Secrets about Google Analytics funnels

Secrets about Google Analytics funnels
blog.hublo.co

What do you guys use for funnel analysis? I think as a paid solution KISSMetrics covers some of the issues outlined in this post.

> 1. No events in your funnels.

The simple solution is to use virtual page-views, as mentioned in the article.

If you're using Google Tag Manager (and you should), you do not have to re-code your website tracking. That's the point of GTM: You can make changes to tracking without touching your code.

It's unlikely that this virtual pageview will make up a significant portion of your total pageviews. Your pageviews will not skyrocket. Besides, pageviews is a vanity metric, and you shouldn't be using it to measure your site's effectiveness.

> 2. Funnels are backfilled.

I do wish there was an option to turn this off, but the very simple solution is to look at the Goal Flow instead of the Funnel Visualization.

> 3. Funnels can’t be segmented.

Again, look at the Goal Flow report. You can segment by source, landing page, custom dimensions, and a hundred other things...

> 4. The rule applied to the goal URL applies to all other steps’ URLs.

GA can use some more in-line help text, but this is an example of an incorrect setup, and not an issue with how GA tracks visitors.

> 5. The Goal Flow Visualization is a bit better, and a bit worse.

Ugh, so much FUD here. Yes, this does undermine points #2 and #3 very much, indeed. As for its readability, I never had anyone ask me how to read it. If you're blessed with a lot of traffic, it even has options to hide insignificant paths.

> ...And things start to get awry when you have to explain those discrepancies to your boss, coworkers or client.

That's correct. If you don't know what you're tracking, don't know how to read and interpret the reports, and don't know which metrics to report to your boss, then you're not going to have a happy day. But that has little to do with the tool you're using.

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If you understand the tools you're using, they will be more helpful to you. A learning curve is not a reason to run from the tool.

[0] More info here: http://www.gkogan.co