Analytics & Data
Our coverage of analytics recognizes that data drives ecommerce but collecting that data and interpreting it can be confusing. Our huge library of Google Analytics articles ranges from basic setup to the sophisticated interpretation of on-site activity of visitors and customers. We also analyze data security, blockchain topics, and ancillary tools such as Google Tag Manager and Google Data Studio.
-
Analytics & Data
Google Analytics: Site Search and Capital Letters
August 27, 2013 • Tim Wilson
The site search functionality on a website is a powerful source of information about what users are looking for. It’s the place where visitors actually use their keyboard to tell ...
-
Analytics & Data
5 Ecommerce Metrics You Should Be Tracking
August 8, 2013 • Feras Alhlou
When it comes to ecommerce analytics, business owners and marketing managers typically focus on metrics like conversion rates, number of transactions, and average order value. These are valuable, and should be monitored. After all, measuring such outcomes is what directly impacts reven...
-
Analytics & Data
Google Analytics: How to Avoid Data-wandering
July 17, 2013 • Tim Wilson
When it comes to Google Analytics, a common question users ask is, “Where do I start?” They have logged into the tool multiple times and stared at the default report with its default timeframe of the last 30 days. They have pondered whether there was anything actionable buried in that c...
-
Analytics & Data
Ecommerce Analytics for Multiple Devices, Channels
July 12, 2013 • Feras Alhlou
Many ecommerce owners use analytics to measure page views, traffic, and conversion rates. That is all well and good, but it is old-school. In today's multi-device, multichannel world, marketers are finding it challenging to connect the dots between the web, mobile, and their backend da...
-
Analytics & Data
2 Handy Google Analytics Features: Ecommerce Reports, Weighted Sorting
June 19, 2013 • Tim Wilson
Overall, Google Analytics has a clean and intuitive interface. But, somehow, useful capabilities sometimes get lost on the screen. Two such features are the "Ecommerce" metric group and "weighted sorting." The Ecommerce Metric Group Every standard report has one or more predefined “me...
-
Analytics & Data
3 Key Google Analytics Reports for Ecommerce Merchants
May 24, 2013 • Feras Alhlou
Ecommerce merchants know it’s important to track sales, customer activities, and marketing campaigns. They can do this in Google Analytics. When it comes to finding actionable insights, however, in almost every case merchants need to be comfortable with the concept of segmentation. Ther...
-
Analytics & Data
Google Analytics: 5 Custom Ecommerce Events to Track
May 14, 2013 • Tim Wilson
A friend recently asked me about event tracking on his new ecommerce site. He wondered if I had a comprehensive list of events to track. Well, in answer to my friend, this article is my list of five favorite event tracking customizations, using Google Analytics, for ecommerce sites. C...
-
Analytics & Data
Using Analytics to Adapt and Learn
April 16, 2013 • Tim Wilson
Everyone wants to be data-driven these days. But, what does that really mean? Using the classic “people, process, technology” triangle, it is tempting to see technology as the most critical ...
-
Analytics & Data
Effective Analytics: Using the Right Tool for the Job
March 19, 2013 • Tim Wilson
Web analytics platforms are rich sources of data for marketers and ecommerce managers. But it is a mistake to treat them as the only source of information. There are many others — many of which are inexpensive or free — that complement web analytics and are better at answering certain t...
-
Analytics & Data
4 Ways Big Data Can Help Ecommerce Merchants
March 12, 2013 • Marcia Kaplan
In "Understanding Big Data For Ecommerce," I provided a general overview of how online merchants can use Big Data. In this article I will describe in more detail how Big Data — i.e., large amounts of seemingly random data from many sources — can be used to create competitive advantages....
-
Analytics & Data
Locating 404s with Google Analytics
February 19, 2013 • Tim Wilson
404 error pages are bad. On the list of “Bad Things on Your Site,” 404s easily crack the top five. Yet site owners frequently have no idea how often 404s occur on their sites, much less monitor and address them. Can you answer the following questions? How many visitors to your site l...
-
Analytics & Data
Understanding Big Data For Ecommerce
January 14, 2013 • Marcia Kaplan
The term "Big Data" was the Internet buzzword of 2012. The use of Big Data promises to become more prevalent in 2013, as merchants large and small who use Big Data analytics can gain a significant competitive advantage. What is Big Data? Webopedia defines it as "a massive volume of bo...
-
Analytics & Data
Configuring Google Analytics, Part 2: Advanced Capabilities
January 10, 2013 • Tim Wilson
Editor's note: This is "Part 2" of a 2-part series on how to know if you are fully using Google Analytics for your ecommerce site. The first installment, "Configuring Google Analytics, Part 1: Are You Taking Full Advantage?," we published previously. In "Part 1: Are You Taking Full Adv...
-
Analytics & Data
Configuring Google Analytics, Part 1: Are You Taking Full Advantage?
December 20, 2012 • Tim Wilson
Editor's note: This is "Part 1" of a 2-part series on how to know if you are fully using Google Analytics for your ecommerce site. "Part 2: Advanced Capabilities" we published later. One of the first things I do with a new Google Analytics clients is log in to their accounts and do a q...
-
Analytics & Data
Analyzing Mobile Traffic in Google Analytics; 5 Questions
November 16, 2012 • Tim Wilson
According to published reports, there were 20 million iPhones, 18 million Android-based Samsung Galaxy S3s, and 17 million iPads sold in the third quarter of 2012. The mobile channel, as such, can’t be ignored. But, “mobile” is complicated. It covers a wide range of devices and experien...
-
Analytics & Data
How to Measure SEO Performance
November 14, 2012 • Jill Kocher Brown
Search engine optimization may be a mix of art and science, but it’s as measurable and accountable as other online marketing channels. Knowing what key performance indicators to measure for SEO is the first step. Establishing a regular routine for monitoring and measuring performance wi...
-
Analytics & Data
Creating Custom Segments in Google Analytics
October 24, 2012 • Tim Wilson
In "Understanding Segmentation in Google Analytics," my previous article, I explained the concept of analyzing traffic to a website in separate groups. This process is called "segmentation." Google Analytics offers several default segments, to automatically track common groups of vi...
-
Analytics & Data
Understanding Segmentation in Google Analytics
October 19, 2012 • Tim Wilson
Gary Angel, one of the sharpest digital analytics practitioners, regularly cites the benefits of segmenting traffic in Google Analytics. He says, “In every case, as you think about [specific metrics for your site], segmentation is an excellent first step for choosing the right explanat...
-
Analytics & Data
How to Measure Website Load Times
August 28, 2012 • Tim Wilson
Consumers are increasingly impatient when it comes to waiting for their web browsers to load content. Measuring and monitoring how long it takes pages on your site to load — from desktop computers, laptops, tablets, or smartphones — enable you to take corrective action when any one of d...
-
Analytics & Data
Google Analytics: 3 Tests to Ensure Your Checkout Process Is Working
July 13, 2012 • Tim Wilson
There’s a reason that an ecommerce site’s checkout process is one of the most popular analytics topics. Once a person initiates a checkout, she has self-identified herself as a visitor with a high intent to purchase. Chances are, you’ve already spent money acquiring that potential custo...
-
Analytics & Data
Google Analytics Jumps into Mobile Metrics
July 11, 2012 • Jaime Brugueras
Google Analytics is finally jumping into mobile data metrics. Google recently launched "Mobile App Analytics" as a part of its Analytics web app suite. Analytics is already used by almost a fourth of Internet Retailer’s Top 500 online retailers and more than half of its “Second 500.” Wi...
-
Analytics & Data
Integrating Google Analytics with Site Search to Drive Conversions
May 21, 2012 • Tim Wilson
There are two broad types of data you can collect about visits to your site. "Behavioral" data is about what visitors actually do on the site, while "attitudinal" data is about what visitors want to do. Both are valuable sources of information, and they complement each other in many way...
-
Analytics & Data
>
Merchant Voice
10 Web Analytics Solutions for Ecommerce Merchants
September 26, 2011 • Armando Roggio
Web analytics tools seek to monitor and report on the interaction between Internet users and specific websites or marketing initiatives for the purpose of improving those interactions. This definition is a ...
-
Analytics & Data
Google Analytics Adds Social Data
July 25, 2011 • Armando Roggio
Google Analytics has added social-media-related data to its reports. Google +1 button data is available by default. Facebook "Like" and Twitter "Tweet" sharing statistics can be added with some setup and additional tracking code. The new Google Analytics "Social" report tracks what Goo...
-
Analytics & Data
Understanding ‘Traffic Sources’ in Google Analytics
July 18, 2011 • Armando Roggio
The Google Analytics "Traffic Sources" section can help ecommerce marketers understand how well campaigns are working and how better to invest in site content, advertising, or other forms of engagement. Google Analytics is a free service that uses cookies — which we explain in "Cookies...
-
Analytics & Data
Looking at Location in Google Analytics
June 27, 2011 • Armando Roggio
Understanding your customers — including their preferences and opinions — is an important part of ecommerce marketing. One helpful indicator of customer behavior is location, because where one lives can ...
-
Analytics & Data
11 Mobile Apps to Measure Your Online Success
June 8, 2011 • Sig Ueland
Tracking your business's online performance is a necessity. But doing so chained to your desktop computer is not. Whether you’re out on a meeting or away on a summer vacation, with mobile apps you have the ability to check online statistics on the go. Here is a list of mobile apps for ...
-
Analytics & Data
Transitioning to the New Google Analytics
June 8, 2011 • Michael Stearns
In May 2011, Google launched a new version of Analytics. This new version 5 is good news for power users, as it makes many of the advanced features Google has been developing over the past few years more accessible. If you still feel a bit overwhelmed with the range of options that Goog...
-
Analytics & Data
The PEC Review: Website Grader, for Benchmarking Your Ecommerce Site
October 18, 2010 • Armando Roggio
A successful ecommerce business is an dynamic blend of products, pricing, operations management, customer service, marketing, and web technology. And an ecommerce entrepreneur or manager must monitor each and every ...
-
Analytics & Data
Performance Metrics for Ecommerce, Part Three
September 20, 2010 • Armando Roggio
Social marketing has emerged as one of the best ways to connect with consumers online. And tracking how well your business's social media marketing is performing has become a vital measurement of ecommerce marketing measurement. Yet with so many metrics and statistics to follow, it can...
Sales Report 2022: Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday
SEO and Interstitials
18 Alternatives to Twitter
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 15, 2022
How to Write a Tutorial to Attract Customers
28 Instagram Tools for Ecommerce Marketing
Reducing Transaction Friction and Fraud
How to Supercharge Product Feeds for Sales, ROI
Boost B2B eCommerce with a 5th P of Marketing
Prepare for the Holiday Peak
