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You asked

Why do my conversions seem disconnected across devices and channels?

A user who discovers the product on mobile and converts on desktop is recorded as two separate anonymous visitors, with the conversion credited to direct traffic.

Symptom

Mobile conversion rate fell 18% and direct traffic grew to 38% of conversions — the signature of cross-device journey fragmentation in standard analytics.

Cause

Browser cookies are device-specific — when a user switches devices the analytics system creates a new anonymous visitor record and disconnects all prior touchpoints from the conversion event.

Impact

Discovery channels are systematically undercredited and closing channels overcredited — budget decisions from this data shift investment away from the channels that initiate journeys.

Full diagnostic context

A user who discovers the product on mobile and converts on desktop is recorded as two separate anonymous visitors, with the conversion credited to direct traffic.

Mobile conversion rate fell 18% and direct traffic grew to 38% of conversions — the signature of cross-device journey fragmentation in standard analytics.

Browser cookies are device-specific — when a user switches devices the analytics system creates a new anonymous visitor record and disconnects all prior touchpoints from the conversion event.

Discovery channels are systematically undercredited and closing channels overcredited — budget decisions from this data shift investment away from the channels that initiate journeys.