Attribution modeling in marketing plays a pivotal role in understanding where sales come from, which channels perform best, and how to optimize efforts for future growth. When ecommerce businesses use various shopping cart data synced with HubSpot through Unificquestions sometimes arise around how attribution data is managed and synced into HubSpot. One common question from our customers is why certain data synced by Unific into HubSpot appears as "offline sources" in the "Original source" property in HubSpot.

In this post, we'll explore the basics of attribution modeling, why Unific’s role differs from dedicated attribution platforms, and how HubSpot handles data from integrations like Unific.

What is Attribution Modeling?

Attribution modeling is a technique used to assign credit for conversions (sales, sign-ups, etc.) across different customer touchpoints. Essentially, it answers the question, "What caused this customer to convert?" The complexity lies in tracking and assigning appropriate credit to each interaction along the customer journey. Common models include:

  • First-click attribution: Credits the first touchpoint in the customer journey.
  • Last-click attribution: Credits the final touchpoint before conversion.
  • Multi-touch attribution: Assigns credit across multiple interactions, balancing impact across the journey.

See our general blog post about attribution modeling here.

How Unific Handles Data Syncing

Unific syncs data from shopping cart platforms directly into HubSpot via the HubSpot API, making it easy for businesses to maintain consistent data across platforms. The role of Unific is to act as a bridge, ensuring customer and order information is seamlessly updated in HubSpot, but today, Unific is not an analytics platform and does not generate attribution data. This means Unific doesn’t "create" or "collect" original source data but instead delivers available information from your shopping cart as-is.

Why HubSpot Shows Unific-Synced Data as "Offline Sources"

In HubSpot’s view, data synced via API is often classified as “offline sources.” Here’s why:

  1. API Classification: HubSpot categorizes data from integration sources (like Unific) as “offline” because it's being imported into HubSpot rather than tracked from an active, live touchpoint like a website visit or ad click.
  2. Source Transparency: HubSpot’s “Original Source” field provides an overview of where contacts originated from within the HubSpot ecosystem. Since Unific is seen as an intermediary syncing data, HubSpot accurately labels it as an offline entry.

This classification doesn’t impact the quality of the data itself but helps HubSpot users distinguish between natively tracked HubSpot sources and imported or API-synced data.

Custom Mapping for Attribution Fields

If your shopping cart has specific attribution fields that are critical for understanding your customer journey, Unific can customize the mapping of these fields to HubSpot. This enables you to retain key attribution information and view it within HubSpot, preserving the granularity of your data. However, attribution-specific insights, such as which channels are most effective, require a dedicated analytics solution.

Why Unific Isn’t an Attribution Platform

While Unific excels in syncing and unifying ecommerce data, attribution analysis requires a specialized approach. Companies like Hyros, Triple Whale and Wicked Reports dedicate themselves entirely to the complexities of attribution. They leverage multiple data points and advanced modeling to help businesses understand the impact of each marketing dollar.

Takeaways

  • Unific’s role is focused on accurate data syncing rather than attribution analysis. It brings your shopping cart data into HubSpot but does not create or interpret customer journey data.
  • HubSpot’s “Offline Sources” label is a reflection of API-based imports and is not a reflection of the quality or origin (in terms of attribution) of your data.
  • For detailed attribution modeling, a dedicated attribution tool can provide the insights needed to fully understand your marketing effectiveness.

Conclusion

Attribution is a powerful but complex part of modern marketing, and for ecommerce businesses using HubSpot and Unific, understanding how data syncs can provide clarity and help inform better business decisions. By using a dedicated analytics tool for attribution and leveraging Unific’s syncing capabilities, you can ensure you’re both tracking and acting on the data that matters most.

Let us know if you have any questions or need more details on mapping fields to HubSpot—our team is here to help!