First-click and last-click attribution
Compare discovery and closing credit without double counting sales.
The scenario
A shopper first visits from a tutorial, then returns through a newsletter and purchases for $120.
First-click credits the tutorial; last-click credits the newsletter. Each is an alternative view of the same $120.
Apply it to your own work
Create a table with both models and compare how source shares shift. Use the difference to form a hypothesis about discovery and follow-up.
What to watch for
Adding totals across both views counts the same order twice. Neither model establishes what would happen without the channel.
Use the disagreement to plan a test
List pages that often introduce buyers and channels that often receive closing credit. A tutorial high in first-click credit may be worth maintaining even if a newsletter closes most orders. Use cohort behavior to understand the path before changing budget.
When the decision is whether to remove a channel, look at total outcomes in an appropriate holdout or comparison. An attribution model reallocates credit across observed touchpoints. It cannot replace a comparison of what happens when exposure changes.
Try a related tool
Compare revenue per advertising dollar with the return needed to cover ad spend. Enter net revenue and contribution margin before ads.
