Optimising Paths To Conversion
A quick introduction
Boden Me
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Johnnie Boden Tagman
• We’ve been working with Tagman for 1 year,
four months and 21 days and a bit.
1. Manage marketing tags.
2. Increase page load speeds.
3. Dedupe CPA channels.
4. Use fractional attribution models and
marketing touch point data to revolutionise
our customer engagement strategy…
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Path To Conversion Data
• If you don’t know what Tagman Path To Conversion (PTC) data looks like…
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Conversion Time Event # Event TimeEvent Type Campaign Placement Ref Click Ref
Conversion ID
Sales Value
01/06/2010 08:13 1 02/05/2010 08:15 Click UK Direct to site U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 2 06/05/2010 16:46 View UK AOL 02w872_728x90 U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 3 25/05/2010 15:06 Click UK PPC Google Generic girl summer skirt U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 4 01/06/2010 07:45 Click UK SEO Brand google.co.uk boden U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 5 01/06/2010 08:12 Click UK Affiliate Window 67035 U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:14 1 19/05/2010 09:01 Click UK Affiliate Window 67046 U100849170 30
01/06/2010 08:17 1 31/05/2010 22:04 Click UK AOL 02f649_160x60 U100849208 63
01/06/2010 08:17 2 01/06/2010 07:26 Click UK PPC Google Brand boden offers U100849208 63
01/06/2010 08:17 3 01/06/2010 07:41 Click UK Direct to site U100849208 63
01/06/2010 08:18 1 01/06/2010 08:02 Click UK PPC Google Brand johnnie boden U100849215 92
01/06/2010 08:20 1 03/05/2010 11:43 Click UK Affiliate Window 60940 U100849261 72
01/06/2010 08:20 2 01/06/2010 07:56 Click UK Criteo babycentre.co.uk U100849261 72
01/06/2010 08:24 1 28/05/2010 15:35 Click UK SEO Brand google.it minu boden U100849307 42
01/06/2010 08:24 2 01/06/2010 08:08 Click UK Direct to site U100849307 42
01/06/2010 08:26 1 06/05/2010 20:26 Click UK SEO Brand google.ie johnnie boden U100849353 123.04
01/06/2010 08:26 2 31/05/2010 15:19 Click UK SEO Brand google.ie boden U100849353 123.04
01/06/2010 08:26 3 01/06/2010 07:53 Click UK SEO Brand google.co.uk boden U100849353 123.04
01/06/2010 08:26 4 01/06/2010 08:23 Click UK Affiliate Window 65970 U100849353 123.04
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Looks Ugly. Why PTC?
Conversion Time
Event # Event Time
Event Type Campaign Placement Ref Click Ref
Conversion ID
Sales Value
01/06/2010 08:13 1 02/05/2010 08:15 Click UK Direct to site U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 2 06/05/2010 16:46 View UK AOL 02w872_728x90 U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 3 25/05/2010 15:06 Click UK PPC Google Generic girl summer skirt U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 4 01/06/2010 07:45 Click UK SEO Brand google.co.uk boden U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 5 01/06/2010 08:12 Click UK Affiliate Window 67035 U100849148 26.4
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Looks Ugly. Why PTC?
Conversion Time
Event # Event Time
Event Type Campaign Placement Ref Click Ref
Conversion ID
Sales Value
01/06/2010 08:13 1 02/05/2010 08:15 Click UK Direct to site U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 2 06/05/2010 16:46 View UK AOL 02w872_728x90 U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 3 25/05/2010 15:06 Click UK PPC Google Generic girl summer skirt U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 4 01/06/2010 07:45 Click UK SEO Brand google.co.uk boden U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 5 01/06/2010 08:12 Click UK Affiliate Window 67035 U100849148 26.4
1. Customer journeys across channels.
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Looks Ugly. Why PTC?
Conversion Time
Event # Event Time
Event Type Campaign Placement Ref Click Ref
Conversion ID
Sales Value
01/06/2010 08:13 1 02/05/2010 08:15 Click UK Direct to site U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 2 06/05/2010 16:46 View UK AOL 02w872_728x90 U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 3 25/05/2010 15:06 Click UK PPC Google Generic girl summer skirt U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 4 01/06/2010 07:45 Click UK SEO Brand google.co.uk boden U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 5 01/06/2010 08:12 Click UK Affiliate Window 67035 U100849148 26.4
1. Customer journeys across channels.
2. Successful paths and marketing combinations.
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Looks Ugly. Why PTC?
Conversion Time
Event # Event Time
Event Type Campaign Placement Ref Click Ref
Conversion ID
Sales Value
01/06/2010 08:13 1 02/05/2010 08:15 Click UK Direct to site U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 2 06/05/2010 16:46 View UK AOL 02w872_728x90 U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 3 25/05/2010 15:06 Click UK PPC Google Generic girl summer skirt U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 4 01/06/2010 07:45 Click UK SEO Brand google.co.uk boden U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 5 01/06/2010 08:12 Click UK Affiliate Window 67035 U100849148 26.4
1. Customer journeys across channels.
2. Successful paths and marketing combinations.
3. Successful sequences of marketing touch-points.
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Looks Ugly. Why PTC?
Conversion Time
Event # Event Time
Event Type Campaign Placement Ref Click Ref
Conversion ID
Sales Value
01/06/2010 08:13 1 02/05/2010 08:15 Click UK Direct to site U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 2 06/05/2010 16:46 View UK AOL 02w872_728x90 U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 3 25/05/2010 15:06 Click UK PPC Google Generic girl summer skirt U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 4 01/06/2010 07:45 Click UK SEO Brand google.co.uk boden U100849148 26.4
01/06/2010 08:13 5 01/06/2010 08:12 Click UK Affiliate Window 67035 U100849148 26.4
1. Customer journeys across channels.
2. Successful paths and marketing combinations.
3. Successful sequences of marketing touch-points.
4. Successful timings for marketing touch-points.
Optimising Paths To Conversion
How do we use this?
• We need to import and aggregate this data in a meaningful way.
• Identify and optimise beneficial marketing interactions
• Minimise and remove unhelpful marketing interactions.
Optimising Paths To Conversion
How do we use this?
Path To Conversion – Channel OverlapsCustomer Paths
Touch-points / Path Orders
Conversion %
Sales Value AOV Cost ROAS
PPC_Generic 12,214 1.2 171 1.40% £13,420 £78 £5,686 236%
PPC_Generic + Direct_To_Site 15,000 2.3 168 1.12% £16,773 £100 £7,500 224%
PPC_Brand + PPC_Generic + Direct_To_Site 5,745 3.3 81 1.41% £7,561 £93 £2,439 310%
PPC_Brand + PPC_Generic 7,500 2.2 111 1.48% £11,436 £103 £3,584 319%
PPC_Brand + PPC_Generic + Affiliates 1,543 3.7 54 3.50% £4,446 £82 £3,495 127%
PPC_Brand + PPC_Generic + Email 1,765 4.8 39 2.21% £4,615 £118 £1,211 381%
PPC_Generic + Direct_To_Site + Affiliates 1,994 3.7 72 3.61% £6,120 £85 £4,237 144%
SEO_Brand + PPC_Generic 3,600 2.3 54 1.50% £4,677 £87 £1,584 295%
PPC_Brand + PPC_Generic + Direct_To_Site + Affiliates 1,268 5.0 45 3.55% £4,275 £95 £3,244 132%
SEO_Brand + PPC_Brand + PPC_Generic 2,384 3.3 36 1.51% £3,604 £100 £1,500 240%
Putting PTC into Practice
Autumn Prospect Catalogue Campaign
• Prospect Catalogue campaign mailed 27/7/10.
• Customer offer of 10% OFF plus free delivery & returns.
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Autumn Prospect Catalogue Campaign
• Prospect Catalogue campaign mailed 27/7/10.
• Customer offer of 10% OFF plus free delivery & returns.
• Non-responders mailed with £10 OFF follow-up voucher on 24/8/10.
• We track response from the redemption of offer codes.
• This gives a limited view of results with no channel interaction.
• So we merged the offline data with Tagman data to give combined PTCs.
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Prospect Catalogues & Paths To Conversion
Conversion Time Event # Event Time
Event Type Campaign Placement Ref Click Ref
Conversion ID
Sales Value
03/10/2010 11:39 0 27/08/2010 DM UK Prospect Catalogue U107304142 65.86
03/10/2010 11:39 1 05/09/2010 10:26 Click UK Affiliate Window 67035 U107304142 65.86
03/10/2010 11:39 2 08/09/2010 19:15 Click UK Affiliate Window 67546 9487S34 U107304142 65.86
03/10/2010 11:39 3 09/09/2010 19:06 Click UK Affiliate Window 105010 boden U107304142 65.86
03/10/2010 11:39 4 24/09/2010 DM UK Prospect Voucher U107304142 65.86
03/10/2010 11:39 5 01/10/2010 11:26 Click UK Direct to site U107304142 65.86
03/10/2010 11:39 6 01/10/2010 11:52 Click UK Affiliate Window 67035 boden U107304142 65.86
03/10/2010 11:39 7 03/10/2010 08:23 View UK Platform-A 03m807_10fdr_160x600f 903 U107304142 65.86
03/10/2010 11:39 8 03/10/2010 11:33 Click UK SEO Brand google.co.uk boden U107304142 65.86
03/10/2010 11:52 0 27/08/2010 DM UK Prospect Catalogue U107304588 84.55
03/10/2010 11:52 1 16/09/2010 08:48 Click UK Affiliate Window 67546 1929S34K47476 U107304588 84.55
03/10/2010 11:52 2 23/09/2010 18:01 Click UK PPC Google Brand boden U107304588 84.55
03/10/2010 11:52 3 24/09/2010 DM UK Prospect Voucher U107304588 84.55
03/10/2010 11:52 4 28/09/2010 16:12 Click UK SEO Brand google.co.uk boden U107304588 84.55
03/10/2010 11:52 5 28/09/2010 16:43 Click UK Boden email U107304588 84.55
03/10/2010 11:52 6 03/10/2010 11:33 Click UK Affiliate Window 54760 U107304588 84.55
03/10/2010 11:52 7 03/10/2010 11:43 Click UK Direct to site U107304588 84.55
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Total Campaign
# Touch Points
% Touch Points
Prospect Catalogue 5,389 -
Voucher Letter 3,420 -
• A total of 5,389 customers converted online.
• 3,420 customers converted with the voucher (a month later).
• 1,969 customers converted from the catalogue without a voucher.
Prospect Catalogue Touch-Point Mix
Prospect Catalogue Touch-Point Mix
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Total Campaign
# Touch Points
% Touch Points
Prospect Catalogue 5,389 -
Voucher Letter 3,420 -
Direct To Site 3,127 31%
Natural Search Brand 3,097 31%
Affiliates 1,071 11%
Paid Search Brand 913 9%
Display Advertising 906 9%
Boden Email 556 5%
Paid Search Generic 304 3%
Natural Search Generic 109 1%
Comparison Shopping 50 0%
Referrer 20 0%
Total (ex DM) 10,153 100%
• Largest online touch-point overlaps are Direct To Site and Natural Search Brand.
• Sequence analysis tells us 27% of first touch-points are Direct To Site (vs 31% for total touch-points)
• 82% of Direct To Site 1st touch-points are converting.
• Natural Search Brand accounts for 40% of 1st touch-points..
• Only 46% of these convert from 1st
touch-point (vs. 31% for total).
• There is also significant overlap with Affiliates and Display.
• Paid Search is low due to ‘brand-off’ test.
Catalogue Converters vs. Voucher Converters
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Catalogue Converters Voucher Converters
# Touch Points
% Touch Points
# Touch Points
% Touch Points
Prospect Catalogue 1,969 - 3,420 -
Voucher Letter 0 - 3,420 -
Direct To Site 961 28% 2,166 32%
Natural Search Brand 970 28% 2,127 32%
Affiliates 452 13% 619 9%
Paid Search Brand 422 12% 491 7%
Display Advertising 295 9% 611 9%
Boden Email 153 4% 403 6%
Paid Search Generic 108 3% 196 3%
Natural Search Generic 40 1% 69 1%
Comparison Shopping 22 1% 28 0%
Referrer 7 0% 13 0%
Total (ex DM) 3,430 100% 6,723 100%
• PTCs converting without / before the voucher mail are Catalogue Converters
• PTCs converting with / after the voucher mail are Voucher Converters.
Catalogue Converters vs. Non-converters
Optimising Paths To Conversion
Catalogue Converters
Catalogue Non-Converters
# Touch Points
% Touch Points
# Touch Points
% Touch Points
Prospect Catalogue 1,969 - 3,420 -
Voucher Letter 0 - 0 -
Direct To Site 961 28% 86 10%
Natural Search Brand 970 28% 238 29%
Affiliates 452 13% 121 15%
Paid Search Brand 422 12% 250 30%
Display Advertising 295 9% 36 4%
Boden Email 153 4% 24 3%
Paid Search Generic 108 3% 44 5%
Natural Search Generic 40 1% 13 2%
Comparison Shopping 22 1% 10 1%
Referrer 7 0% 3 0%
Total (ex DM) 3,430 100% 825 100%
• Touch-points from Voucher Converters before voucher mail can be used as non-converting paths.
• Catalogue Converters made 180% more use of Direct To Site than Catalogue Non-Converters.
• 60% less use of Paid Search Brand
• 125% more use of Display.
Autumn Prospect Summary
Optimising Paths To Conversion
• Majority of touch-point interactions are Direct To Site.
• These convert better than other marketing channels from first touch-point and have a higher mix in Catalogue Converter PTCs.
• Natural Search Brand converts worse from first touch-point and Paid Search Brand has a higher mix in Catalogue Non-converter PTCs.
• This could be explained by the use of untracked landing pages versus the homepage.
• Display interactions, though minimal, are co-operative, having higher mix in Catalogue Converter PTCs.
Optimising Paths To Conversion
The end.
Thank you very much for listening.
Oliver Elliott
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/olivervelliott
Watch this space