Customer Journey and Attribution
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Customer Journey and Attribution
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In the context of campaign tracking, the Customer Journey captures all tracked campaign interactions leading up to the achievement of a defined website goal. Understanding these journeys helps you evaluate campaign effectiveness and optimize strategies.
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Key Details:
Only successful campaigns, where a website goal is reached, are saved in the Customer Journey.
A maximum of 15 campaign contacts is recorded. If more contacts occur, the first and last 14 are saved.
The tracking period covers up to 60 days before the goal (default: 30 days), which can be adjusted per campaign.
1 Website Goals
Website goals represent specific actions that indicate meaningful user engagement or conversion. These can be set up and modified under Mapp Q3 > Configuration > Goal.
Common website goals include:
Order (activated by default)
Product added to the shopping cart
Custom Events (e.g., newsletter subscriptions, downloads)
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Find more information on how to set up website goals in the article Analysis of Goal Achievement.
2 Available Attribution Models
Attribution models dictate how credit for website goals is distributed among campaigns within the Customer Journey. The primary models are:
2.1 Simple assignment
Single campaign attribution is useful when you want to credit only one campaign per goal.
Example:
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Attribution model | Description | Assignment in the example |
|---|---|---|
First Campaign | The first campaign across multiple visits. | SEM |
Last Campaign | The last campaign across multiple visits. | Newsletter |
Prioritized Campaign | The campaign with the highest priority (highest number value) across multiple visits. | Newsletter |
Last session | The first campaign within the visit in which the website goal was attained. | Direct Entry |
Direct Campaign | The last campaign within the visit in which the website goal was attained. | Newsletter |
Only campaigns clicked before a website goal has been attained are considered.
2.2 Multiple assignment
This approach allows credit to be distributed across several campaigns. Attribution is possible for one metric in each case.
2.2.1 Distribution across the last five Ad media
Credits the last five campaigns before the goal, based on assigned percentages. If fewer campaigns are recorded, the weightings are normalized.
Example: Configuration including percentage-based distribution per position for metric Order Value
Customer Journey
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Analysis
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If less than five Ad media are available, the data will be normalized.
Example: Normalizing three Ad media
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Position weighting | Normalization factor | Normalized weighting | |
|---|---|---|---|
Endmost | 50% | 100 / 85 = 1.17647 | 1.17647 * 50% = 58.82% |
Second to last | 20% | 100 / 85 = 1.17647 | 1.17647 * 20% = 23.53% |
Third to last | 15% | 100 / 85 = 1.17647 | 1.17647 * 15% = 17.65% |
Fourth to last | - | ||
Fifth to last | - | ||
Total | 85% | 100% |
Example: Overview of normalized weightings with varying numbers of campaign contacts
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Number of campaign contacts in the Customer Journey | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
Endmost | 100% | 71.43% | 58.82% | 52.63% | 50% | 50% |
Second to last | 28.57% | 23.53% | 21.05% | 20% | 20% | |
Third to last | 17.65% | 15.79% | 15% | 15% | ||
Fourth to last | 10.53% | 10% | 10% | |||
Fifth to last | 5% | 5% | ||||
Sixth to last | 0% | |||||
2.2.2 Distribution across all Ad media
All recorded campaigns contribute to the goal, with weightings adjusted according to their number.
Example: Configuration including percentage-based distribution per position for metric Order Value
Customer Journey
Analysis
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If less than 5 Ad media are available, the weightings will be distributed.
Example: Overview of normalized weightings with varying numbers of campaign contacts
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Number of campaign contacts in the Customer Journey | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
Endmost | 100% | 55% | 50% last + next to last | 42.5% last + (0.25* other) | 40% | 40% |
Second to last | 45% first + second + | 10% other | 12.5% next to last + (0.25*other) | 10% | 10% | |
Third to last | 40% first + second | 12.5% second + (0.25*other) | 10% | 5% 0.5*other | ||
Fourth to last | 32.5% first + (0.25*other) | 10% | 5% 0.5*other | |||
Fifth to last | 30% | 10% | ||||
Sixth to last | 30% | |||||
Traffic source Weighting
In addition to the position within the Customer Journey, the campaign type can also be used for analysis purposes with traffic source weightings.
Example: Overview of normalized weightings with varying numbers of campaign contacts
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Position | Campaign | Position weighting | Traffic source weighting | Overall weighting | Normalization factor | Final normalization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Endmost | SEM | 40% | 100% | 40% | 100 / 80 | 50% |
Second to last | SEM | 10% | 100% | 10% | 100 / 80 | 12.5% |
Third to last | Newsletter | 10% | 30% | 3% | 100 / 80 | 3.75% |
Fourth to last | Newsletter | 10% | 30% | 3% | 100 / 80 | 3.75% |
Fifth to last | Banner | 30% | 80% | 24% | 100 / 80 | 30% |
100% | 80% | 100% |
3 Configuring Attribution Rules
Configuration options enable precise control over which campaigns are considered for attribution and how they are weighted.
3.1 Standard Attribution Configuration
The standard attribution model is defined in the Marketing Configuration. The following rules apply:
Supported Models: Only models where a single campaign can “win” are supported.
Default Setting: The last campaign wins by default, considering only external campaigns.
This approach provides a straightforward attribution setup, focusing on the final external interaction before the goal.
Alternative attribution models can be specified for each website goal. These can be configured in Mapp Q3 > Configuration > Goal, allowing for goal-specific calculation settings that accommodate various campaign strategies..png)
Edit the attribution the change essential settings..png){kind=small}
3.2 Data sources
Define which data sources influence the attribution:
Primary Sources: Include parameters such as URL parameters and page actions.
Secondary Sources: May include referrer analysis or campaign views.
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By default, primary sources take priority unless otherwise specified.
Lern more about data sources in this article: Setting up Campaigns.
3.3 Metrics
Which metrics are calculated? (only for alternative attributions).png)
The following are available:
Default e-Commerce metrics
Custom e-Commerce parameters with shopping cart reference
(Configuration "Several Values")
You can recognize the configuration of the attribution model in the name of the metric.
The syntax is: [name of the attributed metric] ([attribution type], [internal/exernal]), [website goal]
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3.4 Internal and External Campaigns
Differentiate between:
Internal Campaigns: Campaigns originating within owned channels (e.g., internal banners).
External Campaigns: Campaigns from external sources, such as paid search or social media.
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Choose, which campaigns should be considered:
All Ad media
Only external Ad media
Only internal Ad media
The definition of whether an ad is internal or external is determined when configuring the campaign..png)
Separate configurations help manage attribution based on the type of campaign.
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