Many analytics exports collapse “began checkout” into a single count. On a busy fashion site we reviewed last winter, guest shoppers outnumbered account shoppers three to one — yet the largest absolute loss sat on the account path between delivery options and payment.
Why the average lies
A blended funnel looked healthy because guest completion was strong. Merchandising celebrated. Support tickets told a quieter story: returning customers with saved addresses still bounced when a loyalty field reloaded the page. The blended chart smoothed that reload into a gentle slope.
What we do instead
During reconciliation we insist on parallel step definitions for guest and account until both sides agree the labels match the screens. Only then do we draw two funnels on one board. If a stakeholder demands a single number for a slide, we provide it with a footnote the size of a postage stamp — literally — so the compromise stays visible.
A practical check this week
Ask whether your “payment started” event fires before or after wallet buttons render. If the answer differs by login state, your drop-off analysis is already arguing with itself.