Data tracking with Goal Funnels in Google Analytics & Custom Conversions In Facebook
A quick step-by-step guide on how to build funnel in Google Analytics and setting up Custom Conversion with your Facebook Pixel.
Do you work in marketing and track data on a daily basis? In that case, this might be the read for you. I’m happy to explain how you can take your basic tracking a step further, without too much hassle. This guide is for everyone who has a basic understanding of e- tracking and wants to get the first glimpse of advanced tracking. You can do this by creating a Goal Funnel in Google Analytics and setting up custom conversions in Facebook Business Manager.
First, let me introduce myself and explain my background. Four months ago, I started a traineeship in Growth Hacking at thetalentinstitute to redefine my design process, learn more about data usage and overall improve my skills to become a CRO specialist with a design and data background. I currently work at social agency Timm&Pimm as a Growth Hacker, so my focus is on CRO, UX, Data, Tracking, Analysis & Social Advertising. I believe a brand can only understand the needs of their users by validating the users’ problems and testing new solutions. Data can help you, by making the right, well-funded decisions, based on facts.
Checklist before starting
You need …
- Basic knowledge of Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Facebook’s Business manager
- Working Google Analytics Tag installed on your website with Google Tag Manager
- Installed A Facebook Pixel on your website (also preferably with GTM)
- Specified goals you wish to track which aligns your KPI’s (e.g. Transactions, registrations)
Navigate … to create your own funnel
Creating the funnel itself grants you the possibility to find possibilities when it comes to optimising your sales, applications or registrations. I’ve created the steps from category to payment confirmation for this (E-commerce) example.
- To the Goals menu in Google Analytics via “Admin”.
- You will find “Goals” in the third column on the right.
- Click +Add goal, a wild popup appears!
- Pick a name which defines the goal of the whole funnel you are trying to create. In this case, “Complete Checkout” refers to the journey from the category page to the confirmation window of payment.
- The Goal Slot ID is always set to be the next in order, but feel free to change the slot if you want to group several goals together.
- Pick a trigger type, in which the tracker collects its data. We’ll be using a destination (webpage) in this example.
- Yay! You have arrived at step 2 on the menu. Here, you’ll be entering the destination of the goal. You can choose between “Equal to”(specified link)”, “Begins with (specified link)” and regular expressions for us medium advanced analytics users. These expressions can be used to track more variable goals, for example, multiple category pages or if a user goes to any page in a subdirectory.
- The last step is to verify your goal to check if you can get any conversions based on traffic of the last 7 days.
In the example above, the expression Caret(^) will match electronics, Dot-Asterisk(.*) will match everything after.
For more references about Regular Expressions, check the link below. https://online-metrics.com/regular-expressions/
Creating the funnel itself grants you the possibility to check where the chances lay in optimising your sales, applications or registrations. I’ve created the steps from category to payment confirmation for this (E-commerce example).
Facebook Pixel
Funnel building in Facebook is different from creating a funnel in GA. There’s also no use of regular expressions in Facebook’s Business Manager. You can track your leads/sales steps by creating “custom conversions”. You can find “Custom conversions” in your Ads Manager when you expand the menu.
When creating a new custom conversion, you specify the page you want to track, choose a category and click “create”. You can do this for every step of your conversion funnel.
If you want to track an event other than URL traffic, you have to add a standard event. You can do this by adding code in Google Tag Manager (or pixel container in your website). For this example, we’ll be adding small pieces of tracking code to the container in GTM. In the picture below, I’ve added ViewContent, InitiateCheckout, CompleteRegistration and PaymentInfo.
For more examples check https://www.facebook.com/business/help/402791146561655
When you’ve added the code in GTM, you should see these events appear in the standard events menu while making a custom conversion.
Marketing attribution
It’s also very important to not forget which touchpoints or events contributed to a sale or lead while tracking in GA/FB or any other channel. You can optimise your standard funnel, but there could be hidden value in crediting the right channels — and optimising the touchpoints where potential users/buyers left. For example, Facebook will credit a sale or lead generated through their platform for 100%. But maybe you’ve reached your customer first through an email campaign, a blog post, Google Ad or some other channel. For more information about marketing attribution you can check:
https://www.snapapp.com/blog/marketing-attribution-models/
Conclusion
There you go! Your first steps into setting up checkpoints for deeper analysis and optimising your sales/leads funnel. I’ve chosen funnel tracking in Google Analytics and Custom Conversions in Facebook because it only requires basic knowledge about tracking, but gives you far more important information than standard dashboards will give you. I hope this blog has helped you understand funnel tracking more and inspires you to be more data savvy. If you have any questions about this blog or subject, please feel free to contact me!
