ROI Examples — 6 Real Return on Investment Calculations
Understanding ROI (Return on Investment) is easier with real examples. Below are 6 worked ROI calculation examples across marketing, real estate, stocks, and business projects — each showing the formula applied to actual numbers, including one negative ROI case.
ROI Formula
ROI = ((Gain − Cost) ÷ Cost) × 100
Google Ads Campaign
E-commerce store ran ads for 30 days
Investment
$3,000
Total Return
$11,500
Net Profit
+$8,500
Employee Training
Sales team training increased annual revenue by $24k
Investment
$8,000
Total Return
$32,000
Net Profit
+$24,000
Website Redesign
New site improved conversion rate from 1.2% to 3.1%
Investment
$5,000
Total Return
$23,000
Net Profit
+$18,000
Stock Investment
17% annual return on diversified portfolio
Investment
$20,000
Total Return
$23,400
Net Profit
+$3,400
Real Estate Rental
Annual rental income after expenses
Investment
$150,000
Total Return
$163,500
Net Profit
+$13,500
Failed Product Launch
Product didn't find market fit
Investment
$45,000
Total Return
$28,000
Net Profit
-$17,000
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a realistic ROI for a marketing campaign?
A 4:1 ROI (400%) is considered a good benchmark for marketing — meaning $4 returned for every $1 spent. Top-performing campaigns can achieve 10:1 or higher. Below 2:1 is generally considered poor.
How do I calculate ROI for a project with multiple costs?
Add all costs together (labor, materials, overhead, opportunity cost) to get total investment. Then calculate total gain from the project. ROI = ((Total Gain − Total Cost) ÷ Total Cost) × 100.
What is the difference between ROI and ROAS?
ROI (Return on Investment) measures profit relative to total investment. ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) measures revenue relative to ad spend only. ROAS = Revenue ÷ Ad Spend. A 4× ROAS means $4 revenue per $1 ad spend.
How long should I wait to measure ROI?
It depends on the investment type. Marketing campaigns: 30–90 days. Employee training: 6–12 months. Equipment: 1–3 years. Real estate: 5–10 years. Always define your measurement window upfront.
Can ROI be used to compare different investments?
Yes, but use annualized ROI for fair comparison. A 50% ROI over 5 years is less impressive than a 30% ROI in 1 year. Annualized ROI normalizes the time factor.
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