MEASUREMENT / REPORTING / THE WORK BEHIND THE NUMBERS

Field guides.

Practical explanations of tracking and reporting problems. Start with the question you have, then see what is worth checking and why it matters.

CONVERSION TRACKING

Can we trust our conversion tracking?

Define the outcome, follow its tracking, and find out what the recorded number represents.

Two form events. One inquiry. Which number goes in the report?
Two events can describe one inquiry. Agree on the outcome before adding the numbers together, so a tracking detail does not become a reporting mistake.
Before the redesign: the tracking you cannot afford to lose.
The new website can look better while quietly losing the measurement your team relies on. Put the important journeys in the brief before the old site disappears.
The tag is paused. Why is the event still showing up?
A paused tag is a clue about one collection path. Ask the implementation owner which version is live and where a newly sent event is coming from.

MARKETING REPORTING

Understand what a report counts, how it assigns credit, and which comparisons are useful.

Good lead counts. Bad source data. Both can be true.
You can have a useful inquiry count and still lack the information to compare marketing channels fairly. Here is how I keep those two questions separate.
Two reports disagree. Start with what each is counting.
The totals differ. Start by finding out what each report counts, which records it includes, and whether the comparison is fair.
The dashboard went blank after one edit. Where would you look first?
If a chart went blank after an edit, check whether its source data is still available. That helps the report owner decide where to investigate.
When a tracking repair changes the conversion chart.
A jump in recorded conversions may mean the measurement improved. The report needs that context before the change is credited to marketing.

Tell me what your team needs to understand and where the current tracking or reporting leaves you unsure.