Mobile Conversion Gap occurs when retargeting campaigns report strong conversion rates while first-session conversion for new mobile users declines. The program appears efficient because blended cost per acquisition holds stable, but this stability is produced by mixing recovery spend with prospecting spend into a single metric. The underlying acquisition funnel is failing to convert new demand on arrival.
Growth programs scaling prospecting spend deepen retargeting dependency without improving the first-session experience, increasing the true cost of acquiring new customers while the reported blended metric holds stable.
First-session conversion rate for new mobile users becomes an unreliable signal when retargeting recovery masks its decline inside blended cost per acquisition reporting.
Retargeting conversion rate rising while new-user mobile conversion rate declines, with blended cost per acquisition holding stable — the recovery and acquisition rates are moving in opposite directions while the dashboard shows green.