Marketing attribution is a vast and complicated process, even for the most experienced of marketers. In this day and age, it's necessary to use some type of platform to get the best results possible, no matter what industry or size of business you are running.
That being said, it's difficult and time-consuming to test out different marketing attribution software on company time and the company's dime. That's where a good look at your options enables you to make an educated decision that's best for your company's needs.
In this article, we'll examine five attribution platforms:
These platforms run a wide range of needs, options, and expenses. As part of this review, we'll provide a high-level overview of each platform related to the marketing attribution needs of today.
Let's get started.
Google Analytics is well-known, extremely powerful, and free to use. Specializing in website analytics, Google Ads, and display impressions, Google Analytics provides basic attribution capabilities. However, when breaking down unique customer journeys into actionable insights, Google Analytics can fall short.
For example, Google Analytics combines all marketing activity when showing conversion paths, instead of breaking insights down to each customer's specific pathway. Customer journey data is only displayed in aggregate, making it challenging to analyze revenue, average order value, and so on per each unique combination of touchpoints.
It is also important to note that tracking cross-channel customer journeys is limited to campaign level UTM clicks.
Google Analytics is a powerful free platform that many companies use in tandem with other marketing tools. However, it is limited in certain capacities, particularly good data collection and crunching outside of Google's set parameters. Plus, if you are looking for an easy way to import customer journey data, you may be frustrated by the seven-step manual process that is required by the platform.
If you need a very specific data collection and multi-touch attribution models, Google Analytics may not be the best fit for you. However, for most companies looking for a general attribution tool that incorporates other functions, Google Analytics is a valuable tool that will never go away.
Attribution App is firmly on the next level in marketing attribution platforms. A fast, out-of-the-box solution, it provides excellent support for data-driven attribution that isn't possible with many other platforms. Attribution App works with most major social media platforms, including Facebook, Quora, Google, LinkedIn, and AdRoll. However, it falls short when it comes to integrating with more vast marketing tools.
Without keyword-level data for Adwords, email-reports, multiple dashboard views, and customer journey visualizations, key components are missing from Attribution App's overall user experience. Though, the ROI Cohort Analysis breaks down conversions by segment and day, providing detailed information in some areas, which is valuable.
Attribution App's biggest weakness is the price. Like Google Analytics, if you're looking for a simple, streamlined, single-channel attribution model, this system is not for you. If you're working with a very small customer base, the price may be prohibitive.
For data-driven attribution, the Attribution App does offer a reliable platform with vital capabilities. However, with limited reporting and viewing features, there are some limitations. Fortunately, Attribution App provides customer support through a Customer Success Manager to help you get the most out of this marketing attribution software.
Rockerbox is a relatively new platform compared to the others on this list. However, it provides valuable capabilities such as various site segments, LTV analysis, and unique integrations with TV, direct mail, and radio.
Advertised as a fast, easy attribution platform on a budget, Rockerbox is a great tool to use when you are ready to take your advertising beyond only Google and Facebook.
Offering many features found in other marketing attribution software platforms, Rockerbox's significant advantage over its competition is that it is specifically designed for marketers, CFOs, and data analysts and that it's streamlined. With such a targeted focus, it's easier to set up attribution strategies than in other, bulkier systems that offer more power.
If you are looking for a good, middle-of-the-road attribution platform that works across multiple channels and is adaptable, Rockerbox may be the right fit for you. This is especially true if you don't want a heavy, robust system, but you still want to attribute impressions to advertisements and campaigns.
Bizible is a B2B marketing attribution and planning software. It offers multi-touch attribution and advanced tracking capabilities. However, with a steep learning curve and some non-user-friendly attributes, Bizible has limitations, especially for those who are not familiar with the attribution process.
Bizible offers demand generation solutions, marketing ops, and paid media, with social integrations becoming available. However, with the time it takes to fine-tune the system, customize dashboards and reports, and understand how to optimize each feature, you will likely not see streamlined results right away. If you have time to figure out a complex system, Bizible is a strong marketing attribution software.
For multi-touch attribution and accurate measurements from the first touch to close across all marketing channels, Bizible is a valuable attribution tool. Nevertheless, marketers should evaluate their time and understanding of attribution software before investing in this tool, as some of Bizible's less user-friendly features do cause the overall process to take longer than most.
AdRoll Cross-Channel Attribution is one of the most robust marketing attribution software available compared to other tools. When it comes to customer journey insights, AdRoll's platform breaks down unique customer journeys by revenue, AOV, path length, first and last interactions to provide an in-depth understanding of each touchpoint. Even more, it allows for a comparison of attribution models to move beyond the last click.
Plus, to identify tracking discrepancies, you can de-duplication conversions with aggregated campaign data for the most accurate results. This data is easily viewed on dynamic dashboards that allow for customization.
Understanding the customer journey is valuable. With the right tools, you can analyze unique customer journeys to gather the most accurate, detailed information, from which you can make educated decisions that increase ROI.
With AdRoll, you can break down customer journeys by channel, campaign, ad group, and ad to understand how your customers experience your brand. This also enables you to identify any gaps in the customer journey and pivot appropriately, which results in a comprehensive view of marketing attribution.
Among all the marketing attribution software on the market today, there's a wide variety of crate platforms for almost every need. From the small cottage business to multimillion-dollar industry leaders, every business can harness marketing attribution as needed.
Learn more about AdRoll's marketing analytics and attribution solution to get started today!
Last updated on November 17th, 2022.