Attribution has become one of the most frustrating parts of running an ecommerce brand.
Ad platforms take credit for everything, customer journeys rarely follow a straight line, and it is hard to know what actually introduced someone to your brand versus what happened to be the final click.
One simple way brands are cutting through that noise is by asking customers directly with a short post-purchase question: “How did you hear about us?”
Why this question is so useful
Most analytics tools are good at tracking transactions, but far less reliable at explaining how someone first discovered your brand.
A post-purchase survey fills that gap. Customers answer it right after checkout, when the experience is still fresh, and because it appears after payment, it does not affect conversion rates.
Over time, clear patterns emerge. You may find that:
- A meaningful number of customers originally found you through word of mouth
- Influencers or creators play a bigger role than your tracking suggests
- Organic search or content is driving more high-intent buyers than expected
It is not about replacing analytics. It is about adding context that attribution models alone cannot provide.
Keeping the question and answers simple
The wording matters more than people think. The most effective version is usually the simplest:
“How did you hear about us?”
Response options should reflect how people actually discover brands, not just how campaigns are structured. Common choices include paid social, Google search, influencers, referrals, email, or content.
Clear, familiar options lead to more accurate answers.
How brands use the data
Once responses start coming in, the data becomes genuinely useful.
Teams often use it to sense-check ad platform reporting, understand which channels drive awareness versus conversion, and decide where to invest next. It is also helpful for validating influencer partnerships and understanding the long-term impact of brand and content efforts.
Because the insights come directly from customers, they are easier to trust and easier to share internally.
Adding a post-purchase survey on Shopify
On Shopify, this type of survey can be added directly to the post-purchase or thank-you page using app blocks, so it feels like a natural part of checkout.
Apps like Grapevine Surveys allow merchants to add a simple “How did you hear about us?” question in just a few minutes, without custom code. Responses are then collected and grouped automatically, making trends easy to spot.
Final thought
As attribution becomes less reliable, asking customers directly is often the clearest signal available.
A short post-purchase “How did you hear about us?” survey will not solve every measurement challenge, but it does give Shopify brands a clearer and more honest view of what is actually driving discovery and growth.
