The number one question I get asked about Meta ads and data connectors is 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 that Shopify provides natively? There's nothing wrong with it, but its a basic connector that leaves you with 20% lower ad performance.
Here's three massive benefits you get with an advanced data connector:
1️⃣ MORE TRACKED CONVERSIONS
Basic connectors get tripped up when trying to connect the dots between fragmented user journeys that occur over days and across different devices.
With advanced session stitching, we typically see 10% more reported conversion within Google Ads, 20% higher Facebook Click Id (fbc) capture rates within Meta Ads, and 25% more reported conversion in TikTok.
More conversion events means a better line of sight into who is purchasing on your site. This lifts quality scores, which multiply your bids and improve auction performance. (Or put simply: your ad dollars work harder)
2️⃣ ORDER FILTERING (that prevents mis-attribution)
Basic connectors are simple relay systems that simply take all the orders that come in and send all the orders to the ad platforms. This can lead to massive over-counting if you have orders that don't tie back to ad clicks.
Complex businesses rely on their Shopify store as the backbone of their fulfillment. This means orders can come from offline sales, customer service make goods, affiliates, Instagram/TikTok shop, and subscription renewals.
Advanced connectors are aware of order source and can filter orders by source. By filtering out orders that can't come from ad clicks, your stream of Purchase events is cleaner, higher signal, and leads to considerably more accurate attribution.
3️⃣ CUSTOMIZATION (for your specific business)
Basic connectors don't allow for any customization. Your business and every other business gets the same data connector.
Advanced connectors allow for custom logic and custom events. If you can align your business strategy with your data strategy, there is massive potential to improve ad performacne and reporting.
Use cases include data segmentation for new vs return customers, one-off orders vs subscriptions, and low-value vs high-value orders.
SUMMARY - Too many businesses under-estimate the value of great data and make the mistake of using a basic data connector. Upgrading to an advanced data connection is one of the fastest and easiest ways to unlock better performance and more accurate reporting.