A shop can invest in Google, Instagram, newsletters, influencers and content without really knowing which activities generate orders. Platforms often attribute the same sale differently depending on their own measurement windows. Build a consistent internal method rather than blindly trusting every dashboard.
Start with a UTM naming convention
UTM parameters added to links identify the source, medium and campaign. Google Analytics uses utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, among others, to identify custom campaigns.
For example, a newsletter link might use utm_source=newsletter, utm_medium=email and utm_campaign=samhain_2026. What matters is using the same spelling and conventions throughout the business.
Distinguish source, medium and campaign
Source identifies the specific origin, such as Google, Instagram or a newsletter. Medium describes the traffic type, such as email, cpc or social. Campaign identifies the marketing activity. Keeping them separate lets you compare different campaigns on the same channel.
Do not add UTM parameters everywhere
Do not tag internal links on your own website as external campaigns, as this can disrupt attribution. UTMs are for links from external sources you control: emails, influencers, QR codes, partnerships or ads where the platform does not already apply suitable automatic tagging.
Compare Analytics with order data
The number of orders is the financial reality. Use acquisition reports to understand customer journeys, then compare them with sales, promotional codes and ad data. Numbers will not always match because attribution models differ.
Build a simple monthly report
For each channel, record spend, sessions, orders, attributed revenue, new customers and estimated margins. Organic channels may have no media spend, but content production still carries a cost.
Accept that a sale may have several influences
A customer may discover your shop on Instagram, read an SEO article, subscribe to the newsletter and then purchase after a Google search. Attribution is therefore a useful approximation, not an absolute truth. The aim is to improve decisions, not prove that each sale belongs exclusively to one channel.
This method helps you manage Google and Meta Ads, your newsletter and influencer collaborations.
Official sources
Google Analytics — UTM parameters and custom campaigns · Google Analytics — Traffic source dimensions