Customer acquisition is everything you do to attract and convert someone into a paying customer. The channels vary, SEO, ads, referrals, content, but the goal is the same: a steady, affordable flow of new business.

The number to watch: CAC

Customer Acquisition Cost is what you spend, on average, to win one customer. You get it by dividing total acquisition spend by the number of new customers in that period. It only really means something when you compare it to customer lifetime value.

How to improve it

Lean into channels that compound, like SEO, instead of only renting attention with ads.
Fix conversion on the pages you already have before spending more on traffic.
Tighten targeting so you attract people who actually fit.

A lot of businesses pour money into more traffic when the real leak is conversion. That is usually where I look first.