16.5 Attribution Reporting: Understanding Lead Sources (Website, Ads, Portals)

Purpose:

This is arguably the most important report for understanding the true effectiveness of your various marketing channels. It connects the dots between your marketing efforts (tracked via UTMs, click IDs, and integrated sources) and tangible business results (Contacts created, Opportunities won, and actual closed Revenue) tracked *within Close Master*. It helps answer the critical question: "Where are my closed deals *actually* coming from?"

Access:

Navigate to Reporting → Attribution Report (or similar name).

Key Sections & Data (Select Date Range):

  • Summary KPIs: Often starts with high-level totals for the selected period: Total Contacts Created, Opportunities Won (Count), Closed Revenue (Total $ Lead Value of Opportunities marked Won), and potentially Website Sessions tracked.
  • Source Report / Session Events Table (CORE ANALYSIS): This table is where you analyze performance broken down by traffic source, primarily based on captured UTM parameters and integration data:
    • Rows: Typically shows data grouped by Source, Medium, Campaign Name, Content, or Term based on captured UTM tags. Examples:
      • google / cpc (Google Ads)
      • facebook / cpc (Facebook/Instagram Ads)
      • google / organic (Organic Search)
      • (direct) / (none) (Direct traffic or untagged)
      • referral / [Referring Website] (e.g., zillow.com / referral)
      • email / newsletter (Your email campaigns)
      • [Your Custom Source] / [Your Custom Medium] (e.g., Mailer / Postcard)
      • You can often drill down further (e.g., click google / cpc to see performance by specific UTM Campaign Name).
    • Columns: Shows key performance metrics attributed to each source/campaign row, such as:
      • # Sessions / Visits
      • # Contacts Created (New leads attributed)
      • # Opportunities Won (Closed deals attributed)
      • $ Closed Revenue (Sum of Lead Value from Won Opps attributed)
      • Potentially Conversion Rate (Won Opps / Contacts or Sessions)
  • Attribution Models: The report might display data based on different attribution models, commonly:
    • First Touch: Gives 100% credit for the conversion (Contact creation, Won Opportunity) to the *first* tracked source the contact interacted with. Helps understand which channels are good at *initiating* the customer journey.
    • Last Touch: Gives 100% credit to the *last* tracked source the contact interacted with *before* the conversion event. Helps understand which channels are good at *closing* the deal or driving the final action.
    • (Advanced models like Linear, Time Decay might also be available). Comparing First vs. Last touch provides valuable insights into your full marketing funnel.

CRITICAL Requirements for Accurate Attribution:

  1. Accurate & Consistent UTM Tagging: You MUST diligently use UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content, utm_term) on the destination URLs in ALL your external marketing efforts – Paid Ads (Google, FB, LI, etc.), Email Marketing links, Social Media posts (organic & paid), links from partner websites, QR codes used in print, etc. Use a consistent naming convention for your sources, mediums, and campaigns. Untagged traffic falls into "Direct" or "Referral," providing little insight.
  2. Correct Ad Platform Tracking Setup: Implement the Close Master Google Tracking Template and Facebook URL Parameters precisely as described in section 16.2. Enable Google Autotagging.
  3. Website Tracking Script: The Close Master website tracking script needs to be installed correctly on your landing pages and website pages to capture UTM parameters and sessions.
  4. Consistent Opportunity Management: Deals MUST be consistently marked as Won or Lost, and the Lead Value ($ Estimated Commission) must be accurately entered for revenue attribution to work correctly. Inaccurate or missing opportunity data renders revenue attribution useless.