Since we adopted MonsterInsights as our primary tracking solution for all our online businesses, we have witnessed how effective eCommerce analytics can revolutionize a business.
Store owners who monitor the right metrics consistently outperform those who do not – it’s that straightforward.
Although setting up eCommerce tracking may appear technical, it is actually quite simple when you follow the correct steps.
The essential part is understanding which metrics are most important and how to track them accurately. This information serves as your guide for making informed business decisions.
In this comprehensive guide, we will outline our tested approach for establishing thorough eCommerce tracking in WordPress.
These are the same techniques we implement for our own products and recommend to our partners, ensuring you gather all the necessary data to expand your online store.
Here’s a brief overview of the topics we will discuss in this guide:
- The Importance of Setting Up eCommerce Tracking in WordPress
- How to Set Up eCommerce Tracking in WordPress
- Accessing eCommerce Reports in WordPress
- Viewing eCommerce Reports in Google Analytics
- Bonus: Activating Customer Tracking in Google Analytics
- Common Questions about eCommerce Tracking
The Importance of Setting Up eCommerce Tracking in WordPress
Implementing eCommerce tracking is essential for making informed decisions that boost your sales and revenue. By leveraging actual customer data, you can effectively enhance the growth of your online store instead of relying on assumptions.
Here are some significant advantages:
- Identify Your Best-Selling Products:Discover which products are your top sellers. This insight enables you to stock similar items or create targeted promotions to drive additional sales.
- Gain Insights into Your Customers:Understand more about your audience, including their origins and how they navigate your website. This information helps you customize the shopping experience.
- Enhance Your Marketing Strategies:Determine which marketing channels bring in the most paying customers. This knowledge allows you to allocate your budget effectively for maximum impact.
Now, let’s explore how to monitor the performance of your eCommerce store using WordPress.
How to Set Up eCommerce Tracking in WordPress
The simplest way to track your online store’s performance is by utilizing MonsterInsights. This top-rated analytics plugin for WordPress is trusted by over 3 million professionals.
MonsterInsights simplifies the process of setting up eCommerce tracking in Google Analytics. This plugin is compatible with popular eCommerce platforms such as WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, LifterLMS, MemberPress, GiveWP, and more.
One of the greatest advantages of using MonsterInsights is that you can track eCommerce conversions in WordPress without needing to modify any code or hire a developer.
In contrast, the manual approach to establishing online store tracking in Google Analytics involves editing the tracking code or utilizing Google Tag Manager.
Both of these methods can be complicated and intimidating for newcomers. Any errors made during the setup can lead to inaccurate analytics and data.
This is where MonsterInsights proves to be invaluable. It provides an eCommerce add-on that automatically sets up tracking on your WordPress site.
Additionally, it displays key statistics directly within your WordPress admin dashboard, allowing you to easily monitor your website’s performance and gain insights to enhance your business.
For further information, you can check out our comprehensive MonsterInsights review.
To get started, install and activate the MonsterInsights Pro plugin on your website. If you need assistance, please refer to our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Note: To effectively track eCommerce activities, you will need the MonsterInsights Pro version, which offers the eCommerce add-on, comprehensive dashboard reports, and advanced tracking capabilities. Alternatively, you can start with the free MonsterInsights Lite version.
Once activated, you will be directed to the MonsterInsights welcome screen in your WordPress dashboard. Click the ‘Launch the Wizard’ button to proceed.
Follow the steps in the wizard to configure the plugin and link your website to Google Analytics. For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on installing Google Analytics in WordPress.
Next, go toInsights » Addonsin your WordPress dashboard. Scroll down to find the eCommerce add-on and click the ‘Install’ button.
The add-on will activate automatically, and you will see its status change to Active.
After that, navigate toInsights » Settingsand select the ‘eCommerce’ tab.
Ensure that the ‘Use Enhanced eCommerce’ option is enabled within the eCommerce Tracking section.
Please note:‘Enhanced Ecommerce’ was a feature in the previous version of Google Analytics. It is now the standard eCommerce tracking method in the latest version, Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
MonsterInsights will automatically identify your WordPress eCommerce plugin and begin tracking analytics seamlessly.
Next, let’s explore how to utilize MonsterInsights’ reports to assess the performance of your online store.
Access eCommerce Reports in WordPress
Navigating Google Analytics and extracting the necessary data can be daunting for newcomers.
MonsterInsights simplifies this process by consolidating all your key statistics within the WordPress dashboard, allowing you to monitor your eCommerce store’s performance and make informed decisions to enhance your business.
To access eCommerce reports in WordPress, go toInsights » Reports. From this section, select the ‘eCommerce’ tab and click onOverview.
In the report, you can quickly evaluate your online store’s performance by examining the conversion rate, transactions, revenue, and average order value.
Additionally, MonsterInsights displays your Top Products, helping you identify your best-selling items along with their quantities, sales percentages, and total revenue.
You can leverage this information to discover which products resonate with your customers and subsequently offer similar items to increase sales.
Scroll down to explore the Top Conversion Sources.
These are the websites that generate the highest sales for your store. Consider investing in advertisements on these platforms, creating exclusive discounts and free shipping offers, or collaborating with them for cross-promotions or partnerships.
For instance, you could provide a popular referring blog with a unique coupon code specifically for their audience to boost sales from that source.
In the eCommerce section of MonsterInsights, you can also access reports such as Total Add to Carts, Total Removed from Cart, New Customers, and Abandoned Checkouts.
These reports help you gain insights into your customers’ shopping and checkout behaviors. Additionally, you can leverage this data to enhance your sales funnel and minimize shopping cart abandonment.
Furthermore, navigate to the eCommerce » Couponsreport in MonsterInsights. If you utilize coupon codes in your online store, this report will reveal how customers engage with them.
You can identify which coupons lead to the most transactions and revenue on your site, along with the average order value and additional metrics.
MonsterInsights also provides a Funnel report under the eCommerce tab.
This report displays the journey of users who viewed a product in your store, added it to their cart, and completed the purchase.
You can analyze this data to understand how customers navigate your website and where they drop off in the sales funnel. This insight allows you to make adjustments to reduce abandonment rates and boost revenue.
While these reports provide a comprehensive overview, there are times when you need a quick answer to a specific query. Instead of sifting through various reports manually, you can obtain instant answers using the Conversations AI feature.
Simply navigate to the Insights » Conversations section from your WordPress dashboard.
Here, you can enter any question related to your analytics. For instance, you can inquire about the revenue generated by a product within a specific timeframe.
In just seconds, the AI will analyze your request and deliver an accurate, easy-to-understand response directly on the page, saving you both time and effort.
Access eCommerce Reports in Google Analytics
MonsterInsights simplifies the process of finding the data you need for informed decision-making. Additionally, you can view eCommerce tracking data directly in your Google Analytics account.
Google Analytics 4 is the newest iteration of Google’s widely used analytics platform. It features a revamped reporting interface, allowing you to find your online store’s data organized in new reports.
To get started, log in to your Google Analytics account. Then, navigate toReports » Monetization » Overviewin the left-hand menu.
This section provides a snapshot of your store’s performance. Google Analytics displays key metrics such as total revenue, revenue from purchases, number of purchasers, average revenue per user, and more.
Additionally, you can visitMonetization » Ecommerce purchasesto analyze product performance. GA4 offers insights into which items received the most views, which products had the highest sales, and a detailed revenue breakdown for each product.
Google Analytics provides various reports that allow you to access eCommerce tracking data.
For instance, you can track your customers’ purchasing journey, including how many visitors initiated a session and ultimately made a purchase.
The report also highlights the abandonment rate at each stage, enabling you to leverage this information to enhance conversions by streamlining the purchasing process.
To maximize the effectiveness of Google Analytics reports, consider integrating them with other reports like Traffic Acquisition to identify which channels are driving the most revenue.
Tip: Activate Customer Tracking in Google Analytics.
After establishing primary sales tracking, you can gain more in-depth insights by activating individual customer journey tracking in WordPress.
This feature helps you understand each customer’s distinct journey through your online store.
With this information, you can create a personalized shopping experience, highlight products that align with individual customer preferences, and ultimately increase your sales. It provides a clearer understanding of what influences purchasing decisions.
Using MonsterInsights, you can effortlessly set up customer tracking with its User Journey addon. This tool reveals all the steps a customer took prior to making a purchase, including the pages they visited, their search queries on your site, their clicks, and more.
For more details, check out our guide on enabling customer tracking in WooCommerce with Google Analytics.
Common Questions About eCommerce Tracking
Here are some common inquiries from our readers before they activate eCommerce tracking on their stores:
What is the top eCommerce tracking plugin for WordPress?
MonsterInsights is the top eCommerce tracking plugin for WordPress, simplifying the setup process with no coding required, and it is compatible with all major eCommerce platforms.
Additionally, it provides clear and concise reports directly within your WordPress dashboard.
Is it possible to track eCommerce data without using a plugin?
Yes, you can track eCommerce data manually by adding tracking code or utilizing Google Tag Manager. However, this approach is not advisable for beginners.
It involves technical details, and even a minor error could disrupt your analytics tracking completely. Using a plugin like MonsterInsights mitigates this risk.
What is the key eCommerce metric to monitor?
While metrics such as revenue and average order value are significant, the most essential metric is your conversion rate. This figure indicates the percentage of your website visitors who become paying customers.
Enhancing your conversion rate is the most effective way to boost revenue without increasing traffic.
We hope this article has guided you in effectively setting up eCommerce tracking in WordPress. You may also want to explore our comprehensive WordPress eCommerce setup guide and learn how to track outbound links in WordPress.
If you enjoyed this article, we invite you to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for insightful WordPress video tutorials. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook for more updates.
