CRO: Multi-Channel Funnels

For effective SEO and CRO, you need to have a strong analytics platform in place and know how to make it work for you. There are several options from which to choose, including Mixpanel, Clicky, FoxMetrics, Kissmetrics, and Open Web Analytics. Google Analytics is the most popular – 57 percent of the 10,000 most popular websites use it – but while the platform is incredibly rich, it is also complex. Let’s break down the complexity and look at one feature that will help you with conversion rate optimisation: multi-channel funnels.

Multi-channel funnels show you how customers interact with your site in the 30-day period before they convert. You can see how various channels come together and result in conversion. As well as helping you optimise these channels, you will also be able to measure paid and organic search email, display, social network, and other channels. To start:

• Enable goals or e-commerce tracking.
• With MCF, you’ll have access to overview, assisted conversion, top conversion paths, time lag, and path length reports. In the assisted conversion and top paths reports, you can group the channels according to the default – which is fine for most sites – or create your own custom channels. The basic channels include direct, email, referral, paid ads, organic search, social network, and feed. You can add up to 25 custom channels, such as paid search vs. display.
• On the left side of the screen in your Analytics account, click on Conversions > Multi-Channel Funnels.
• At the top of that screen, you’ll see Conversion Segments, with a list of default segments, including “All Conversions,” “Time Lag > 1 day,” etc.
• Below Conversion Segments, you’ll see a dropdown menu that allows you to select the types of conversions you want to look at, and then type. So, you could, for instance, look at all conversions influenced by AdWords or by referral or any of the other categories. You can also create custom segments, if you choose.

The information is only the start. What you do with that information really determines the value of MCF. Interact with the data and see how you can shore up problem points and develop strengths even more.