Adwords frustration. difficulty measuring conversions

Need help fixing a problem

[js0n1]

I started up in a role focusing on SEO and Adwords about 2months ago for an online shop. In this time I've seen an increase in conversions but at the same time also an increase in the cost of the adwords budget by 75%, the biggest in the company's history. At the same time, I've been having trouble finding out where customers are directed from as the shop runs on Oscommerce. Also, for the amount of conversions that showup they just don't add up to new customer sales.

I also can't set up goals for campaign tracking, conversion data through analytics as the web developer set it up under his parent site. Is it as simple as requesting for him to put me as admin under his account or do I have to recreate it under our own account and lose historical data?


I apologise if my post comes off as very noob. I'm at a point where I'm absolutely confused... I've been making the campaigns more specific and relevant to decrease costs but it seems to be doing the exact opposite.

[buckworks]

If I were doing this, I'd prefer setting up a new, dedicated account for the client's Analytics, to make sure their data remains under their own control if they ever change web developers or he gets hit by the proverbial truck.

Ask the developer to keep the existing Analytics account alive for archival purposes, though. The history wouldn't be "lost", it would just be in a different place, and as new history accumulated in the new account you'd likely be referring to the older data less and less.

for the amount of conversions that showup they just don't add up to new customer sales.

How are you defining a conversion when you say that?

[netmeg]

("the web developer set it up under his parent site" is sending alarm bells ringing through my head but we'll ignore that for the moment)

You need an AdWords account for the client (which you have) and you need a separate Analytics account (with its own code) for the site. Everything you need can be done just fine in OSCommerce if you have access to someone who knows how to do it; I oversee OSCommerce sites myself.

You want to set up your AdWords conversions first - are you tracking only sales, or are you tracking other things too (signups, leads, requests for quotes) The tracking codes for each of these things needs to be placed on the FINAL page of each transation - usually in OSCommerce that's the checkout_success.php or something similar.

Now, you need your separate Analytics account (and you'll want it to use the same Google account as AdWords if possible)

You can then set up your goal funnels.

Now, you also may want to set up ECommerce Tracking in Analytics as well. That takes some coding to work with the store but there may be extensions for OSCommerce you can start with. That way your product and revenue information goes in (and you can do some pretty amazing things with filters then)