Google Analytics hack for TOUCH attribution of sales, leads and other conversion goals

Step 1: Save referrers

Add the following code just after the Google Analytics tracking code. This script will use the Google Analytics cookies to store the referrer of a visitor for each of his visits.

function createCookie(name,value,days) {
                if (days) {
                    var date = new Date();
                    date.setTime(date.getTime()+(days*24*60*60*1000));
                    var expires = "; expires="+date.toGMTString();
                }
                else var expires = "";

                document.cookie = name+"="+value+expires+";domain="+window.location.hostname+"; path=/";
            }

            function readCookie(name) {
                var nameEQ = name + "=";
                var ca = document.cookie.split(';');
                for(var i=0;i < ca.length;i++) {
                    var c = ca[i];
                    while (c.charAt(0)==' ') c = c.substring(1,c.length);
                    if (c.indexOf(nameEQ) == 0) return c.substring(nameEQ.length,c.length);
                }
                return null;
            }

            function googleCookieReferrer()
            {

                var feed=readCookie("__utmz");

                //if the utmcsr is not found, cancel
                if(feed.indexOf("utmcsr")==-1) return null;

                if(feed!=null){

                    //new version cookies
                    if(feed.indexOf("%7C")!=-1){
                        feed=feed.split("%7C");
                        feed=feed[0].split("%3D");
                    }
                    else
                    {

                        //old verion cookie
                        feed=feed.split("|");
                        feed=feed[0].split("=");
                    }

                    if(feed[1]!=""){
                        return feed[1];
                    }
                    else{
                        return "";
                    }
                }
                else return "";

            }
           //read the google cookie, and extract the utmcsr parameter from utmz
           var referer=googleCookieReferrer();

       //if the google cookie was succesfully read, and utmcsr found
        if(referer!=null && referer!="") {

          //read our cookie, if it exists
          if(readCookie("__rfrr"))
             {
                  //cookie data
                  var feed=readCookie("__rfrr");
                  //temp cookie string
                  var feed_temp=feed;
                  //this will hold the last referer in our cookie
                  var check="";

                      //split the data in our cookie.
                      feed=feed.split("|");

                      //if its the first element -> string
                      if(feed[feed.length-1]==null){
                          check=feed;
                      }else{
                          //if multiple elements -> array ->get last
                          check=feed[feed.length-1];
                      }

                      //if last element != referer write cookie, add new referer
                      if(check!=referer) createCookie("__rfrr",feed_temp+"|"+referer,1000);

             } // if no cookie found. Create, and populate
             else createCookie("__rfrr",referer,1000);
           }

The above code can be adapted by your developers so you can get crazy with it. :)

Step 2: Save data

When the sale happens save the new referral cookie content to your database. You might want to link each customer to his referrers. Ask your programmers to do this operation. Most of the times it’s simply a walk in the park for them to do it.

You could send in the same time the cookie content to Google Analytics as an event but I find it very useful to have it stored on the database. You can use the information much easier in the future for targeting campaigns.

Step 3: Generate reports

Create your own referral reporting area. Here is how your reports could look like:

Source: dc-storm.com

Just like the reports above, you will have a clear image of the impact of marketing channels on first click, middle click and last click purchases.

Ask you developers to offer you such a report in your website back-end area or simply tell them to send you periodical exports of the data and generate Excel spreadsheet reports. You can go even one step further, and import as well some visitor behavior data though the Google Analytics API to make better use of the reports. Excellent Analytics is a plugin that can help you with that. Start doing some segmentation and most likely you will strike gold.

With the hack in place, you should be able to have a clear image of your marketing channels impact on your website.