What are the best methods to track multi-touch attribution when customers interact with multiple affiliates or marketing channels before purchasing?
Topic summary
A merchant asks about tracking multi-touch attribution when customers interact with multiple affiliates or channels before purchasing.
Key Points:
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Attribution Model: Shopify Collabs uses a last-click attribution model, where only the affiliate responsible for the final click before purchase receives compensation.
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Risk of Double Payments: When using multiple affiliate apps simultaneously, overlapping attribution windows can result in paying multiple affiliates for the same conversion.
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Attribution Window Control: Shopify Collabs allows merchants to customize the attribution window duration to match their strategy, though other affiliate platforms may not offer this flexibility.
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Recommendation: Merchants should carefully test their setup and manage attribution windows to control risk and avoid duplicate payments across different affiliate programs.
Hello! That’s a great question. Merchants who utilize multiple affiliate programs or collaborate with many affiliates need to consider how each program tracks conversions before implementing a comprehensive strategy. For example, Shopify Collabs uses a last-click attribution model, meaning that the affiliate responsible for the last click will receive compensation. Merchants utilizing multiple affiliate apps must be cautious, as leaving the attribution window open for too long can lead to situations where double payments occur. While Shopify Collabs allows you to adjust this window according to your preferences and strategy, other affiliate apps may lack this level of control. Therefore, it’s essential to test and manage your risk appropriately. Let us know if you have any follow-up questions!