Ecommerce analytics: the metrics that really matter
With so much data available, it is easy to look at the figures that do not matter. These are the metrics we use to make decisions in a store.
Updated: 26/09/2026
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An online store generates all kinds of data. The key is not to have more, but to look at what helps you decide.
The basic metrics
- Conversion rate: orders / sessions. Look at it by device and by traffic channel, not just the overall figure.
- Average order value: revenue / orders.
- Repeat purchase rate: what percentage of customers buy again.
- Customer acquisition cost (CAC): what it costs you to win a new customer, per channel.
- Customer lifetime value (LTV): what a customer brings you over time.
The metric almost nobody looks at: margin
A channel with high revenue can leave little margin if it brings purchases with coupons, high returns or low-margin products. Cross-reference the analytics with the store’s data.
GA4 in a store
- Ecommerce events:
view_item,add_to_cart,begin_checkout,purchase. - A module that sends them with the correct data (amounts with or without VAT, but always the same way).
- Consent: with Consent Mode v2, respecting the user’s choice.
The data will not match 100%: ad blockers and users who reject cookies mean GA4 counts fewer orders than your store. For revenue, the source is the store; analytics is for understanding behaviour and trends.
A simple dashboard
A page with five or six figures that you review every week is more useful than a forty-chart report that nobody opens.
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