Set up tracking before you spend a ringgit on ads

The most common problem we see in new client accounts is not bad ads. It is ads that cannot be judged because nothing is being measured properly. Without tracking, every optimisation is a guess.

This is the checklist we complete before any paid campaign goes live.

1. Decide what a conversion is

Write down the actions that genuinely matter to your business, in order of value. For an online shop it is a purchase. For a clinic, a confirmed booking. For a B2B service, a qualified enquiry. Page views and button clicks are not conversions.

2. Install your analytics properly

• Install your analytics tag on every page, including thank-you and checkout pages.
• Exclude your own team’s visits where possible.
• Make sure your cookie banner is connected, so tags only fire for visitors who have agreed.

3. Track the conversion itself

Set up an event that fires when the conversion happens, ideally with its value. For WhatsApp or phone enquiries, track clicks on the WhatsApp and call buttons as a minimum, and ask your team to note how new customers found you.

4. Tag every link you control

Add UTM parameters to links in SMS campaigns, emails, social posts and bio links. A simple, consistent naming scheme is enough:

?utm_source=sms&utm_medium=promo&utm_campaign=raya_2026

Keep the naming in a shared sheet so everyone uses the same words. “SMS”, “sms” and “Sms” will show up as three different sources.

5. Connect the ad platforms

Import your conversions into each ad platform you use, so its bidding can optimise for real results instead of clicks. Check that each conversion is counted once, not on every page refresh.

6. Test everything

1. Complete a real conversion yourself: buy something small or submit the form.
2. Check that it appears in analytics and in each ad platform.
3. Check the source is correct when you arrive from a tagged link.

7. Write it down

Keep a one-page note of what is tracked, where and how. When someone new joins, or when an agency changes, this note saves days of detective work.