In eCommerce, data is everything. You would want to study your potential customers to know what products are more likely to make them buy, which variations they will most likely choose, which trends they are currently following, how they behave in online shopping and whatnot. The more information you know about them, the better you will sell and gain revenue. This data should be available to you when you create a marketing strategy.

And what better way to do this aside from Google Analytics? As of 2022, more than half of the websites on the internet are using Google Analytics. 

In this article, you will learn about Google Analytics, how to set up an account on that platform, and what information you can get from it. You will also harness how to read the metrics it feeds to you to be more equipped to make future business decisions that matter.

What is Google Analytics, and what does it do for your eCommerce store?

Google Analytics is a helpful tool for people across the globe. Many marketers worldwide utilize its state-of-the-art functionalities that are up-to-date with the current trends in online marketing. It is currently the most used web analytics technology in eCommerce for many reasons:

• It boasts many key metrics, which are essential for your data processing.
• It accurately detects traffic that you, a seller, are very concerned about.
• It provides you with customized data that are helpful when looking for specific data.
• You will view your webpage visitors and their profiles for easy evaluation.
• It will provide you with suggestions and data-based recommendations during your decision-making.
• It can be seamlessly used and integrated into other platforms, which we will tackle how to set up here.

Most features needed by small- to medium-sized enterprises should be covered by the free version, but large enterprises need advanced information. For that, Google Analytics 360 provides holistic support and features for well-rounded data reports. 

With flexibility, data accuracy, and intuitive user experience, this platform is what you need to use for your eCommerce business today. Remarketing in Google Analytics may be the answer to the upward growth of your sales and revenues, getting in touch with your previous site visitors again and pushing their buttons to have what you’re selling.

Your eCommerce platform

There are many eCommerce platforms today. The most notable ones are Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress via WooCommerce. Entrepreneurs also make an Amazon wholesale account as a side venture to gain passive income. Sellers selling on multiple platforms is not a new thing at all, and that has been done and used as a strategy to reach more customers.

So being an Amazon FBA seller and having a Shopify store is common. Sellers can enjoy using their inventory in Amazon Fulfillment Centers to fulfill both Amazon and Shopify orders. This also applies to WooCommerce sellers via integrated plugins available.

Creating your Google Analytics account

If you have not made your Google Analytics account, go to this link: https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/. You will have to log in using your Gmail account to set up your Google Analytics account.

When setting up your Google Analytics account, you’ll need to fill up some basic information. This information includes your Account name, Property Name, Timezone, and Currency. Next, you’ll see a button for Show advanced options, click that and make sure you toggle to turn on create both Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics account.

Now, you’ll have to fill up your business details. These will include the Industry category, Business size, and purpose of Google Analytics for your business. After that, click Create. Next, approve the Terms of Service Agreement, and additional terms apply. 

Extracting the Tracking Information from your Google Analytics account

After you’ve made your Google Analytics account, you should be able to have your important information ready. One of the most important features you should obtain from your account is your Tracking ID and Tracking Code. These are unique identifiers of every account.

Next, you’re prompted to choose which platform you plan to track: Web, Android App, or iOS app. Click Web, and fill out the Website URL and Stream name. 

After that, Google will provide you with a Measurement ID and Global site tag. The Global site tag is a code that you will embed into the backend of your website.

There are several ways to integrate your Google Analytics with your chosen eCommerce platform. Here, you’ll see the easiest ways available to save your time and resources.

Turning on your eCommerce tracking

You have two options here to avail: basic eCommerce tracking or enhanced eCommerce tracking. While the differences between them are obvious from their names, the former is enough to generate basic information, while the latter is more suited for producing more detailed data.

To turn on basic eCommerce tracking, go to your Google Analytics account > Admin > View column > Ecommerce settings > click the toggle on Enable Ecommerce.

Integrating with Shopify

Adding Google Analytics to your Shopify store is easier than you think. Follow these three easy steps:

1. Simply copy the Universal Analytics property from your Google Analytics account.
2. Then go to your Shopify admin > Online store > Preferences > Google Analytics section. 
3. Finally, paste the Universal Analytics property that starts at UA in the Google Analytics account field. 

The process of turning on enhanced eCommerce tracking is slightly different from Shopify. 

1. From Shopify admin, go to Online store > Preferences > Google Analytics section > check Enhanced Ecommerce > Save. 
2. Then go to your Google Analytics account > Admin > View > Ecommerce settings > Enable Enhanced Ecommerce Reporting toggle on > Save.  

Integrating with WooCommerce

Integrating your WooCommerce website with Google Analytics is now easier with many plugins available. The most notable ones are:

• WooCommerce Google Analytics Pro
• Actionable Google Analytics for WooCommerce
• MonsterInsights
• Jetpack
• ExactMetrics
• AnalytifySite Kit by Google

These plugins generally have favorable reviews and have paid options if you need extra functionalities on your eCommerce site. However, pay attention to the features, requirements of your online store, and reviews left by previous users to see which one will suit your needs best.

To add one of these plugins to your WooCommerce site, follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Go to Plugins > Add New.
2. Type your chosen Google Analytics plugin into the search bar.
3. Install and activate.

Then follow the specific instructions according to your chosen plugin. You will most likely need to have your Universal Analytics property ready to connect the two.

Integrating with Squarespace

Squarespace welcomes either UA or GA4 codes or both. The process is straightforward:

1. Copy your Universal Analytics property code or Google Analytics 4 (measurement) code.
2. Home > Settings > Advanced > External API keys
3. Paste your chosen Google Analytics code.
4. Click Save.

Integrating with Wix

The process of connecting your Wix eCommerce store is easy. These are the steps you need to follow:

1. Copy the tracking ID in Universal Analytics property.
2. On the sidebar, click Marketing Integrations.
3. Click the connect button on the Google Analytics cell.
4. Click Connect Google Analytics and paste your tracking ID.
5. Done!

How to check if your Google Analytics is working

To check whether your Google Analytics is working or not, simply follow the steps below:

1. Open an incognito tab on your browser.
2. Input the website you’re tracking (in this case, your eCommerce website) and hit enter.
3. After a few moments, refresh your Google Analytics.
4. Check if your Google Analytics admin shows that a user is accessing your website.

Remember that it takes about 24 hours for all the statistics to populate. So if you are interested in getting the most accurate data, better come back the same time a day after you connected your Google Analytics account to your eCommerce website.

How to use the data from Google Analytics to improve your eCommerce store

When used on your eCommerce website, Google Analytics can generate valuable information and data-based insights that can assist you in all areas of your business. For example, it provides you with information such as:

• Revenue – to see how much your business is earning.
• Engagement time – how much time your visitors are spending on your website.
• Users and new users
• Ecommerce conversion rate – the ratio of transactions compared to sessions. This measures how your website features and UI/UX design effectively engage your visitors.
• Average order value – average value of each transaction made on your website.
• Transactions – total number of purchases made on your online store.
• Top Sellers – elements that bring the most revenue to your website.
  • Product
  • Product Category
  • Product Brand
• Product Revenue – revenue produced by each product in your online store’s catalog.

Additionally, you can use:

1. Data visualization – charts, graphs, lines, and the like to better understand the relationships and movements of data points that may be difficult to imagine when reverted into numerical forms.
2. Insights – credible pieces of information Google Analytics provide from machine learning.
3. Real-time (GA4) – information regarding your website fed to you concurrently. You will see data from your users, page views, conversions, and many more.
4. Acquisition – here, you’ll see where your users typically come from – either organic, affiliate, referral, email, and others. You’ll also see the number of sessions spent.
5. Monetization – inflow and outflow of your eCommerce store. You’ll see your revenue, ad spend, first-time buyers, total buyers, the leaderboard of products that are selling the most, and other vital information.
6. User information – under Demographics, you’ll see where your users are located on the globe. In contrast, under Tech, the data about the technology your users are using will be shown to you, such as the operating systems, platform, users, etcetera. 

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Additional tips and tricks for getting the most out of Google Analytics

The benefits of Google Analytics don’t stop at giving the data you need. It goes over and beyond by helping you summarize which marketing strategies are performing the best. For example, are you running ad campaigns, ordering coupon codes, affiliation, or the like? If yes, then you’ll see how many transactions, revenue, and average order value you’re getting from them in the Overview report.

Another thing: the Shopping behavior analysis report and the Checkout behavior analysis report are tools for you to see which parts of your funnel have problems. It shows you at which point the shoppers leave your website or checkout stage, and that signals you to repair those weak points to fully engage your shoppers to buy your products.

Predictive analytics is one of the most powerful tools in seeing which scenarios are statistically likely to happen based on the previous data it has collated. This feature provides the basis for people to undertake actions towards the growth of businesses worldwide.

You can also integrate Google Analytics into other products. Some of the related platforms you can integrate it into are: 

• Google Data Studio
• Salesforce
• Marketing Cloud 
• Google Ads
• Google Adsense
• Google Search Console
• Google Ad Manager
• Google Display & Video 360
• Google Search Ads 360

Conclusion

As technology rapidly evolves, many instruments are available for the intended use. As a result, entrepreneurs can better understand the current state of their businesses and make more sound decisions, while professionals can learn and provide skills that can improve customer satisfaction. As a result, the industry is indeed going in a positive direction.

Thanks to Google Analytics, many businesses are thriving amidst the worldwide pandemic. Entrepreneurs and professionals can track the site visitor behavior and base that to sustain their ventures. Google Analytics provides well-rounded support and efficient features and, most importantly, is free for small- to medium-sized enterprises. 

Whatever the nature of your business is, you have to adapt to technology. So if you want to incorporate Google Analytics into your business, follow the guide above and jump your way into growth!