee). Net revenue is the true measure of a marketplace's earnings and helps assess business viability.

3. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
CAC is the average expense of gaining a new customer. It involves costs related to marketing and sales, divided by the number of new customers acquired in a specific period. If a marketplace can lower the CAC or increase the revenue it makes from each customer (customer lifetime value), it can improve its profitability.

4. User Retention Rate
This metric showcases the percentage of users that continue using the platform over a specified period. It's an excellent basis to understand customer satisfaction, as high user retention typically indicates a better product or service quality.

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5. Lifetime Value (LTV)
This metric values a given customer. It is defined as LTV = Average Purchase Value x Average Purchase Frequency x Average Customer Lifespan. Knowing your customer LTV compated with CAC is essential to understanding your marketplace.

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Example
For instance, TaskRabbit, a famous labor marketplace for handyman services, might track these metrics to assess growth. If the GSV is continually growing and the CAC is decreasing, they may infer that their marketing strategies are effective, and the demand for their services is escalating. Moreover, a high user retention rate would signify that users find value in their services and stick with them.

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The bottom line
In conclusion, key metrics such as GSV, Net Revenue, CAC, and User Retention Rate are vital tools for marketplaces to monitor their performance and guide strategic decision-making.