With Google Analytics goal tracking how can I have more checkouts than made it to the last step of the funnel?

Question

I have a a Google Analytics goal and funnel questions that I cannot work out. It is for a vehicle rental booking website.

I need to work out how to create a funnel that tracks correctly through a number of steps. I presume I would do so using the funnel tool.

Basically, the goal funnel is like this:

1. ssl/NAME/webstep1.asp (first page of the booking form, put in basic details about date, location etc)
2. ssl/NAME/webstep2.asp (pick the type of car you want)
3. ssl/NAME/webstep3.asp (pick any extras you want)
4. ssl/NAME/webstep4.asp (confirm quote and add personal info)
5. ssl/NAME/webstep5.asp (pay - this is in a popup window)
6. ssl/NAME/webstep6.asp(completed booking)

So the destination page is ssl/NAME/webstep6.asp

All of these URLs can have parameters after them, such as /ssl/NAME/webstep2.asp?refid=&URL=

I want to be able to see:

• Number of successful completions, i.e. who winds up on webstep6.asp
• How many people are leaving the funnel at any given step
• Conversion rate of the funnel

In the Goal setup area of Google Analytics how would I configure this goal correctly.

NB - The booking system is also on a separate domain to the vehicle rental site itself. Basically users go off to a 3rd party site to book. So car site is carhiresexample.com, and the booking system is something like secure.carhiresystem.com/ssl/NAME/webstep1.asp

I have tried setting something up and it does seem to result in a plausible sounding conversion rate (3% overall for site, 10% funnel conversion) but the stats don't match up. For example, in the past week, according to the goal overview I had 431 conversions ... but when I look at the funnel visualization it says on 71 made it to webstep6.asp

Answer 1

Note that the number of conversions (=goal completions) won't be affected by a "wrong funnel". So if users get to the destination URL without going through your funnel, they will still count as conversions.

Since you mentioned that you have different parameters - Are they always the same? How did you set the goal's destination URL? Is it "Equals to"? "Begins with"? or "Regex"? The option you choose at the destination URL will determine the funnel's URL pattern as well. So this might have caused the discrepancy.