E-Commerce Tracking & Analytics – Measure What Matters
Once your online store is live, the real work begins: understanding what’s working and what’s not.
You can’t grow what you don’t track — and that’s where e-commerce analytics come in.
In today’s lesson, you’ll learn:
- What e-commerce tracking is
- How to track sales, products, customer behavior
- Tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Site Kit, and WooCommerce Analytics
- How to use this data to make smarter decisions
📊 What Is E-Commerce Tracking?
E-commerce tracking is the process of monitoring how people:
- Find your online store
- Browse your products
- Add items to their cart
- Complete (or abandon) purchases
- Spend money on your site
With the right tracking in place, you’ll answer questions like:
- Which products are bestsellers?
- Where do customers drop off?
- Which traffic source (Google, Facebook, Email) converts best?
- What’s my average order value?
🛠️ Tools for E-Commerce Tracking
Here are the top tools for tracking store performance:
1. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Google’s free tool for tracking user behavior, traffic, and conversions.
Key Features:
- Tracks page views, scrolls, clicks
- E-commerce events (add to cart, begin checkout, purchase)
- Audience segmentation
- Source/medium reporting (e.g., which ad or platform drove the sale)
🔧 Requires setup using Google Tag Manager or a plugin like Site Kit or MonsterInsights
2. WooCommerce Analytics (Built-In Dashboard)
Go to WooCommerce > Analytics in your dashboard.
Key Metrics Available:
- Total sales & orders
- Top products
- Average order value
- Refunds
- Sales by category, country, or payment method
- Coupon usage
🟢 Great for day-to-day tracking without third-party tools
3. Site Kit by Google (Plugin)
A free plugin by Google to view your GA4 + Search Console + PageSpeed data directly in your WordPress dashboard.
Benefits:
- Easy GA4 and Search Console integration
- Real-time traffic data
- Monitor impressions, clicks, bounce rate, and revenue
🎯 Important Metrics to Monitor
| Metric | Why It Matters |
| Conversion Rate | How many visitors actually buy something |
| Average Order Value (AOV) | Shows your revenue per purchase |
| Cart Abandonment Rate | Reveals if users quit before buying |
| Traffic Sources | Know where your best customers come from |
| Top Performing Products | Focus marketing on bestsellers |
| Customer Lifetime Value | Know how much each customer is worth |
🔧 How to Enable E-Commerce Tracking in GA4 (Simplified)
- Install Site Kit plugin or use MonsterInsights
- Connect your Google Analytics account
- Enable Enhanced E-Commerce in GA4:
- Go to Admin > Data Streams > Web > Enhanced Measurement > Enable all
- Use WooCommerce GA4 plugin (optional) to link product events directly
🧠 Pro Tip: Always test using the GA4 Realtime report to ensure tracking is firing correctly.
🧠 How to Use the Data
- High cart abandonment? → Simplify checkout
- Low conversion rate? → Improve product pages or add reviews
- Best-selling product? → Promote it in ads or email
- Low-performing category? → Remove, restock, or discount
✅ Task for Today
- Install Site Kit or MonsterInsights
- Connect Google Analytics 4 and Search Console
- Explore your WooCommerce Analytics dashboard
- Identify your top 3 products and your cart abandonment rate
- Start making small changes based on real data