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How-to

– 10 min read –

August 12, 2019

How to install the analytics system and to monitor e-commerce

To watch results of website promotion, it is necessary to install the analytics system. The next step is to set up the e-commerce tracking in it. It will allow to analyze behavioral factors, to see effective channels of customer attraction, and to make up plans for the future.

What website analytics system to install

Google Analytics (GA) is the most demanded system of web analytics. It is worth noticing that you don't have to install and set up all the tools at once. For a start, one or two systems use will be enough.

Google Analytics is considered as the most efficient multi-purpose tool, providing a wide range of reports. At the same time, far from every webmaster uses all options of the Google Analytics service range.

The requirement of tools depends on the purposes the webmaster has to achieve and the plans he aspires to realize.

Google Analytics Counter installation

First, it is recommended to set up Google Tag Manager or GTM on the website. It is the user-friendly and free-of-charge tool that allows to manage code fragments on your own. If you do not have such service in daily use, you have to spend a lot of time, money and effort to make up technical specifications for webmasters to point out errors and weak spots that are necessary to be corrected.

Google Tag Manager installation

First of all, it is necessary to create the account. Follow the Google Tag Manager homepage link.

If you have Gmail box, run the sign-in procedure. Otherwise the account should be created. This procedure is standard and not complicated. After registration, the "Add a new account" form will open.

How to add a new account to Google Tag Manager (GTM)

Here it is enough to specify the account name and select the country. The next stage is container setup.

Container setup in Google Tag Manager (GTM)

The name should be specified the same as in the account has. Then select the target platform for container, in this case, the website should be chosen. After that, the window with a code fragment will be opened. This code should be placed after the "body" tag on each page of the website.

You also will see the link to the Tag Manager guide with instructions for easy service operation. If you have any questions, turn to this guide.

Google Analytics Counter creation

To install the Google Analytics Counter on the website, it is necessary to follow the tool link and to pass the registration procedure.

Fill all the performed form to create a new account.

If there is a lot of websites, then they can be anchored here: the system will gather information on all sites if their total quantity does is within limits (less than 100). It is possible to do this procedure in the Administrator tab: My websites / to Create the account.

As soon as you press the needful button to confirm the operation, the GA tracking identifier will be available. Insert the tracking identifier on each page of your web resource before <head> tag. The website traffic showings will start to be captured in the service within 24 hours.

Setup rules of the tracking code could be changed, so it is recommended to follow Google instructions strictly.

Google Analytics setup

Internal search. The tracking option gives the opportunity to analyze queries entered by visitors directly on the website. All requests are the demonstration of a customers' keen interest and show what product is suitable to be added to the line items, which articles need to be written to make your resource more useful. The function is regulated in the "Administrator" section / "Site search tracking".

Site search settings Google Analytics and Adwords

Type the necessary search parameters in the "Query parameter" box. As a rule, they are search, keywords, query, term. Alpha characters q, s are used less often. Up to 5 parameters are possible to be specified here. Use commas to separate parameters.

Search Console. Having anchored your account, you will gain an opportunity to trace the keywords and pages that build traffic. To complete the anchoring open the administrative section: "Settings of a resource" / "Search Console" and select "Save".

Ads. If the promotional campaign takes place, advertising accounts should be anchored too. It is necessary to use for both accounts the same name. It is easy to analyze advertising efficiency this way. To connect, it is enough to pass into the section of administration: Go to "Product linking" section and choose the category of "Ads Products".

Why there is the difference between the analytics systems showings

It is worth putting a code line for a correct display of a refuses indicator during the setup procedure. The matter is that this parameter is read in search engines differently. For example, there is no double condition in Google Analytics, so the data can differ from other services. To appraise the situation objectively, it is better to correct parameters in by-hand manner. Add additional website lines to the GA Counter code.

Another variant is available. It is possible to point the time spent purpose. If the gained showings still differ in both services, it is necessary to check the following aspects:

the tracking code is put on each web page;
different counters are set up for each resouce;
the time zone is set up correctly;
identical filters settings are selected.

It is worth noticing that the showings could differ if the code of one tracking system is specified in an upper part template of the website, and another one is performed in the lower one.

How to monitor e-commerce in Google Analytics

E-commerce is meant as the financial transactions carried out on the Internet and private networks. The purchases and disposal of goods and services take place online. E-commerce also includes electronic funds transfers and other actions to be done.

E-commerce settings are usually carried out in Google Tag Manager because it will be more difficult to be great with the system for newcomers. First, it is necessary to turn on the parameter in all rendering sectors. For this purpose, it is enough:

to select the GA section of administration, and then choose "E-commerce setup";
to activate "Enable e-commerce";
to turn on the tracking option;
to save all actions done.

Here the optional e-commerce settings are available.

Google Analytics tracking methods for e-commerce

There are two tracking methods for e-commerce:

Standard: it shows statistics of purchases made on the website or through the application. To get the accurate calculation, it is necessary to mention goods items, the average spent, transactions coefficient and other needful aspects.
Enhanced: it shows additionally when visitors use the cart, when potential clients delete the goods from the shopping bag or cancel their order, etc.

Enhanced e-commerce service provides more detailed reports. It is possible to take a look at all goods disposal cycle, starting with product catalog scrolling and finishing with the ordering options and the checkout procedure. This service also helps to analyze the efficiency level of the on-site advertising.

To gain all the advantages of the enhanced e-commerce, it is necessary to set up GTM firstly. It gives an opportunity to gather the needful showings and transfer them to the web analytics system. Then the following steps should be done:

To set up the option of information transfer to e-commerce in the code. The technical specifications for execution of works is formed for webmasters in such case. Then the specialists carry out all necessary manipulations.

Create the Universal Analytics tag: Tracking Type / Page View or Event.

Choose: Enhanced e-commerce settings / Turn on the expanded functions.

Tick: Use the data level.

There is also other option to cope with this task. It is possible to do the necessary settings by means of JavaScript. But it is more complicated both in setup and in operational aspects because the work with JavaScript entails the range of special skills.

Anyway, we recommend making use of website developers' services for all these setting purposes. You could face with different nuances that are peculiar for some website types and the control systems to cope with.

Conclusion

The analytics systems are services which gather, analyze, and interpret data concerning the visitors' time spent on the website. Afterwards these showings should be used for online project improvement, website optimization, and the profitability growing.

The most popular system of websites analytics is Google Analytics. The built-in statistics for website engine (CMS) is possible to become a convenient way to keep track of the number of online store orders. Such systems do not need to be installed and setup in add-on.

This article is a part of Serpstat's Checklist tool

Checklist is a ready-to-do list that helps to keep reporting of the work progress on a specific project. The tool contains templates with an extensive list of project development parameters where you can also add your own items and plans.

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