Top Performing Channels with Position Data Distinguishes Assist vs. Conversion Value
Quick Summary: The channel performance view appears to show not just which channels perform well, but where they appear in the journey (early, middle, late). This reveals whether a channel is good at starting journeys, nurturing them, or closing them — completely changing how you value each channel.
Main Insight:
Traditional channel reports show metrics like "impressions" or "clicks" or even "conversions," but they miss the critical question: What role does this channel play in the customer journey?
ObserviX's "Top Performing Channels" with visual position breakdowns (the colored bar segments) appears to distinguish between:
- First-touch contribution (journey initiators)
- Mid-journey contribution (nurture and consideration)
- Last-touch contribution (conversion closers)
Why Position Matters More Than Volume:
Scenario 1: Email Shows High Last-Touch % If Email has 70% last-touch attribution but only 10% first-touch:
- What it means: Email is excellent at closing deals but doesn't attract new prospects
- Strategic implication: Don't cut email budget, but don't expect it to grow your audience. It's a conversion channel, not an acquisition channel.
- Action: Pair email with top-of-funnel channels. When Paid Search or Display bring new visitors, ensure email capture mechanisms are strong.
Scenario 2: Display Shows High First-Touch, Low Last-Touch If Display has 35% first-touch but only 4% last-touch:
- What it means: Display ads are introducing people to your brand, but they don't close sales
- Strategic implication: Display is awareness, not performance. Judge it by "did it start journeys?" not "did it get conversions?"
- Action: Measure Display success by how many journeys it initiates that eventually convert through other channels. This is assist value.
Scenario 3: Direct Has High Last-Touch, Low First-Touch If Direct traffic shows 78% last-touch attribution:
- What it means: Customers come back directly when they're ready to buy, but something else started their journey
- Strategic implication: Direct is the harvest channel — it reflects brand strength built by other channels
- Action: Never cut channels feeding Direct traffic. If Display first-touch drops, Direct conversions will decline later.
Scenario 4: Paid Search Shows Balanced Distribution If Paid Search shows 10% first, 55% mid, 35% last:
- What it means: Paid Search works throughout the journey — attracts, nurtures, and converts
- Strategic implication: This is a versatile channel worthy of significant investment
- Action: Segment Paid Search campaigns by journey stage. Use broad keywords for awareness, competitor keywords for consideration, branded keywords for conversion.
Avoiding the "Last-Click Trap":
Without position data, marketers often:
- Over-invest in last-click channels (because they "get credit")
- Under-invest in first-click channels (because they "don't convert")
- Kill valuable awareness channels that start high-value journeys
This view prevents that mistake by showing the complete picture.
Practical Budget Allocation:
Understanding position enables smarter budget planning:
High First-Touch Channels:
- Invest to grow audience
- Measure success by "new visitor acquisition" and "journey starts"
- Budget for volume and reach
High Mid-Touch Channels:
- Invest to scale nurture capacity
- Measure success by "engagement rate" and "time to next touch"
- Budget for frequency and sequencing
High Last-Touch Channels:
- Invest to maximize conversion efficiency
- Measure success by "close rate" and "revenue per conversion"
- Budget for remarketing and CRM integration
Team Structure Implications:
If you see clear position patterns, consider organizing marketing teams by journey stage rather than by channel:
- Acquisition Team: Owns first-touch channels (Display, Organic Search, Paid Social for awareness)
- Nurture Team: Owns mid-touch channels (Email, Webinars, Content)
- Conversion Team: Owns last-touch optimization (Retargeting, Direct traffic nurturing, CRM sequences)
This organizational structure aligns incentives with actual customer behavior rather than siloed channel reporting.