Even though most web professionals and marketers know about Google Analytics, not many understand how they can fully unlock all the power of this free analytics software.
If you have an ecommerce website, you can harness Google Analytics to track your transactions, see online traffic sources, and provide detailed analytical data to help establish the path to maximum ROI.
All it takes is a few simple steps to get started. This guide will help you to get set up with tracking your ecommerce site in Google Analytics.
Getting started with Google Analytics
First, start by setting up a primary Google account. You can create a Gmail ID that is unconnected to your personal email accounts if you don’t already have one. Always remember that keeping personal and business accounts separate makes managing them easier in the long run.
Alternatively, you can make use of a Google Analytics Demo account.
Done creating a new Gmail account? Now, it’s time to connect it to the Analytics account.
- Visit Google Analytics and press the Sign In button. Instantly, a three-step registration guideline will show up on your screen
- Follow the mentioned instructions carefully
- Add the property to track. In this case, it will be your ecommerce site
- Now, mention the name of your ecommerce account, the URL, the name of your site, your preferred time zone, and the industry to which your website belongs
- Choose the Data sharing settings with Analytics. Now, click the Get Tracking ID button.
Remember it is possible to set up 100 different accounts on Google Analytics using a single Google account. List 50 separate properties, including blogs, pages, apps, and websites – all related to your ecommerce site – under a single Google Analytics account.
Worried about messing up during your initial try or want to set up something temporary? Google has you covered! You can shift properties easily between accounts, which bodes well for your marketing efforts.
Set up the tracking code
Complete the setup process and then click on Get Tracking ID. You will immediately notice a pop up featuring the terms and conditions. Read them and agree to them so you can proceed to the next step – receiving the code for Google Analytics.
Install this code on every single page of your ecommerce website. Without the tracking code, do not expect Analytics to read the information present on the page and supply necessary data.
Keep in mind that the installation process tends to vary from one platform to another. No technical knowledge, however, is necessary to ensure proper application of the code. Simply copy the given code and then paste it in front of the ending head tag of your ecommerce site’s HTML code.
Add the secondary user
Speak to someone who’s managed Google Analytics for many years, and they will tell you that they’ve had issues with account access at some point. Mostly they experience trouble due to problems with their primary account or email.
To avoid such a thing from happening, it is always recommended that you add a secondary user with a different Google account who can provide another point of access. So, overcome problems, such as the loss of your password or hacking attempts by having a backup at all times.
To set up the secondary account, click the Admin option present on the top of your screen. Choose the option marked User Management from the Account menu.
Find the field marked Add Permissions For, and enter the relevant Gmail ID. Choose every option that grants the permissions necessary for the second account to gain access to your Google Analytics profile.
Select your goals wisely
Next on the agenda is figuring out the right way to add goals to Google Analytics. Search under the View column for the Admin link from where you can choose goals. These goals are necessary to inform the Analytics program about important occurrences on your site.
Since you’re able to set a maximum of 20 separate goals, select the ones for your ecommerce site carefully. The majority of businesses tend to set goals for lead form subscriptions, email list subscriptions, and other definitive actions.
Begin by clicking the Next Goal button and selecting custom or existing options depending on your requirements. Once you’re done, tap the Next button. Make sure you set a name that you can easily recall and then click on the Destination button before you head to the following step.
In the destination field, enter the Thank You or confirmation page URL. Then, in the drop down list, select the Begin With option. Now, toggle the preferred value and select the amount for conversion. When completed, simply click the Create Goal option.
Doing so will enable you to monitor essential conversions on your ecommerce site. Selecting the proper goals can mean all the difference between tracking the necessary processes or user actions.
Begin ecommerce tracking
Ecommerce owners can now proceed to start ecommerce tracking through their Analytics account. There are two ways to track ecommerce actions in Analytics, and they include:
- Basic ecommerce tracking
- Enhanced ecommerce tracking
Simply adding code to your website will already track these options. Enabling these options will help you check tracking reports.
For basic tracking, you need to open the Admin panel and click on the Account tab. Then go to Property and View. Click what you wish to track, and then move on to Ecommerce settings. Set the Ecommerce Status to On.
For Enhanced tracking, find the option marked Enhanced Ecommerce settings. Click on the same and navigate to the Enhance Ecommerce Reporting tab. Toggle it On and then choose the Submit button.
Turn on website search tracking
When you have an ecommerce site, you want to know all you can about your customers’ interests and purchase behavior. And tracking the searches performed by visitors is a good way to do so.
Enable site search tracking to find out which services or items are most popular among your visitors. Simply visit the Admin menu and then click on the View column. Go to Site Settings and turn it On. Check out different query parameters in search results. Enter Q or S in the field and then choose Save.
Concluding remarks
Follow the steps above, and you should be able to set up ecommerce tracking in Google Analytics with ease. Once you’re able to get the process up and running, it becomes easier to monitor your ecommerce campaigns.
Considering how Statista mentions that global retail ecommerce sales will hit the $4.5 trillion mark by 2021, it makes sense to monitor your progress so you know you’re not missing out on the action.