Omnichannel Attribution vs. Multi-Channel Attribution: A Comparison

- Instagram might get 100% credit (first-click),
- The email might get it all (last-click),
- Or each step might get an equal share (linear model).
- Clicked on a Facebook ad.
- Subscribed to your email newsletter.
- Visited your website and made a purchase.
- Clicked on a Facebook ad three days ago.
- Subscribed to your email newsletter two days ago.
- Visited your website and made a purchase today.
- Multichannel Marketing: The owner sends customers a weekly email to announce a list of newly released books. The email includes information about a free Avengers book for customers who visit the store in person.
- Omnichannel Marketing: The business sends customers a weekly email to announce a list of newly released books tailored to each individual's preferences and past shopping behavior (based on prior surveys and analysis). For their next visit to the store, hero enthusiasts receive a notification about a free Avengers book, while those interested in Western frontier adventures receive an offer for a Cowboy-themed book. Additionally, the business encourages customers to provide their phone numbers for early contact when books matching their interests are published.
- Multiple Marketing Channels: When you are using various marketing channels like social media, email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, content marketing, and offline advertising simultaneously.
- Budget Allocation: Omnichannel attribution can assist you in optimizing your marketing budget by identifying which channels or campaigns are driving the most conversions and providing insights.
- Complex Customer Journeys: When your customers engage with your brand through multiple touchpoints before making a purchase, it can be challenging to identify which channels and interactions contributed the most to conversions. Omnichannel attribution helps you track and credit each touchpoint accurately, providing insights into the entire customer journey.
- Simple Marketing Strategy: Your marketing strategy is straightforward, and you primarily rely on a few key channels.
- Limited Resources: Your business has limited resources or budget to invest in more advanced attribution models.
- Clear Customer Journey: Your customer journey is relatively linear, with distinct touchpoints on separate channels.
- Sufficient Data: You have enough data and insights from each channel to make informed decisions without needing a holistic view.
- Scalability: Your business is in a growth phase, and you can't fully automate the complex processes required for Omnichannel attribution.

Leah Tran
Content Executive at TrueProfit & eCommerce Content Specialist
Leah Tran is a Content Specialist at TrueProfit, where she crafts SEO-driven and data-backed content to help eCommerce merchants understand their true profitability. With a strong background in content writing, research, and editorial content, she focuses on making complex financial and business concepts clear, engaging, and actionable for Shopify merchants.