How to track eCommerce in Google Analytics 4

This guide will explain how to set up e-commerce analytics in your WordPress store using Google Analytics 4. By integrating these tools, you can gain valuable insights into your customers’ purchasing journeys and identify areas for improvement.

Why Use Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 offers several benefits over the previous version (Universal Analytics), which is being phased out. Here are some key advantages:

• Pre-built reports: Gain insights into monetization, purchase flow, and customer behavior with readily available reports.
• Improved data privacy: Google Analytics 4 prioritizes user privacy regulations.
• Future-proofed platform: Stay ahead of the curve with a platform designed for the evolving digital landscape.

Prerequisites:

• A Google Analytics 4 account
• A WordPress website with WooCommerce installed
• Google Tag Manager installed on your website (a tool for managing website tags)

Steps to Follow:

1. Install Google Tag Manager: If you haven’t already, install the “GTM four WP” plugin by Thomas Geiger to integrate Google Tag Manager with your WordPress website. You’ll need your Google Tag Manager ID to complete this step.
2. Set Up Google Analytics 4 in Tag Manager:
   • In Google Tag Manager, create a new tag and configure it for Google Analytics 4.
   • Use your Google Analytics 4 ID and set the trigger to fire on all pages (unless you have specific consent requirements).
3. Enable E-commerce Tracking in Tag Manager:
   • Within the GTM four WP plugin settings, locate the WooCommerce integration and enable “Track E-commerce.” Optionally, you can choose to use SKUs instead of IDs for product identification.
4. Configure E-commerce Data in Tag Manager:
   • Import the “GA4 e-commerce configuration” template provided by Thomas Geiger within the GTM four WP plugin documentation. This template helps streamline the process.
   • Follow the instructions to import the template and verify that the Google Tag is found within the container.
5. Test and Publish Changes:
   • Use the Tag Assistant feature in Google Tag Manager to confirm that tags are firing correctly when adding products to the cart.
   • Once everything is working as expected, submit and publish the changes to make them live on your website.

Data Availability:

• Allow up to 24 hours for e-commerce data to start reflecting in your Google Analytics 4 reports.

Additional Tips:

• Regularly review your analytics reports to identify trends and areas for improvement in your e-commerce funnel.
• If you encounter any issues, refer back to the GTM four WP plugin documentation for troubleshooting steps.

By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to leveraging Google Analytics 4 to gain valuable insights into your e-commerce store’s performance. This data can empower you to make data-driven decisions that optimize your sales strategy and enhance customer satisfaction.