Update: Video on new Google Analytics multi-channel funnel reports
Thanks to Google we're all used to measuring campaigns on a 'last click gets all the credit' basis (or occasionally first click). That is, all conversions (i.e. sales, leads, form completions, etc) are tied back to the last (or first) media channel that a person responded to respectively clicked on before converting.
Unfortunately, this method ignores all other touch points that a consumer might have responded to leading up to a conversion which also contributed to some extend, resulting in the undervaluation of certain media channels and ultimately the misallocation of marketing budgets (i.e. some channels are more likely to introduce a product rather than closing the deal and these miss out using last click attribution, see graph at the bottom comparing first and last click attribution).
Google is trying to address this through their new AdWords Search Funnel feature, however the Google reports do not include any organic channels or direct to site visits which do play a significant role in a consumer's path to purchase. In fact, organic search terms that include brand keywords and direct to site visits stimulated by some other form of media (i.e. TV, radio, print, etc) account for the majority of conversions on most websites (so we think they should be included).
To solve this issue for one of our clients, NDS (Carecareers), we used some custom JavaScript to record a stack (or path to purchase) of all campaign touch points across paid and organic channels in one of the Google Analytics custom segmentation variables (see chart below for a sample of the raw data). For simplicity sake we only recorded top level channel (i.e. SEO, SEM, direct, etc) in this case but this could be as granular as you want (i.e down to ad groups or even search terms).
Looking at the simplified example above we realized that paid search responses play an important role both as introducers and as closers, but not so much as influencers (we're thinking that unbranded terms make up most of the introducers and branded terms most of the closers but we don't have the data yet). Conversely, the importance of organic search, direct to site visits and emails (activity just started) might have been understated in the standard last click based reports up until now as they are more likely to act as influencing channels (SEO might pay off after all).
Given the above results and relatively simple data collection and analysis method we think there's really no excuse for marketers anymore to keep relying on last click media attribution so please drop us a line at insights@datalicious.com if you would like to find out more.Whether by receiving marketing e-mails, searching for products online, or using mobile devices to find retail coupons, customers today continually interact with brands as they move closer to making purchasing decisions. Yet completely different parts of an organization manage most such contacts. Digital channels can unify that experience and prevent the leakage of opportunity. Across a range of B2C and B2B clients, we’ve seen companies accelerate revenue growth by tightening the coordination of the end-to-end experience (see below graph). These increases represent the cumulative impact of capturing more online traffic, engaging consumers effectively, raising sales conversion rates, and then deepening bonds with the brand after sales are made.
Although not the only options in this space, Omniture's Online Business Optimisation platform in combination with Aprimo's MarketingStudio could help coordinate the majority of the below customer experience outlined by McKinsey. Email us at insights@datalicious.com if you would like to find out how to enable this for your business.
Datalicious is proud to announce that we have been selected as the Australian implementation partner for Aprimo's new SaaS solution MarketingStudio.
Unlike other CRM solutions that manage only narrow elements of online marketing campaigns, Aprimo Marketing Studio allows you to manage all of your customer data and touch points in one central platform. Web analytics and online forms capture customer behaviour, drag and drop segmentation generates highly targeted lists and automated outbound campaigns across various channels increase customer interaction and conversion. From blogs and landing pages over email and direct mail to SMS and outbound calls, MarketingStudio brings it all together.
Successful digital marketing depends on three factors: a robust analytics platforms, experienced resources to turn raw data into actionable insights and smart technologies that help manage today's multi-channel environment. The partnership between Aprimo and Datalicious solves this challenge for customers throughout the APAC region.
Please email us at insights@datalicious.com if you want to find out how Datalicious's hands-on experience in data driven marketing can help you leverage the power and intelligence of the Aprimo MarketingStudio platform to optimize your digital programs.
Check out the slides from my recent guest lecture at the ADMA Digital Certificate course. This time it was about customer experience across multiple channels and how data can help improve the experience for prospects as well as existing customers.
