Here’s the dirty little secret about Google Analytics: Just about every e-commerce website uses it for data analysis, but hardly anyone understands how to use it. If you find yourself mired in a mountain of Google Analytics statistical reports with no idea what to do with them, you’re not alone. Here’s How to Use Google Analytics to Increase E-Commerce Conversions.
Here’s how to take advantage of 3 critical data pieces Google Analytics provides.
3 Reasons You Need Google Analytics for Your E-commerce Site
1. Understand What Works and What Doesn’t
Your resources are finite and so is your time, especially in the beginning when you’re setting things up. Without knowing which marketing activities are working, which ones need to be improved, and which ones need to be scrapped, you’re going to waste a lot of time doing things you should be doing and have the time to do. And because you don’t know for sure what is working, you’ll miss out on profits.
Begin by setting your user panel up so you can first see the most critical data. A few minutes of set-up will save you a ton of time rummaging through electronic data every time you log in? Set up your key data to appear when you log in with a few simple steps.
- Click “Customization” on the user panel
- Click “Dashboard”
- Click “Create”
From this screen, you have the option of adding segments or widgets. Choose the ones you want and discard the ones you don’t. If you’re new to Analytics, it might take a few minutes, but it’s a few minutes well spent. If you’ve used Analytics in the past, you’ll know which data points are most important to business growth.
2. Gain the Advantage
With information comes power. Although your brand and approach might be unique, you’re not alone in selling whatever products and services you’re marketing. Access to statistical information from your online marketing and sales activities provides an advantage over competitors who do not have this information. Data provides insights into customer demands and allows you to make strategic changes in pricing and merchandise.
Discover how effectively your website satisfies visitors with The Behavior and Conversions reports within Google Analytics. The behaviour reports show user engagement statistics, letting you know what pages users engage with and which pages they ignore. Google Analytics uncovers the weak link in your sales funnel with conversion reports, including cart abandonment statistics.
Discover how visitors find your site and how they behave once they get there. Analytics identifies which keywords direct visitors to your site most frequently. But don’t ignore your site’s search bar. Make use of your website’s search tool to discover what users already on your site want to know more about. Using this data, you can generate content that will attract and retain visitors.
There are a few steps to setting up this measurement.
- Click the settings wheel on the left
- Click “View Settings” in the third column, labelled “View”
- Scroll down and turn on “Site Search Tracking.”
- Go to your site’s search bar and type in your website’s address. Copy what appears. It will most likely be your URL followed by “/?”
- Back on Google Analytics, enter this in the box labelled “Query Parameters.”
- Click “Save”
To look at this data, go to the main control panel on the left. You’ll find the data under “Behavior,” “Usage,” and “Site Search.”
3. Increase Conversions
Having relevant statistical information at your fingertips forms the foundation for website experimentation. If, for example, you think changing your website’s navigation menu or changing the copy on a specific product page will boost conversions and sales, you can only test that theory if you have access to data. Google Analytics provides that type of data.
Obtain user behaviour information by taking the following steps.
- Go to the “Behavior” tab in the user panel on the left
- After clicking “Behavior,” click on “Site Content.”
- From here, you can view the most visited pages, user engagement time, and popular landing and exit pages
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