- Analytics
About the client
Columbus Direct is an international travel insurer, operating out of 45 countries. The company was the first insurer to sell travel insurance direct to consumers in the UK and was also the first broker to fully sell travel insurance online.
Columbus Direct’s Sydney-based team manage the Australian and New Zealand websites, as well as international websites catering to customers in Europe and the Middle East. In Marketing We Trust worked with their Sydney office, providing content and giving them website and Google Analytics recommendations. They needed specific help to resolve some technical tracking issues, in order to improve their analytics data and enhance visibility of their e-commerce performance.
Challenge
Fix legacy issues in Google Analytics relating to browser type and correctly track visits across all relevant country domains
Provide Columbus Direct with better quality analytics data to enhance their marketing strategy
Columbus Direct approached In Marketing We Trust with a request to upgrade the configuration of their Google Analytics account, which included setting up enhanced e-commerce monitoring.
During our initial audit of their previous set-up we discovered an issue with tracking of visits from users on certain browsers, as the reporting data included traffic from a large number of recognised ‘bots’, which was skewing analysis of key metrics. We also discovered that certain individual country level domains were not being tracked accurately.
In order for In Marketing We Trust to provide Columbus Direct with a detailed optimisation and content strategy, the company’s Google Analytics configuration had to be updated first. This would provide a clear understanding of traffic patterns and user behaviour.
Solution
A comprehensive analytics audit to identify the key issues to be resolved
Fully track the user journey with robust configuration of Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, plus implementation of a third-party monitoring tool
Improving the accuracy of Columbus Direct’s analytics data for Australasia and EMEA would start with a comprehensive audit of their Google Analytics account. The process included working through our detailed checklist to ensure data quality and integrity.
Assessing the analytics implementation Columbus Direct had in place we discovered the browser-specific tracking issue, which we were able to rectify by adding filters for ‘bot’ traffic. This was not the first time that our analytics specialists had encountered this type of problem with these numerous and notorious bots, so we had the know-how to efficiently resolve the issue.
Further investigation led to the identification and resolution of the tracking issues across Columbus Direct’s different country domains.
We were confident that by getting accurate analytics data flowing we could uncover new opportunities to create value for Columbus Direct. We therefore also set up enhanced e-commerce tracking configurations for them to improve the visibility of their marketing performance data.
How we got there
In Marketing We Trust’s data analysts put their expertise into practice to produce a clean Google Analytics profile, with traffic clearly identified and filtered into relevant segments.
Our GA specialists created a framework for enhanced e-commerce tracking and measurement planning, then implemented the solutions after close consultation with Columbus Direct’s ANZ and EMEA marketing team.
We ensured the consistency and validity of website visitor data, accounting for previous inaccuracies caused by bots and internal traffic. We also enabled the Columbus Direct team to access more detailed data, by reviewing and reconfiguring their Google Tag Manager set-up to optimise segments, events and goals for clearer, more detailed conversion funnel visualisation.
We additionally introduced new features to the client’s analytics reports via a third-party tool, which provided crucial insights on user journeys through heatmapping and session recording.
Results
With enhanced e-commerce tracking put in place by In Marketing We Trust, Columbus Direct is now able to analyse far more data. This means they have a better understanding of their customer behaviour and the performance of their online products and promotions.
With clearer visibility of their revenue per channel – from a number of trusted affiliates and at page level value – Columbus Direct are now able to easily assign value to the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and individual channels, as well as specific products.
In Marketing We Trust have made it easy for Columbus Direct’s marketing team in Sydney to track each step of their customers’ buying process, from obtaining a quote to purchasing a policy online.
The enhanced analytics dashboards created by our experienced e-commerce specialists enable performance comparisons on a greater number of factors, which provides a better understanding of the conversion funnel. This also gives data-driven insights to inform onsite optimisation decisions.
Overall, the enhanced tracking capabilities now in place for Columbus Direct provide:
- Better analysis of each marketing campaign’s effectiveness and impact on bottom line
- Better visibility on revenue per channel, affiliates
- Clear performance analysis for specific products
- Performance comparisons based on a number of factors
- Better understanding of conversion funnel for onsite optimisation
Precise Return On Marketing Investment calculations
Custom dimensions created to enable stronger sales performance
Conversion funnel strengthened by identifying blockers
Enhanced and efficient reporting structure created
Testimonials
Antje Lauterbach
Marketing Manager International
I worked with In Marketing We Trust on a number of very diverse projects and was impressed by the variety of skills and expertise IMWT brought to the table. IMWT really took the time to understand our business and our needs, and delivered some highly effective solutions as a resu...
