7 Ecommerce Friendly Tools With Great Analytics
Running a successful ecommerce business today means utilizing a whole suite of tools. From measuring web traffic to social media engagement, there are many handy tech tools available which not only have creative features, but make the most of their data with great analytics.
Here we give you an insight into seven of the best tools for ecommerce entrepreneurs with an eye for analytics — adopt these as part of your ecommerce arsenal.
Google Analytics & Alerts & Data Studio
Google Analytics always deserves a mention when it comes to online tools with great analytics. It’s a free tool that every online business owner should install and get to grips with to maximize its potential. (And it’s always changing and becoming easier to use — so stay on top of Google’s updates to the platform to maximize your investment).
Whilst GA is hugely beneficial for practically any type of business with an online presence, it is particularly great for ecommerce entrepreneurs. By setting up Google Analytics’s ecommerce tracking features for your business, you can get a valuable insight into the demographics, behaviors, referrals, and real-time actions of your ecommerce users.
Users can also take advantage of Google Alerts to keep an eye on conversion goals and traffic peaks and troughs, whereas Google Data Studio is an awesome tool that allows you to configure customer Google reports that are super easy to share with stakeholders.
KissMetrics
Whereas Google Analytics tends to focus on the broader, page-based actions of your traffic, KissMetrics is great for going deep into individual visitor actions.
Specifically focused on customer engagement automation, this is a tool specifically designed to help you analyze, segment and engage with your customers on an individual level. Ecommerce entrepreneurs can use this tool to increase conversions, drive engagement and grow customer retention.
Unlike Google Analytics, KissMetrics isn’t free. As a result, its high monthly cost might make it prohibitively expensive to some smaller brands. But it’s still a worthy investment for bigger ecommerce businesses who can afford the extra expense.
Buffer
Gone are the days when social media was simply an add-on to marketing strategies. Today, social media and the content that drives it are seen as integral parts of any business, particularly ecommerce enterprises.
Buffer is a fantastic platform that helps businesses of all size manage their online presences as part of an integrated marketing effort. What’s more, the advanced analytics can help you streamline your social media integration strategies on a consumer-tailored level.
Pricing ranges from free trials, up to premium options for larger customer service and social media teams.
As one of the most popular social media apps today, Instagram offers limitless potential for ecommerce businesses. It’s free to use and helps brands connect with their existing customers, reach new audiences and build relationships with key influencers via an image-based social platform.
Instagram offers its own integration with ecommerce, with basic analytics to accompany it. Use Instagram alongside a tool such as Google Analytics or Hootsuite, and you can learn how people are engaging with your brand on a granular level. This can provide you with even greater insight into how you should position your marketing and branding going forward.
And watch this space – rumor has it that Instagram are developing a dedicated shopping app, an enticing prospect for ecommerce entrepreneurs.
Shopify
Ecommerce platforms like Shopify offer all-in-one solutions to entrepreneurs and businesses. Creating your ecommerce business with one of these tools will enable you to take advantage of the wealth of features on offer, including intuitive and functional website builders.
With a particular focus on ecommerce, you will be able to create shopping cart functionality with zero technical knowledge. And because this entire user journey takes place within one framework, the built-in analytics can give you a strong insight into your business.
Indeed, Shopify’s rich analytics functions make building a flourishing ecommerce enterprise, if not easy, certainly doable. One needs only take a look at the range of Shopify businesses and their key performance metrics to see the kind of success that these powerful analytics can afford your business.
You can start using Shopify Lite from $9/month, but access to certain analytics and reports only comes with the more expensive monthly price plans.
MailChimp
Even if you hadn’t already heard the name, you’ll probably recognize the familiar email templates that businesses use to send millions of emails every day around the world.
Many sectors have embraced MailChimp as their email automation platform of choice. And thanks to its comprehensive array of marketing automation and user-friendly UX, it remains a popular choice for plenty of ecommerce businesses.
Users can create and manage email lists with finely granular segmentation. They can also design and send A/B tested campaigns and glean insights from the real-time reporting that MailChimp offers all users.
You can get started for free, or upgrade for access to features including advanced comparative reports and multivariate testing.
Moz
SEO is one of the most important focuses for any business today, especially so for ecommerce enterprises. Moz is one of the world’s best SEO tools, loved by search marketers all over the world. However, it’s also accessible to entrepreneurs and businesses looking to increase their own search engine traffic.
MOZ Pro’s all-in-one website SEO tool enables businesses to undertake keyword research, link building, site, and page optimization audits. And if your ecommerce business has a local presence, you could also benefit from MOZ Local’s SEO-integrated local business listings tool.
Starting at $99/month, this isn’t a particularly cheap platform. But for ecommerce businesses in particular, it can be a worthwhile investment. A great place to get started is with its Moz Link Explorer tool, which allows 10 free queries per month.
When it comes to ecommerce and analytics, tools such as Google Analytics will often jump to mind and are at the foundation of any good digital strategy.
However, there are many other options for making the most of online analytics and big data, from creative platforms such as Instagram and MailChimp to data-focused tools such as KissMetrics and Moz.
- 7 Ecommerce Friendly Tools With Great Analytics - October 10, 2018
- How to Grow Your Ecommerce Store Using Data & Analytics - June 12, 2017
