Attribution Models Explained

An attribution model is a set of rules that determines how credit for sales and conversions is assigned to touchpoints in the customer journey.

Why Attribution Models Matter

Same customer journey, different stories:

1. Day 1: Clicks Facebook ad → Browses → Leaves

2. Day 3: Clicks email link → Adds to cart → Leaves

3. Day 5: Googles brand name → Buys

The Main Attribution Models

1. Last-Touch Attribution

• •Day 1: Facebook ad (0% credit)
• •Day 3: Email (0% credit)
• •Day 5: Google search (100% credit)

• •Understanding what closes sales
• •Optimizing bottom-of-funnel campaigns
• •Direct response marketing

• •Simple to understand
• •Good for conversion optimization
• •Shows what's driving immediate sales

• •Ignores discovery channels
• •Under-values awareness campaigns
• •Misses the full customer journey

• •You focus on direct response ads
• •Short sales cycles (1-3 days)
• •Bottom-of-funnel optimization

2. First-Touch Attribution

• •Day 1: Facebook ad (100% credit)
• •Day 3: Email (0% credit)
• •Day 5: Google search (0% credit)

• •Understanding what brings new customers
• •Optimizing top-of-funnel campaigns
• •Brand awareness efforts

• •Shows what drives discovery
• •Values awareness campaigns
• •Good for lead generation

• •Ignores nurturing efforts
• •Over-values channels that don't close
• •Misses retargeting effectiveness

• •You focus on customer acquisition
• •Long sales cycles with multiple touches
• •Brand building campaigns

3. Linear Attribution

• •Day 1: Facebook ad (33% credit)
• •Day 3: Email (33% credit)
• •Day 5: Google search (33% credit)

• •Understanding the full journey
• •Valuing all marketing efforts
• •Complex multi-channel campaigns

• •Acknowledges all touchpoints
• •Fair to all channels
• •Shows complete picture

• •May over-value minor touchpoints
• •Harder to optimize
• •Doesn't prioritize critical moments

• •Long purchase cycles (7+ days)
• •Multiple marketing channels
• •You want holistic view

Comparing Models Side-by-Side

Journey: Facebook Ad → Email → Instagram Ad → Google Search → Purchase

• •Last-Touch: "Scale Google!"
• •First-Touch: "Scale Facebook!"
• •Linear: "They all matter"

Attribution Windows

The time limit for giving credit to a touchpoint.

Customer clicks Facebook ad on January 1

Customer buys on January 10

Common Attribution Windows

• •Credit only if purchase within 24 hours
• •Very restrictive
• •Good for: Flash sales, immediate response campaigns

• •Most common default
• •Good balance for most ecommerce
• •BlackBox recommendation for starting

• •Longer consideration purchases
• •Good for: Higher-ticket items, B2B

• •Very long consideration
• •Good for: Very expensive products, complex purchases

Look at your average days from first visit to purchase in BlackBox dashboard. Add 20% buffer.

Why Platform Numbers Don't Match

• •Facebook Ads Manager: 150 conversions
• •Google Ads: 120 conversions
• •Shopify Analytics: 200 orders
• •BlackBox: 180 orders

1. Different Attribution Models

• •Facebook: Default last-click
• •Google: Default last non-direct click
• •Shopify: All orders (no attribution)
• •BlackBox: Customizable

2. Different Attribution Windows

• •Facebook: Default 7-day click, 1-day view
• •Google: Default 30-day click
• •BlackBox: You choose

3. Different Tracking Methods

• •Facebook: Pixel + browser cookies (limited by iOS 14.5)
• •Google: Cookies + gclid parameter
• •BlackBox: First-party server-side tracking

4. Cross-Device Challenges

• •Customer clicks Facebook ad on phone
• •Buys on desktop later
• •Facebook loses the connection
• •BlackBox (with proper setup) maintains it

The "Which Number is Right?" Problem

1. Pick one source of truth (we vote BlackBox, obviously)

2. Use it consistently for all decisions

3. Don't compare numbers across platforms

Choosing Your Attribution Model

• •You're new to attribution
• •Short sales cycle (1-3 days)
• •Focus on direct response
• •Simple marketing (1-2 channels)

• •Long sales cycle (14+ days)
• •Focus on customer acquisition
• •Want to value brand awareness
• •Multiple nurture touchpoints

• •Multiple channels working together
• •Long sales cycle with many touches
• •Want complete customer journey view
• •Mature marketing operation

Advanced: Multi-Touch Attribution

Time Decay Model

• •Day 1: Facebook (10% credit)
• •Day 3: Email (20% credit)
• •Day 5: Google (70% credit)

Position-Based (U-Shaped) Model

• •Day 1: Facebook (40% credit)
• •Day 3: Email (20% credit)
• •Day 5: Google (40% credit)

Data-Driven Attribution

Common Attribution Mistakes

Mistake 1: Constantly Switching Models

Mistake 2: Comparing Cross-Platform Numbers

Mistake 3: Using Wrong Window

Mistake 4: Ignoring View-Through Attribution

How to Use Attribution Models

Monthly Review Process

• •Which campaigns drive the most final-click sales?
• •Which channels are best at closing?

• •Which campaigns drive the most new customer discovery?
• •Which channels are best at awareness?

• •Are channels good at discovery but bad at closing? (Need nurture)
• •Are channels good at closing but bad at discovery? (Need more top-of-funnel)

• •Scale channels that excel at your current priority
• •Pair discovery channels with closing channels

Real Example

• •Google: $50,000 revenue (50%)
• •Facebook: $30,000 revenue (30%)
• •Email: $20,000 revenue (20%)

• •Facebook: $60,000 revenue (60%)
• •Google: $25,000 revenue (25%)
• •Email: $15,000 revenue (15%)

Key Takeaways

1. Attribution models are rules for assigning credit

2. No model is "perfect" - they answer different questions

3. Last-touch shows what closes, first-touch shows what discovers

4. Pick one model and use it consistently for 3+ months

5. Attribution windows should match your purchase cycle

6. Platform numbers will never match - pick one source of truth

7. Review both first-touch and last-touch monthly for full picture

8. Don't constantly switch models or you can't compare trends

View Dashboard →

• •First-Touch vs Last-Touch: Which to Use?
• •Understanding Attribution Windows
• •Why Platform Numbers Don't Match