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Writer's pictureAustin Chrislock

The Attribution Puzzle in Display Advertising: Why It’s So Hard to Measure Success

Attribution is one of the trickiest challenges in digital advertising, and nowhere is this more evident than with display ads. How do you really know which ad drove a sale, a sign-up, or any other conversion? While the promise of digital advertising is hyper-targeting and real-time results, the reality of measuring attribution can be much more complicated—especially for display campaigns.


The Complexity of Attribution in Display Ads


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Let’s start with the basics: attribution is the process of crediting a particular ad or marketing touchpoint with a user’s conversion (e.g., making a purchase or signing up). But in display advertising, this is rarely a straight line. Unlike search or social ads, where user intent is more obvious, display ads often serve as part of a broader awareness effort. And here’s where it gets tricky:


  • Delayed Conversions: A user might see a display ad today but not take action until a week later, after they’ve interacted with other channels like email or search.

  • Multi-Touch Journeys: A single conversion might involve multiple interactions across different touchpoints—search, social, display, email, etc. Deciding which channel should get the credit is complex and often a guessing game.

  • Conversion Windows: Platforms like Google often use a conversion window (typically 30 days) to track actions after an ad is clicked or viewed. But this can lead to attribution confusion—was it really the display ad that led to the sale, or did the user make a decision based on other factors?


These factors make it difficult to measure the true effectiveness of display ads. Traditional attribution models like last-click or multi-touch attribution can cloud the picture further. With so many moving parts, brands may not fully understand which ads are driving results.


The Solution: Transactable Ads


This is where transactable ads come in. Imagine being able to remove all the attribution guesswork and measure your results directly. With transactable ads, users can complete a desired action—purchase, sign-up, download—within the ad itself. The result? You know exactly how many people saw your ad, engaged with it, and converted without relying on delayed or multi-touch attribution.

Transactable ads allow advertisers to:


  • Measure Directly: No more wondering which touchpoint converted. You can see exactly how many users clicked and completed the entire transaction journey within the ad.

  • Eliminate Drop-Offs: By keeping users within the ad, you reduce the friction that comes with sending them to a landing page or external site. Fewer steps mean fewer drop-offs, which means higher conversion rates.

  • Immediate Attribution: Every conversion is directly attributable to the ad that sparked it. No need to wait days or weeks for a platform to report conversions—it’s all in real time.


How Transactable Ads Simplify the Process


Transactable ads address many of the problems that traditional attribution models face:

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  • Clear Path to Conversion: There’s no ambiguity about which ad drove the conversion because the user completes the action right there in the ad. This provides instant, clean attribution, giving marketers full transparency into ad performance.

  • Real-Time Data: You get immediate insights into what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to make on-the-fly adjustments to optimize campaigns.

  • Improved Conversion Rates: Because users don’t need to click away to a landing page, they’re more likely to follow through on the call-to-action, boosting your conversion rate.


Closing the Attribution Gap with Glui


At Glui, we take transactable ads to the next level. Our platform enables users to complete their entire journey—from ad engagement to transaction—without leaving the ad itself. This solves many of the challenges that come with traditional attribution in display advertising.


With Glui’s solution:


  • No More Guesswork: Every conversion is directly attributable to the ad.

  • Better ROI: By removing unnecessary steps, we drive higher conversion rates, and our in-ad technology means brands get the results they’re paying for—without the need for confusing, delayed attribution models.


Attribution is hard, but it doesn’t have to be. With Glui’s transactable ads, you get clarity, transparency, and real-time results, ensuring your ad spend delivers maximum impact. Ready to see how Glui can transform your ad campaigns? Reach out today to learn more.


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