Every traffic source can be placed on three axes. This lesson explains them and why the combination, not any single axis, decides what you should test first.
Cost
Money and hours required to get meaningful traffic. Paid ads cost money fast; content costs hours slowly. Both are costs.
Speed
How quickly a source produces its first hundred visitors. Paid and partnerships are fast; search and content are slow but compounding.
Durability
Whether traffic continues after you stop working on it. Search content keeps sending visitors; ads stop the moment spend stops.
Keep each test inside its thirty days even when it feels promising; extending tests before the review is how sources get judged on hope rather than data.
Reuse the landing page brief from this lesson for every source you test later, changing only the headline and the source-specific proof.
Action Step
Score each of the ten sources in the playbook on the three axes from your own situation, using the scoring sheet.
This lesson is educational content for founders and operators. It is general information, not professional advice for your specific company. Adapt every framework to your own situation and consult a qualified professional where a decision carries legal, financial, or tax consequences.