Tracking Ecommerce Conversion Rates

While running Amazon ads and the Amazon business in general, the north star business metric for me has always been TACOS which is the Total Advertising Cost of Sales. Not ROAS or ACOS TACOS is basically all your ad spends as a percentage of revenue. The revenue includes both ads revenue and organic revenue. But more often than not, most Amazon teams focus only on ad revenue and ad spends, forgetting the most important part-organic revenue Very few brands would even be measuring what their organic revenue is on the platform at a keyword level. It is extremely important to take all steps that will increase organic visibility and organic sales in the platform. In fact, Amazon Pi Search Performance report gives you the SOV that you have at a keyword level for SP ads, SB ads as well as organic The lead indicator of profitability in the platform are mainly 2 things a) Increase in organic SOV in all generic keywords b) Increase in branded searches Increase in branded searches is more often than not decided by what you do outside the platform. Executing good campaigns on ATL and really good clutter breaking Meta performance campaigns often does the trick here But increasing organic SOV in generic keywords is often a result of what happens on the platform. In Amazon, whatever you do on ads also directly influences organic results. Eg. If you bid and rank top of Search on SP ads for certain keywords and your conversion rates are better than the category on those keywords, Amazon will also start ranking you on top organically for those keywords That is why I have often told that Amazon is a compounding channel and can be run profitably at scale because it rewards good performance with better organic visibility. Because of this, if you could have organic sales and directionally estimate TACOS ( not ACOS) at a keyword level, you could make a lot of optimizations on your ads as well as overall content which would benefit the business Eg: Lets say “mixer grinder 750 watt” is a keyword that I am spending money on ads. I know the ad spends, ACOS and ad driven sales on this keyword. But not how many organic sales I am getting from that keyword and is that improving with time. And since I don’t know the organic sales, I also would not know TACOS for the keyword Ideally I would want both organic SOV as well as organic sales increase for this keyword. Without it, profitability would be very difficult. Amazon doesn’t expose true organic-sales revenue at the keyword level, so any TACoS by keyword metric has to be derived The rest of the post is there in the link in the first comment. Do read and share how you do keyword level tracking of organic sales and keyword level TACOS and how you use the results

I’ve spoken to 250+ e-commerce founders in the last 2 years. And know their problems like they were my own. Top 3 concerns most founders have: – ads don't convert high enough  – ROAS is negative or barely there – site's conversion rate is below 2% This is AFTER they've tried everything. Different creatives, copy, targeting.  Taking traffic to different PDPs. And this only gets worse: – ad spends keep going up – competition only increases – and the website still doesn't convert If nothing is done about it,  the ad spend eats into profits, and turns it into losses. That's a place you want to avoid at all costs. ____________ So here's the 3-step solution I recommend if you're in this situation: 1. Start with fixing what gets the highest traffic. Check Google Analytics to see which page is getting the highest landing traffic. Most likely it's your product page or collection page. If it's a product page, check add-to-cart rate. You should be concerned if it's below 10%. If it's a collection page, you should be concerned if the bounce is over 30%. 2. Next, check the heat maps for that page. Use Microsoft Clarity (it's free). Otherwise use Crazyegg, since that gives overlay heat maps too (like navigation CTRs). If it's a product page, check: – what % of people even see your add to cart CTA? – what % of people read the description?  – what % of people see the images? Based on this, find the weak point and improve that. If it's a collection page, check: – how many products do people see on avg? (use scroll maps for this)  – how many products are viewed by one user? (use GA for this)  – how many user filters to narrow their results? 3. Lastly, create the solution. The solution is the design + copy combination. Which is either a new section or an improved version of an existing section. I'd suggest you make this improved version and A/B test it using tools like Intelligems, Convert. ____________ You can take inspiration from competitors on the solution. But only after you've identified what's the problem on your site. More you get comfortable with analytics and insight tools like heat maps, the more you'll move in the right direction. And if you need help, feel free to connect with me on DM. Pro tip: Run a "survey" on your most landed page type. Ask people why they don't buy. And DO NOT include "price is a concern" as an option. Rather keep this open ended first and see what responses you get. Show this on exit intent. 

Shopify fails to send a good chunk of sales to GA4. But there's a way to fix that. The problem lies with the native integration, the Google sales channel. It loads the GA4 tag on the Thank you page. But if the user leaves or never sees the page, the code never fires, and GA4 never gets the sale event. For some stores, that's up to 20% of all purchases. Other channels have solved it. For example the Facebook channel sends server-side events via CAPI. Well, it's possible to do something similar for GA4. There are paid tools that already do this. But it can also be done with Shopify Flow, with the same methodology. It does need a bit of code. Here’s a high-level overview - a dev or AI tools can fill in the blanks. It's mainly two steps: 1. On page load, store the GA4 cookie as a cart attribute. You can handle cases like waiting for the cookie to be set or for cookie banner acceptance. This attribute will remain for weeks until an order is placed. 2. Create a flow that sends the event server-side. GA4 has the Measurement Protocol. You can grab a key from GA4 and create a flow that: - Triggers on order creation. - Checks the cookie in cart attributes. - Sends the purchase event with order data (including transaction ID) and the cookie (session and client ID) to GA4. And that's it. As long as you use the same IDs, the event won't be duplicated if GA4 already has received it. #shopify #shopifyplus #ecommerce

☠️ 💀 Every time a prospect asks to fix their GA4/GTM tracking issues, I always ask whether they are using a non-standard implementation of GA4/GTM. And if they 'yes', I know immediately where the issue could be. 👇 Many businesses opt for plugins or third-party tools to implement GA4, GTM, or e-commerce tracking, often to save on the upfront cost of a proper tracking setup. But when GA4 reports start showing "unassigned" traffic sources and incomplete or inconsistent e-commerce data, the same businesses scramble for a fix, often ending up removing the plugins and rebuilding their tracking from scratch. The reality is, you have little to no control over how these plugins or third-party tools operate. At best, you can submit a support ticket and wait, hoping for a solution that may never come. Google officially recommends only two standard methods to install GA4: >> Using the global site tag (gtag.js), or >> Google Tag Manager (GTM). Anything else, including plugins, CDPs, or code injected by other third parties, is considered a non-standard implementation of GA4/GTM. Even GTM itself should only be installed by placing the container JavaScript in the <head> and the iframe snippet immediately after the opening <body> tag. Deploying GTM via plugins or placing code elsewhere is not officially supported by Google and can break your data collection. What goes wrong with non-standard setups? >> Required events or parameters that GA4 expects are often not sent, leading to unassigned sessions and missed or malformed e-commerce data. >> Plugins may not be optimised for all browsers or devices, resulting in inconsistent tracking. >> Google's documentation and support are based on standard installations, making troubleshooting and maintenance much harder. >> Third-party solutions often introduce latency, errors, or reporting gaps. >> When you deviate from standard methods, you risk missing "session_start" events, losing interaction data, or sending data in unsupported formats. >> One major risk with plugin-based GA4 or GTM implementations is that your entire website tracking setup becomes dependent on the quality, update frequency, and support policies of a third-party developer. If you want reliable, actionable analytics, use Google's standard installation methods. If you're experiencing unexplained issues in your GA4 reports, ask yourself:  Are you using a plugin or some other non-standard implementation? If so, that's likely the cause. And if you still choose to stick with third-party tools, be prepared to live with the limitations and inconsistencies they bring.

On Aug 28, Shopify will stop firing transaction tracking scripts (the ones in Settings > Checkout > 'Order status page additional scripts'). This used to be the main place tracking scripts were added for GTM, GA, Ads, Facebook - anything you wanted to fire on the order confirmation page. But, it's going bye-bye and I suspect there are many sites still using this feature (I know I have clients still using it that I am working to get transitioned). A quick way to check is to go to Settings > Checkout > 'Order status page additional scripts'. If you see scripts in there, you need to figure out what they are and where they should be moved. You probably want to start this process very soon so you have enough time to get it moved. The most obvious place is to use 'customer events' in combo with Google Tag Manager. Here's a quick look at how to see if your site needs to be updated and what to do to fix it (generally - all sites will be a bit different depending on what scripts you are using). Analytics Mania has a fantastic post about how to use customer events with GTM that you can checkout for many more details. Link's in comments.

If You Trust Your Conversion Data, You're Probably Wasting Ad Spend Let me guess — you’ve seen this before: Goog Analytis 4 reports 18 purchases Shopify reports 22 Meta Ads reports 29 conversions You spend hours trying to reconcile the numbers, and in the end… nobody really trusts any of it. So what’s going wrong? Here are three common reasons we see this almost daily at Conversion Uplift: 1️⃣ Misconfigured dataLayer events Your purchase event might be firing: - Before all transaction data is available - More than once (duplicate hits) - Or not at all for certain traffic types (e.g. returning users) And if the structure of the event isn’t consistent? GA4 can drop it silently. 2️⃣ Consent Mode v2 setup issues This one's a silent killer for EU traffic. - If Consent Mode is misconfigured: - Safari users in Incognito browsers Any EEA user who doesn’t click “Accept All” …won’t send key data (like ad click identifiers) to GA4 or Meta, even if the purchase is recorded in Shopify. The result? Attribution chaos. 3️⃣ Relying on client-side tracking alone This is where it gets serious. - Client-side only setups are vulnerable to: - Adblockers - Browser restrictions - Script load failures - Tag firing issues on SPAs You end up with incomplete, duplicated, or over-attributed data — depending on which platform you’re looking at. So what’s the fix? 👉 For many brands, it starts with a proper GA4/GTM audit 👉 And often leads to implementing server-side GTM, where you have greater control, reliability, and visibility into what data gets sent where — and when. We’ve helped ecommerce, lead gen, and high-traffic brands untangle these messes — and rebuild trust in their numbers. 💬 What’s the biggest data mismatch you’ve seen between GA4, Shopify or Meta Ads? Drop it in the comments — and let’s talk tracking. 📌 Get access to our free GA4/GTM Audit Checklist by connecting with me and adding the comment below "Checklist" #GoogleAnalytics #ConversionUplift #GA4 #GTM #ServerSide #Stape #BigQuery

Last week a client asked me why their Amazon listing wasn’t selling. They had traffic. But their conversion rate was stuck at 5%. We didn’t touch the price. We didn’t touch the ads. We focused on the listing itself. The first image was cluttered. The title was stuffed with keywords. And the bullets? They were just features. Here’s what we did. We swapped the first image for a clean product shot on a white background with one bold benefit overlay. We rewrote the title to highlight the outcome, not just the specs. We flipped the bullets from “what it is” to “what it does for you.” Example: Instead of “Stainless steel, 500ml capacity” → “Holds a full day’s hydration without leaving a metallic taste.” Small changes. Big impact. The result? Conversion rate lifted from 5% to 11% within two weeks. That’s more than double the sales with the same traffic. The lesson? Most ecomm businesses don’t need more clicks. They need product pages that tell a story and solve a problem. What’s the one thing you’d change first on your own listing?

Want to make more while discounting LESS during BFCM? Sounds impossible right? It’s not.  Here are 5 KEY learnings to help you increase sales and margin during Black Friday 🧵 Recently I sat down with Ned MacPherson of Power Digital Marketing to discuss Q4 discounting… What he said surprised me. It’s NOT just about giving your steepest discount and calling it a day. He shared 5 tactics that will help guard your margins while still driving major revenue: 1) Customer Segmentation & Personalization Treat unique customer groups differently during BFCM to maximize engagement and sales. Each group has different needs and behaviors, so a one-size-fits-all approach can miss opportunities.   → Use scarcity tactics for recently acquired customers → Show new customers your hero products, but keep the discount low  → Offer personalized bundles or exclusive product launches for Dormant Customers 2) Product Launches Announce new products during BFCM to create excitement. This gives customers a reason to shop beyond discounts, making your brand stand out amidst the discount chaos. → Introduce a limited-edition product or exclusive bundles. → Launch products that align with holiday needs (e.g., “Perfect Gifts for the Season – Only Available This Weekend!”). 3) Progress Bar Show customers how close they are to unlocking perks (e.g., free shipping or free gifts) as they add items to their cart. This encourages higher order values by gamifying the checkout process. → “Add $10 more to your cart to unlock a free holiday candle!” → You’re $20 away from free shipping – keep shopping to save!” 4) Evergreen Discounting Keep existing offers consistent during the season, but change their branding for the sale. This matters because customers are more influenced by the perception of a sale rather than the specific offer. Many of your customers will also be new and probably not aware that the offer isn’t fresh. → Keep your “20% off 3 items” offer active year-round, but during BFCM, label it as the “Black Friday Special.” → Use consistent offers across holidays (e.g., “Holiday Sale,” “Summer Blowout”), so customers still feel like they're getting a deal. 5) Retention Strategies Post-BFCM (BONUS) Something a lot of brands overlook - keeping new and returning customers engaged with follow-up offers after their initial purchase. The first 30-60 days post-purchase are critical for encouraging repeat buying. What you can do: → Send an email offering “Exclusive Access to Our Holiday Collection” to customers who purchased during BFCM. → Use loyalty incentives (e.g., “Earn double points on your next purchase before the New Year!”). Takeaway - You don’t have to cut your margin to the bone during BFCM because you’re desperate to juice your topline sales numbers. To drive revenue AND margin you can: → Segment and personalize your customers → Use product launches strategically → Implement a Progress Bar → Run evergreen discounts → Retain customers post-BFCM

Ten years ago, I generated ~$5M in revenue over the four days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. High-fives all around! Only later in December did I realize we *lost* money over that time period. D’OH! Here's the mistake I made and how you can avoid it: 1. Realize that we (brands + media) have trained our customers to shop during BFCM. It's when we do the most marketing. It's when we offer the biggest deals / discounts. It's really no surprise that these 96 hours generate the most revenue each year. 2. The key insight: this is just *reallocated* demand. Customers hold off on (full-margin) Q3 and Q4 purchases so that they can spend on (discounted) purchases over BFCM. Are you starting to see the problem? We are cannibalizing ourselves. 3. The icing on the cake? During BFCM, CACs skyrocket. At my last brand (AutoAnything), Amazon, Walmart, and AutoZone all entered the paid ad markets during Cyber Week, which would drive up CACs by 4-5x. What was once a profitable LTV:CAC went negative overnight. Recap: Customers want to buy on discount. And you pay more to acquire them. Revenue comes, but it's low/no margin. It's the Woody Allen joke: "This food is terrible and in such small portions" What's a DTC marketer to do? Three strategies: 1. Be smart on your discounts It's true: non-discount promotions exist. Some favs: → Free gift with purchase → Discounting only the highest margin skus → Expedited shipping If you discount, know how deep you can go. Be sure to consider ALL marketing and service costs. 2. Spend EARLY on paid prospecting ads What was your latency of {ad click} to {conversion} for 2021? For most brands, the *brand new* customers that buy over BFCM clicked an ad in early Nov. So only spend up until then. Cap your prospecting during BFCW and instead... 3. Lean into your owned audiences over BFCM Don't take on Amazon on paid. Trust me. Target your owned audiences (using email, SMS, direct mail) instead. You will hold down your marketing costs. That's it. 3 factors that make this a dangerous time for DTC + 3 strategies to combat them. PRO TIP: Only direct mail allows you to target ALL your previous buyers. It's been my BFCM stalwart for 20 years. Caps your CAC + casts the widest possible net. DM me and I’ll show you how to use it.