Multi-Channel Funnel Reports in Google Analytics

Download  Vizion Interactive Reading Time: 2 minutes

For the last few months, the Vizion team has had the pleasure of beta testing the new Multi-Channel Funnel reports in Google Analytics.  After a good amount of time digging in and testing out the different reports, we are ecstatic about the new insights gained thus far.  So much, we can hardly wait for them to be released to all accounts which should be rolling out any day now. These new reports will fully benefit all the accounts measuring conversions. The insights gained from knowing which marketing channels are in the mix will be instrumental in helping clients fine tune conversion rates, drive more goals and identify campaign success.

What makes the new reporting unique and different from what’s available today, is the ability to see past the default conversion tracking set in Google Analytics. The reporting that we are accustomed to looking at is only giving credit to the last marketing channel that a visitor came in contact with directly prior to converting. If there were any marketing channels involved with the visitor prior to the last channel interaction, nobody would know except for the visitor themselves of how much other channel engagement there was leading to that conversion. Google has a great video explaining this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz4yHOKE5j8[/youtube]

The most interesting insight gained while testing out the channel grouping classifications on conversion path reports, is how much direct traffic and brand keywords have stolen conversion credit from the other marketing channels.  For instance, we were able to see that of all the conversion where a visitor was first introduced to the client site on a ppc non-brand keyword, that 32% of those conversions later converted through another channel such as an organic brand keyword search or a direct type in of the url into a browser. Getting this information at hand can be extremely beneficial so that you are not making a mistake of cutting off a non-brand keyword that appears in the normal reporting to not be converting well, when in fact it is actually converting high.

Another interesting insight gained is being able to see the top conversion paths. This allows you to see how many times visitors touch various marketing channels before making a final conversion.  In one month, one of our clients had 17 conversions where the visitors had interacted with the client’s website, entering through 12 or more times from various channels.  After all, 38% of the client’s conversions consisted of the visitors interacting with 2 or more channels before converting. That means that a significant amount of all conversions were not giving the proper conversion credit to any other channels prior to the last channel touched.  This new capability provides a full picture of conversion.

The new insights gained are powerful with multi-channel funnel reports representing a huge upgrade in an already powerful web analytics tool. We’re sure Omniture and other competitors are sweating more as Google Analytics keeps beefing up their free offering.

At Vizion Interactive, we have the expertise, experience, and enthusiasm to get results and keep clients happy! Learn more about how our status as a Google Partner, along with our PPC Management, Google Shopping Ads, Social Media Advertising, Amazon Advertising, and other Paid Media services can increase sales and boost your ROI. But don’t just take our word for it, check out what our clients have to say, along with our case studies.