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Attribution: Do you give the last touchpoint all of the credit for a sale?

Ed - This is a great topic! Difficult to solve, which makes it all the more fun!

Google analytics was never really designed to be a great attribution engine (although it's getting better). It's great at looking at visitor data in a linear way, but our business is anything but linear.

Logically speaking... the most influential source created the path that led to last source. IOW, if a dealer is not in the path, then, no last source will matter.

Joe

@JoePistell made a really good point here. The first has to exist to for there to be a last interaction.

While it's clearly important, giving too much weight to the last source, can incorrectly lead you to believe that the path of least resistance (direct traffic) is your best converting channel.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with it...Analytics does have a basic way of allowing you to to compare weighted conversion models. It's the very last tab on the reports menu under Conversions and then Attribution. You can compare first interaction conversions vs last interaction conversions by channel.

Maybe a good question is to look for the source that creates the highest increase of conversion opportunity, and not necessarily the source that creates the most final conversions.
 
Ed - This is a great topic! Difficult to solve, which makes it all the more fun!

Google analytics was never really designed to be a great attribution engine (although it's getting better). It's great at looking at visitor data in a linear way, but our business is anything but linear.



@JoePistell made a really good point here. The first has to exist to for there to be a last interaction.

While it's clearly important, giving too much weight to the last source, can incorrectly lead you to believe that the path of least resistance (direct traffic) is your best converting channel.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with it...Analytics does have a basic way of allowing you to to compare weighted conversion models. It's the very last tab on the reports menu under Conversions and then Attribution. You can compare first interaction conversions vs last interaction conversions by channel.

Maybe a good question is to look for the source that creates the highest increase of conversion opportunity, and not necessarily the source that creates the most final conversions.
Perhaps the biggest issue is we are looking for THE source. Rather than looking for the single point in time (the ZMOT, if you will), we might try looking for the combination of influencing touchpoints (the Micro-Moments) that combine to help a consumer make a decision. Marketers that are selling socks have figured that out.

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Here is a list of advanced Attribution Software companies - Have you ever heard of a dealership or dealer group trying one of these?
 
It's absolutely amazing to me that we have been having this almost identical attribution conversation now for what, 10 years? Longer, if you add-in the traditional twist: they saw our URL in the paper or on TV, then visited the site... who gets the credit?

Doesn't seem like it's gotten any easier to answer.... hmmmm...
 
There are plenty of answers to attribution modelling, but that doesn't mean that one solution is going to solve for everything.
In order to do it as properly as possible, you need a number of things:
  1. CRM that lets you track it the right way
  2. Tracking phone numbers for different inventory destinations
  3. Tracking URLs for different inventory destinations
  4. Receptionist interviews visitors
  5. Single tracking code for all web presences whenever possible
etc

Ideally, the OEMs would get it on this at the Tier 1 level and share tracking codes to show you visitors coming from Toyota.ca to the local dealer pages. That would be a healthy step in the right direction, but I don't see us solving classifieds when it comes to Silent Shoppers.
 
There are plenty of answers to attribution modelling, but that doesn't mean that one solution is going to solve for everything.
In order to do it as properly as possible, you need a number of things:
  1. CRM that lets you track it the right way
  2. Tracking phone numbers for different inventory destinations
  3. Tracking URLs for different inventory destinations
  4. Receptionist interviews visitors
  5. Single tracking code for all web presences whenever possible
etc

Ideally, the OEMs would get it on this at the Tier 1 level and share tracking codes to show you visitors coming from Toyota.ca to the local dealer pages. That would be a healthy step in the right direction, but I don't see us solving classifieds when it comes to Silent Shoppers.
My sense is that the CRM ISN'T a central part of the solution.
 
My sense is that the CRM ISN'T a central part of the solution.

The way I would love it to work is that the CRM would just be the place that holds the data.
I just want to be able to see my leads and customers in the CRM with the proper attribution.
I don't think the CRM does the logic, but it should accept the logic in ADF files.
 
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