Conversion
Funnel
Also called step sequence.
Funnel is an ordered set of steps a visitor is expected to complete. Counts shrink as you move from the top to the bottom.
How it is measured
Define steps in order, count people at each, and compare step to step. A step is a page or an event. Order matters: a person who skips step two may or may not count.
In Tarsier, build a funnel by naming an event per step and reading the counts in order. Because identity does not carry across days, keep the funnel inside one visit.
Worked example
A conference site's funnel is: view schedule 4,200, open ticket page 1,350, start checkout 410, paid 228. The sharpest drop is from schedule to ticket page, 68 percent.
Organisers add a Get tickets link to the schedule header and open-ticket-page counts rise to 1,820.
How it differs
A funnel is the path. Funnel drop-off is the loss between two steps. A checkout step is one stage in a shop's funnel. A goal is the end.
Common errors
Defining too many steps. Making the order too strict. Ignoring people who enter midway. Reading overall rate and not the step. Comparing across seasons.
In practice
Draw your funnel in four steps, instrument each, and fix the biggest drop first.