PayPal & Google Conversion Tracking

[seattlecpa]

Two quick questions to which I'd sure appreciate an answer or comment:



1. To use Google's Conversion Tracking feature with e-junkie, all I need to do is place the conversion tracking code on the generic thank you page, correct?



2. From reading posts about conversion tracking here, I assume or read between the lines that the conversion tracking data isn't completely reliable.



FYI, I used to use Adwords conversion tracking with payloadz.com (this is before I switched to e-junkie because pricing is better)... I found that conversion tracking did not seem all that, well, reliable. E.g., I would myself click an Adword to get to my site... then buy a product... and then watch for the conversion. Sometimes you saw the conversion. And sometimes you didn't. Or at least it sure seemed that way.



Payloadz worked with conversion tracking the same way that e-junkie does, btw.

[E-junkie_Chef]

In case of Google ADWORDS conversion tracking, yes, all you need to do is to place the conversion code on E-junkie thank you page (seller admin > preferences > common thank you page html field) or your own thank you page if that's where you've chosen to redirect the user to.



However, unlike our affiliate tracking, the conversion tracking is done on client side (and not server side), you rely on the buyer to return to the thank you page in order for this to work and you also need buyer's JS enabled and privacy settings not too restrictive.

[biggest_e_junkie_fan]

E-junkieChefthe conversion tracking is done on client side (and not server side), you rely on the buyer to return to the thank you page in order for this to work

So, if I am selling only downloadable products (stamped PDFs for example) then in order for my customers to obtain their purchased product they ALWAYS must click on the link to get them to the THANK YOU page ("Click here to retrieve your purchase" for Google Checkout and "Complete Purchase" for PayPal) or they must click on the link in the email sent to them. Is this correct?



If so, does this mean that I should be able to capture every conversion if my AdWords Conversion code is in place on my Thank You page?



What about those customers who only access their product through the email; is there a way to ensure that the email does not directly link them to the download? Currently customers receive an email like the following:

Dear <customer name>,



You can download <product name> at



https://www.e-junkie.com/d/?t=<code>&d=<code>&c=<code&gt ;



Please note, the download link will expire after 5 attempts.



<then my added custom text>

Would this be controlled with a Common Templated Thank-You Email?

[biggest_e_junkie_fan]

I was able to get this working, I think. However, I ran into a couple issues:



1) My own requirements require that I use Item Specific Thank Email templates. Unfortunately, these still do not allow HTML, so the resulting emails are a little crude and they display the "ugly" links in the full splendor.



2) The documentation here (http://www.e-junkie.com/ej/help.custom.thankyou-email.htm) was a little confusing at first because the organization and wording made me think that I could not use the [%thankyoulink%] variable in my Item Specific Thank You emails. My initial interpretation was that I could only use it and many other variables listed in the Order Specific section in Order Specific email templates exclusively. Later, I discovered that this was incorrect and that all variables are available to be used in the Item Specific emails.



Anyway, I think I have a solid solution setup now that will result in 100% conversion tracking regardless of PayPal or Google Check Out transaction processing. Well, that is unless someone buys one of my digital downloads and never actually downloads it. Correct?

[E-junkie_Ninja]

If it is setup then yes, as long as every buyer goes to your thank you page you should be able to see the conversion tracking.

[biggest_e_junkie_fan]

Thanks E-junkieNinja!



I tested it myself and it works, but there was a bit of a lag with Google registering the conversion. Then when I revisited the page with the same browser it seems I triggered more conversions (not certain if this is true, maybe I tested it from end to end more than once when it seemed to not be instantaneously reflecting the conversion).



Anyway, it is working. And as far as I can see my setup will require all of my customers, who wish to obtain their digital purchase, to reach my Thank You/Conversion page. Cool. I am so ready to start pinpointing my marketing now. If we could just get out of the holiday season and back to business as usual (my sales dry-up during the holidays).