Medium
A medium refers to the type of channel or method through which visitors arrive at a website. It is a crucial component of tracking and understanding the various sources of traffic to a site. Mediums are typically used in conjunction with sources and campaigns to provide a comprehensive view of how users are discovering and interacting with a website.
Common types of mediums in web analytics include:
- Organic: This refers to traffic from unpaid search engine results.
- CPC (Cost Per Click): Traffic from paid search advertising campaigns.
- Referral: Visitors who arrive by clicking a link on another website.
- Email: Traffic generated from email marketing campaigns.
- Social: Visitors coming from social media platforms.
- Direct: Users who type the URL directly into their browser or use a bookmark.
- Display: Traffic from banner or display advertising.
In UTM parameters, which are commonly used for tracking digital marketing efforts, the medium is specified using the “utm_medium” parameter. For example, in a URL like “www.example.com?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_sale”, the medium is identified as “email”.
Understanding and analysing different mediums helps marketers and website owners to:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of various marketing channels
- Allocate resources more efficiently across different mediums
- Identify which mediums drive the most valuable traffic in terms of conversions or engagement
- Tailor content and user experience based on how visitors are reaching the site
It’s important to note that the interpretation and categorisation of mediums can vary between different analytics tools. For instance, some platforms might categorise paid social media traffic as “social”, while others might label it as “cpc”. Consistency in tagging and categorisation is crucial for accurate analysis and reporting.
As digital marketing evolves, new mediums may emerge, and the way existing mediums are tracked and analysed may change. For example, the rise of mobile apps and voice search has introduced new considerations in how traffic sources and mediums are categorised and tracked in web analytics.