We understand that tracking accurate data is key to understanding your performance. But what happens when you notice that different sources of data don't exactly match up? More often than not, third-party data, such as what's available directly on certain social networks or elsewhere, can only accurately be measured through its own platform. Here are some notes on why:
Clicks
- Keep in mind that Collective Voice tracks when a shopper follows your link to view the item on the retailer's site and that other platforms may count clicks differently
- If a shopper clicks a link but doesn't reach the retailer for any reason, Collective Voice's systems wouldn't track it
Conversion Date
- Some tracking tools report the time of conversion, whereas we display orders based on click date. This difference sometimes makes the same data look different, by showing it under different dates
Ad Blockers
- Some shoppers have ad blockers installed in their browser, which may interfere with tracking
Coupon or Rebate Site
- Cookies compete and the last cookie usually wins. If a shopper has an extension or rebate site installed, this may override your affiliate attribution
- Similarly, monetizing on top of an affiliate link can cause issues. We encourage you to start with a clean, unaffiliated link. It will increase your chances of tracking orders! Learn more here.
Cookie Window
- After a shopper clicks a link, any shopping trip completed within this cookie window will be associated with your tracking ID. Should the window expire, any orders placed through your link won't be tracked
- Cookie Windows vary by retailer. Most retailers have a window of 7-30 days
Low-Intent Clicks
- Invalid and low-intent clicks can damage your sale over click conversion rate. Collective Voice has several systems in place to reduce the risk of negative impact from these types of clicks to help you get the most out of your performance.
- This is further explained below!
Further, sometimes a retailer cannot report a click or sale for a few possible reasons:
- The order was canceled or returned
- The events occurred in an incognito window
- The shopper switched to the retailer's app (varies by retailer)
- A gift card/promo code was used that overrode the cookie
- The item was reserved online but paid for in-store
Low Intent Clicks further explained
Imagine that your affiliate link is clicked on over 1,000 times and only 2 of those clicks convert to sales. Over time, low conversion rates like this one can negatively impact your conversion rate. The higher the ratio of readers who click and buy, the better. With this in mind, we have implemented systems that detect and filter out low-intent and invalid clicks. This protects your click to conversion ratio. For this reason, you may notice a discrepancy between the clicks on your Collective Voice dashboard and a third-party analytics platform.
Clicks considered low-intent:
- Clicks generated by invalid sources, such as bots, fake accounts, automated programs, or other methods. Find out more about how Collective Voice handles fraudulent clicks here
- Clicks that do not indicate genuine interest
- Repetitive or accidental clicks, such as the second click of a double click or a link is clicked on several times for no apparent reason
- Clicks made in rapid succession, examples include a user quickly clicking on every item you posted (unlikely all of these will convert to sales) or by clicking on the same item rapidly and/or multiple times
- Collective Voice participants clicking on their own links (varies by retailer)
Pro Tips
- Encourage your audience to initiate their purchase directly from your blog
- Create clean links! Check out our best practice guide
- Please keep in mind: Reporting is not immediate, as our systems reports after confirmation from the retailer. As a general rule, please allow 24-48 hours for clicks and 3-5 days for pending orders to appear in your account