We all have different habits when we perform our searches. How many times have you searched for a product using your mobile device while out and about, been interrupted, and then saved the company’s information for later? On a different device, generally a computer or laptop, you then look up the company name, do a Google search for the product, or open a bookmarked link in your browser. You might even go back to the site using the same device or through a remarketing ad that shows up to gently “remind” you to visit the website.
Situations like the ones listed above are typical user interactions, but they create a very difficult scenario for marketing departments and agencies to justify how their Google, Facebook, or other platform efforts have played a part. In an effort to combat this issue, Google Analytics has added a number of conversion features, such as attribution models and multi-channel funnels, but these have limitations as well.
It is challenging to anticipate what a visitor will do or to gently direct them to perform specific actions or view a desired conversion page. Users want to accomplish their own goals, not yours. That is why it is important to consider our own habits as a user and not force our customers to do something they don’t want to do or are not ready for.
With all of that said, there are a few ways as marketers that you can improve the attribution to ensure your marketing efforts are getting their full credit they deserve:
Implement Attribution Best Practices
In our recent post about setting up website attribution, we discussed some specific items you should consider to properly attribute web traffic. With these in mind, you should be able to reduce a large portion of your attribution issues within your analytics platform in a relatively short period of time.
Verify Cross-Domain Tracking Is Set Up (Correctly)
Verify cross-domain tracking is set up correctly on your site so users going back and forth to different pages don’t lose attribution. This is important because users have a tendency to click around, which can create incomplete or inaccurate data if tracking is not set up.
Limit the Number of Google Analytics Properties
Limit the number of Google Tag Manager / Google Analytics property codes implemented on the pages of your website. Too many lines of code can slow down the website and create a poor user experience. In addition, it is difficult to manage 10 different Google properties based on specific criteria. Determine a simple implementation plan, then stick to it.
Google and others have created new and improved tools to provided more accurate data. However, it still has a long way to go before we can depend on it 100%. Even with everything perfectly in place, there will be many instances where the attribution will be incorrect. Until management (and even marketers) understand this concept, they will continue to make errors in their marketing spend.
Marketing includes all the various methods of showing your brand and company to a potential client both digitally and physically. Users need to see the brand numerous times before they make a decision to act, which is why ensuring accurate, trackable data is critical when planning any marketing activities. By having accurate attribution data, marketers will be better prepared to make informed decisions.
