Improve Your Conversions With Data Analytics

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Digital marketers and app developers have tracked activity in apps and websites for years because it was a useful way for brands to collect invaluable data about their target audiences.

To do this, they relied on cookies, which are small pieces of code that track your behavior on your browser. The two main third-party cookies are the Apple Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) on iOS and the Google Play Services Identifier for Android (GPS ADID).

By default, cookies on your iOS device track you across apps. However, in 2021, Apple released ATT (App Tracking Transparency) as part of its iOS 14.5 release, which gives customers the choice to opt-in to being tracked for marketing purposes. More tellingly, it appears that when given the opportunity, the majority of consumers do not consent to having their behavior and data tracked by third parties for advertising purposes.

What does this mean for store owners and Shopify?

Many old-fashioned digital marketing techniques are slowly becoming redundant. As a result, various marketers and business owners are turning to first and second-party data.

This means that any information a store owner collects about a customer comes directly from the software the store owner owns, rather than the cookies that track them. So, the data comes from in-store or website behavior, chat interactions, purchase history, newsletter signups, and any information voluntarily submitted by the customer.

Luckily, Shopify users have access to much of this information through Shopify data analytics!

Shopify Data Analytics

Shopify data analytics are great tools to help you use data to increase conversions . All available features are listed according to the chosen subscription plan.

What Data is Important to You, Why and When?

From the moment your customer first discovers your brand, to the moment they excitedly tell their friends and family about what they bought from you, your customers are on a certain journey. It is by accompanying them through this journey that you get to know them better. 

The first thing you need to know about your customer is who they are, and how they find you. What kind of social media does he use, what devices does he have in his pockets, what kind of communities does he thrive in, etc. ? To this end, all successful businesses develop customer personas to develop a clear picture of their audience.

Engagement: How do your customers find your store?

When you have a clear idea of ​​your customer type, you can then begin to test that idea against the evidence collected. Using Acquisition Reports , you can check how visitors are finding your site, through which channels and from which countries. 

• Visits (Historical) - Shows the number of visitors and sessions for a chosen time range, allowing you to compare different time periods and analyze trends. Are there days, months or seasons when your site sees more traffic?
• Referral Visits – The method a customer uses to access your store is called referral. A referrer could be a search or link from an ad, email, or website, for example. By knowing the referrer, you can attribute sales to the referrer used by the customer. This is a standard method of analyzing and attributing sales. So this helps you know who is coming to your website directly, from a Google search or through a referral like Facebook.
• Visits by Location – The questions this report can answer are: From which countries are visitors accessing your website? Are some countries clearly more popular than others over, say, a one-month period?
• Visits by Device - This shows you the type of devices used to access your website, which is useful if you want to know how comfortable your customers are with technology, and if they are more inclined to use their mobile or laptop. It can also help make design decisions to improve customer experiences, such as optimizing one device over another.

So you know where they come from and how they get to you. You know what devices and social networks they use. You even know which types of tours are the most popular. But what are they actually doing on your site?

On your site: What does a visitor do when they access your store?

• Top searches for your online store - What are they looking for on your store? So, which terms/products are the most popular?
• Top No-Result Searches for Your Online Store - What do they expect, need, or want most from your site?
• Visits by Landing Page – Which page do they land on first? Are these pages more popular or just easier to find?
• What does your order history tell you about your inventory and customer interests?
• If you're on a Shopify plan or higher, you can use your online store's cart analytics report to understand what your visitors are adding to their carts, and therefore get an idea of ​​which products you should promote more or less in your marketing plan.

 

IN SUMMARY

With regulations on third-party data tightening, most merchants know that ultimately, you can't trick your customers into trusting you. We are increasingly moving away from third-party data tools and cookies to focus on better marketing techniques and first-party data.

To collect first-party data, think of your marketing strategy as a good conversation. Good conversations encourage trust. They spark your curiosity from the start and leave you wanting more. Good conversation is also not just about words; it is based on the ability to read the other person's behavior and being able to respond to relevant cues.

Shopify data analytics provide a window into how and why your visitors arrive at your store, and help you shape the conversation to ensure they come back.

You need to develop a comprehensive marketing plan and content strategy that engages your target audience. The more engaged your audience is, the more likely they will trust you, and the more they trust you, the more comfortable they will be sharing first-hand information with you.