Conversions
The Web Analytics Conversions page shows your goals and orders over time, and which sources, pages and devices bring the visits that convert.
The Web Analytics Conversions page shows which visits turn into goals, such as a sign-up or a purchase. It also shows the sources, pages and devices that bring these visits, so you can do more of what converts.
Before you start
- Install the Web Analytics script. See Analytics script. Without the script, the page shows Install Web Analytics to see which visits convert.
- Verify the domain. See Verify ownership.
- In the sidebar, select Web Analytics > Conversions.
- Select the dates in the filter dock. You can also turn on the comparison with an earlier period.
- Owners and admins can add, change and delete goals. Members see the goals read-only.
Goals and conversions
A goal is a page or an event that means success on your site, such as a thank-you page or a sign-up. A visit counts as converted when it does the goal at least once. A visit counts once per goal, also if it repeats the action.
If your shop sends orders to Web Analytics, Orders and Revenue count as conversions without a goal. To send shop events, see Analytics script.
Steps that readers follow in order are funnels. Funnels are on Journeys & Funnels.
Conversions with no goals
If you have no goal and no shop orders, the Web Analytics Conversions page shows Add a goal to see which visits convert with the chip No goals yet. Owners and admins can click Add a goal. Your existing visits are counted as soon as you add the goal.
Add a goal
- On the Conversions page, click Add a goal.
- In Name, enter a name, for example
Newsletter sign-up. - In A visit converts when, select A page is viewed or A custom event is sent.
- For a page, select Is exactly or Starts with. Then enter the Path, for example
/thank-you. - For an event, enter the Event name, for example
newsletter_signup. Use the name that your site sends with the tracking script. - Optional: in What one conversion is worth, enter a number, for example
50. Then select the Currency. - Click Add goal.
A toast says Goal added. You can have up to 20 goals for each domain.
How goals are counted
| Rule | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A visit | Counts once per goal |
| A page goal | Ignores the query (?) and a trailing slash |
| Starts with | Also counts the pages below the path |
| A goal's value | Your number multiplied by the visits that convert |
The value is an estimate, not a measurement. For this reason, Web Analytics shows it with about, such as Value (about).
Conversion figures and chart
The Web Analytics Conversions card shows one tile for each goal, and Orders and Revenue if your shop sends orders. Up to four tiles show. Other goals are in More goals. Click a tile to plot it on the chart.
| Tile | What it counts |
|---|---|
| A goal | The visits that did the goal, and the share of visits |
| Orders | Completed orders, counted once per order, from visits that VitalSentinel can follow to a source |
| Revenue | Money from those orders. The note says Attributed to a source |
Ecommerce also counts orders from visitors who asked not to be tracked. So Ecommerce can show more orders than Conversions.
With the comparison on, each tile shows the change and the old value. If the comparison period has no data, the tile shows No data in the comparison period. If the comparison fails to load, a note says Couldn't load the comparison period. Click Try again.
The chart can show downtime from Uptime Monitoring. If the range includes today, the last point shows Today so far. Use the control above the chart to show the data by hour, day, week or month.
Why conversions moved
When the comparison is on, the Web Analytics Conversions page explains the change for the goal on the chart. A sentence names the change, such as Sign-ups rose 12% (40 more than the period before).
Tiles split the change into parts:
- From visits: more or fewer people visited.
- From conversion rate: a higher or lower share of visits converted.
- From order value: the average order was bigger or smaller (only for orders and revenue).
The parts add up to the change. A part is not a cause. If you use filters, a note says Why conversions moved looks at the whole site. Clear the filters to see the explanation.
What explains the change
The table What explains the change shows segments, such as sources or devices, with the biggest move first. Its columns include Share of the change, Visits and Conversion rate. Small segments are added together in one row, so the rows add up.
The list What else happened shows changes on your site from 3 days before the dates to 1 day after them. Examples are site changes and Google updates.
If a browser or system converts far below the rest of its device, a warning names it. If RUM Monitoring is not connected, the warning suggests Connect RUM Monitoring to see if JavaScript errors explain it.
Where conversions come from
The Web Analytics card Where conversions come from splits the conversions of one goal by Source, Campaign, Landing page, Country, Device or Browser. Select the goal in the list next to the title.
A conversion counts for the visit that made it: its own source, campaign and first page. Web Analytics does not follow a person across visits. A sale days after the first visit counts for the visit that bought.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Visits | Visits that started on this row |
| Conversions | Visits from this row that converted |
| Rate | Conversions per hundred visits |
| Against the site | The row's rate against the whole site. 1x is level with the site |
| Value or Value (about) | Money from orders, or the goal value times conversions |
A Worth fixing chip marks a row with many visits that converts at less than half the site's rate. If the goal had no conversions, the card shows Nothing to split yet. Widen the dates or check the goal's definition.
Landing pages that earn
The Web Analytics card Landing pages that earn lists the pages where visits begin, ranked by how often a visit converts. If the goal has a value, it ranks by what one visit brings in.
The columns are Page, Value per visit, Visits and Conversions. Only pages with at least 20 visits are ranked, so one lucky visit does not top the list.
Goals card
Lower on the page, the Web Analytics card Goals lists each goal with its definition, its conversions and its share of visits. A goal with a value shows A value you set.
Owners and admins see suggestions for new goals: busy custom events and thank-you pages from the last 30 days. Click a suggestion to add it. A toast says Goal added: and the name.
Change or delete a goal
- To change a goal, click the edit button on its row. Change the fields, then click Save goal. A toast says Goal saved.
- To delete a goal, click the delete button on its row. In Delete this goal?, click Delete goal. Click Keep it to stop.
Troubleshooting
Why does my goal show no conversions?
Check the definition in the Goals card. For a page goal, the path must match. Use Starts with if the page has more parts after the path. For an event goal, the event name must match exactly the name that your site sends.
Why does Conversions show fewer orders than Ecommerce?
Conversions counts only orders from visits that VitalSentinel can follow to a source. Ecommerce also counts orders from visitors who asked not to be tracked.
Why is the value shown as "about"?
The value of a goal is the number you set multiplied by the converting visits. It is an estimate, not a measured amount.
Why can I not add a goal?
Only owners and admins can add goals. If Add a goal is not available, the domain already has 20 goals. Delete a goal first.
Related
- Journeys & Funnels - funnels with steps in order
- Ecommerce - revenue, orders and products
- Organic revenue - what your Google clicks earn
- Analytics script - send custom events and shop events
