What is Macro-Conversion?
A macro-conversion is the primary outcome your site is built to drive—think a completed purchase, paid subscription, or qualified lead submission. It’s the moment a visitor becomes a customer or high-value lead, distinguishing it from a Micro-Conversion (smaller steps like newsletter sign-ups or add-to-cart). In reporting, a macro-conversion is a specific type of Conversion you explicitly track and optimize.
How to track macro-conversions
Across tools (GA4, Matomo, Plausible, Simple Analytics), the mechanics are similar:
- Define the event that represents success (e.g.,
purchase,subscribe,lead_submit). See Event. - Mark it as a goal/conversion in your platform so it appears in standard reports and funnels. See Goal.
- Attribute it to traffic sources and campaigns using tagged URLs (see UTM and Campaign) and your chosen Attribution Model.
Tip: choose one canonical trigger to avoid double counting (e.g., fire purchase only on the order-confirmation page, not on “Proceed to pay”).
Measurement nuances
- Counting logic: Decide whether you count multiple conversions in one Session or only one; tools offer controls to deduplicate.
- Quality metrics: Pair conversion counts with value metrics—AOV for ecommerce, or projected LTV for subscriptions.
- Cost efficiency: For paid traffic, track cost per outcome—CPL for lead gen, CPA for ecommerce.
- Rate vs. volume: Use Conversion Rate to normalize performance by traffic size, not just raw conversions.
- Attribution clarity: Know which clicks “get credit.” A simple model like Last Touch is easy to explain; data-driven models may be fairer but opaque.
Examples (macro vs. micro)
- Ecommerce macro: Completed order.
Micro steps: product view, add-to-cart, checkout start. - SaaS macro: Paid plan activation.
Micro steps: trial sign-up, onboarding completion. - Lead gen macro: Qualified form submission.
Micro steps: pricing page view, contact form start.
Why it matters
Macro-conversions anchor strategy: they tie spend to outcomes, shape your User Flow analysis, and drive roadmap priorities. Optimize pages and campaigns that materially increase these outcomes—not just surface-level engagement.