WHAT IS A CUSTOM FUNNEL REPORT?
A custom funnel report is a detailed breakdown of your audience’s actions and activities. This function of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) allows you to map the specific steps audience members take to complete a certain action. From here, you can commission a report to analyse the user’s progress along this pathway.
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?
The user journey is complex. Depending on how warm or cold they are and their starting point, a user might take several different steps on the way to converting or completing an action. At any point along this journey, a lead might go missing – either losing interest in completing the action or opting for a competitor instead.
Understanding the user journey in detail – and analysing the abandonment rate at each step in the process – is vital. This will provide you with a wealth of data you can use to boost your conversion rate and strengthen your position in the market. In this sense, custom funnel reports are a welcome addition to the GA4 toolkit.
GAINING INSIGHT FROM THE CUSTOM FUNNEL REPORT
What can you learn from this funnel report? Take a look at the key metrics you can analyse:
Abandonment Rate: How many users abandoned the process at each specific step? This is valuable because it shows you which aspects of the funnel are performing well and what you need to work on. For example, you might find that the funnel generally performs well and has just one or two potential stumbling blocks. You can focus your attention on streamlining these critical steps.
Completion Rates: How many users are completing each step?
What percentage of users are completing the funnel in its entirety? This is the inverse of the abandonment rate metric and will help you understand which funnels are delivering the desired results in terms of conversion.
Individual Steps: It’s helpful to examine the individual steps contained in each funnel. You can analyse this information alongside the lead and user data to understand whether the funnel needs to be extended or shortened. For instance, a cooler, less qualified lead may require further steps of nurturing before they are ready to purchase. A warmer lead, on the other hand, may be ready to convert in only one or two steps and may become frustrated if the funnel is longer than this.
Funnel Type: Is the funnel open or closed? An open funnel can be accessed at any point along the chain, while leads must enter a closed funnel at its beginning. Different types of funnel may be better suited to specific outcomes and approaches.
CREATING A CUSTOM FUNNEL REPORT
Anyone with Editor or Administrator privileges can create a custom funnel report. To do this, you’ll first need to create a funnel exploration.
Within GA4, head to the menu on the left and select Explore.
Select the Funnel Template from the menu navigation.
Add or remove steps according to the desired length of the funnel.
Select the pencil icon to rename each step. Ensure each stage has a well-defined name to derive maximum insight from the report.
Once the funnel is created, you can commission your report. Select the Save function to add the report to your library.
When you view the report in the library, you will see all the filters you applied, the name and definition of each step, the funnel type (i.e. open or closed), and the complete breakdown of the process.
If you have made advanced edits – examining the elapsed time at each step or the next action following step completion, for example – this won’t be viewable in the saved report library. You’ll need to open the funnel exploration once more to view these advanced edits. If you have deleted the original funnel exploration, this is no problem, as you can recreate this exploration using the parameters of the viewed report. Once you’ve recreated it, you can apply the advanced edits and gain this additional insight.
