How Google Anlaytics E-commerce helps to improve conversion rates
Google anlaytics supports 2 versions of e-commerce tracking. A basic version that records on-site transactions and integrates this data into all the data that Google Analytics collects, such as how they found the site and what devices they are using.
It enables you to attribute sales to each marketing or advertising campaigns and for this data to be segmented by customers, repeat customers and non-customers, as well as by product or product category or any other visitor characteristic recorded in Google Analytics.
The other version is Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce, this does everything the basic version does plus it provides a product-centric view of visitors’ shopping behaviour, recording:
- Which products are displayed to visitors on list style pages and which of these they click on.
- Which products are viewed in detail
- Which products are added and removed from basket.
- Detailed tracking of each stage of the checkout process
- 5 product categories plus brand and variant so analysis can be made from product group level down to the very granular: product size or colour.
A full understanding of the visitor’s journey from discovering your website, their on-site activity and where they leave, is essential information for a successful e-commerce business.
Google Analytics E-commerce tracking provides the insight that allows you to:
- Improve your marketing and AdWords campaign targeting
- Identify issues with the checkout process and any other processes that customers use to find, select or compare products
- See what information is important to visitors and what offers attract their attention.
- Understand visitor’s paths through the website.
- Know which products are being looked at and which are being bought.
What should you use Enhanced E-commerce to investigate?
How well is your checkout working?
This data is presented in an easy to digest graphical format that can be segmented by user behaviour and characteristic. Visitors are tracked through each step of the checkout including the selections they make at each stage such as payment method and delivery options.
Which Checkout do customers prefer?
It is becoming increasingly common for websites to offer the option to checkout through PayPal and, sometimes a separate credit-application checkout for high value purchases, as well as their own inbuilt checkout. Tracking the use of these options and the difference in performance on mobiles, tablets and desktops helps you construct the checkout process in the most effective way.
What products are being looked at and are they being bought?
Enhanced e-commerce delivers product and product category based conversion rates that highlight which products are underperforming and would benefit from a review. It will identify products that are being abandoned in the checkout more than others. And if a product isn’t selling you can see if this is because people are viewing and then rejecting it or if it simply fails to come to visitor’s attention.
Are my promotions working?
Enhanced Ecommerce tracks the display of onsite promotions, recording displays, clicks and any subsequent transactions. It also records the use of coupon codes that are published offsite with affiliates or through email campaigns. So, you can subsequently assess the cost of these promotions in light of their impact on sales.
Do your customers buy from multiple product categories?
For sites with a large product range divided into categories you can see if there any commonality between the categories. Thus, supporting cross-selling through onsite, suggestions or promotional emails.
The above are just some of the main examples, but every business has its own nuances and requirements
For help and support with e-commerce reporting, analysis or configuration please contact me on
07786 193 199
jason@jasonriddle.co.uk