- 22nd Dec '25
- Snaproom
- 9 minutes read
5 Best Shopify Analytics Tools of 2025
Running a Shopify store is a bit like hosting a dinner party. You want everything to go smoothly, from the appetizers to the dessert. And you definitely want to know how many guests had second helpingsâor in our case, how many customers hit âcheckoutâ versus just browsing the menu. Today, we'll tackle various aspects of your e-commerce journey. From balancing those multiple touchpoints like a circus performer (I know the feeling) to figuring out what customers really want after they âadd to cart.â Trust me, this exploration into performance metrics isnât just for the number-crunchers; itâs for anyone looking to make every sale count, as I learned the hard way after misplacing my best-selling product. So, grab a drink, kick back, and letâs unpack some insights that might just turn your Shopify store from ordinary to extraordinary.Key Takeaways
- Evaluate your store performance with simple metrics and avoid analysis paralysis.
- Utilize multiple touchpoints to create a richer experience for your customers.
- Gain insights into customer behavior through effective data tracking.
- Leverage the customer journey to improve marketing strategies.
- Use data insights tools to make informed decisions without breaking a sweat.
Now weâre going to chat about the fascinating world of Shopifyâs analytics features. These tools can really tickle your fancy if youâre running a store there. However, they might leave you wanting more as your business blooms. Letâs get into the nitty-gritty!
Analyzing Your Shopify Store Performance
Shopify offers a nifty suite of analytics right out of the box. It's like getting a free pair of socks with a fancy pair of shoesânice, but not quite enough to strut your stuff!
For anyone just starting, these native reports are like a gentle nudge on a bicycleâit gives you an idea of whether youâre heading in the right direction. But for anyone planning to sprint ahead, they might feel a bit like a tricycle.
Every Shopify plan gives you some basic goodies, including:
- Sales performance: This will let you peek at your total sales, revenue, and all the other numbers that make your accountant swoon (or cringe!)
- Customer insights: Curious about whether your customers are loyal or just passing through? This feature gives you the scoop on new versus returning customers.
- Traffic metrics: Hereâs where you tally up your visits and see where folks are finding you. Itâs like collecting little breadcrumbs.
- Product analytics: Know which products are buzzing and which ones are gathering dust in the corner.
- Basic funnel data: Want to understand your storeâs conversion rate? This helps see where things might get lost, like socks in the dryer.
But hereâs the kickerâif youâve leveled up to Advanced Shopify or Shopify Plus, you can unlock deeper reporting tools. Yet, even with those, many brands find theyâre left in high water when they need:
- Cross-channel attribution: Shopify typically sticks to a last-click model, and doesnât track all those little interactions sprinkled across platforms. So good luck figuring out how that Facebook ad got you a sale!
- Marketing insights: You won't get a clear picture of your campaign ROI since the built-in tools are as basic as a salad without dressing.
- Segmentation and customization: Sure, you can create reports with higher tiers, but analyzing behavior based on marketing intent can feel like piecing together a puzzle at midnight.
- Alternative attribution modeling: First-touch or custom models? Not in Shopifyâs current toolbox, leaving many users in the dark like a cave dweller.
If the free analytics feel like getting the short end of the stick, donât fret! There are some stellar analytics apps out there that can help, including:
- Multi-touch attribution tools
- Customer analytics platforms
- Website behavior analytics
- Advanced e-commerce analytics tools
With these tools in your corner, youâll be ready to tackle those sales like a pro! Letâs keep those sales climbingâafter all, nobody likes a downturned graph!
Next, weâre going to chat about how to truly get to the heart of customer interactions through a method known as multi-touch attribution. Itâs like following a breadcrumb trail to understand how every little interaction can lead to that coveted purchase.
Understanding Multiple Touchpoints
Multi-touch attribution (MTA) is all about tracking those various interactions customers have with a brandânot just the last click that sealed the deal. Remember that time when we thought a last-click model was adequate? Itâs like giving a âBest Supporting Actorâ award to the person who brought the popcorn at a movie night! Sure, they played a role, but what about the lead-in, the build-up? This method allows us to see the full picture:- Better Budget Allocation: Letâs be honest, no one wants to throw money at ads that do absolutely nothing. MTA helps identify where the cash should actually flow.
- Resource Optimization: Itâs a huge bummer to realize youâre throwing dollars at campaigns that just sit there, gathering proverbial dust.
- Improved Creative Targeting: The beauty of MTA? We can see which ads hit different notes on the marketing melody. Some are ballads, while others are more like pop anthems.
- Time-to-Purchase Insights: Knowing how long it takes for customers to make a purchase across channels feels like having the crystal ball we all want in marketing.
The Platform Puzzle
Imagine a platform that connects every sale to every interaction. Talk about solving a puzzle! Some folks rely on the foggy data of Google Analytics, but thereâs a better way. Attribution platforms use straightforward, clean customer data gathered right from the source (think direct ad platform integrations). Itâs like getting a behind-the-scenes pass to see what really drives those conversions. And instead of vague estimations, these tools help us accurately calculate things like ROASâno more guessing games here! Here are a few ways MTA can be a lifesaver for analytics:- Sales and Spend Connection: This platform syncs ad costs with sales data from platforms like Shopify. Itâs like a tightrope walker balancing, giving us a view of ROAS down to specific campaigns and keywords. No more wasted spending on what doesn't work!
- Customer Journey Overview: This aspect is pure gold. If a customer hears about a brand on a podcast, then clicks through a Facebook ad, signs up via email, then purchases after a chat, the platform tracks all of it! Understanding how these channels merge makes strategy feel less like throwing darts at a wall.
- Real-Time Reporting: Why juggle between spreadsheets? This tool combines everything into real-time dashboards. Instant insights on ROAS by channel? Yes, please!
Now we are going to talk about customer analytics platforms, those handy-dandy tools that help us peek behind the curtain of our businesses. Theyâre like the backstage pass at a concert, letting us see which customers are jamming to our tunes, what theyâre buying, and their shopping habits over time.
Understanding Customer Behavior Better
Unlike some attribution tools that only discuss channel performances, customer analytics platforms dive deeper. They analyze order history, browsing behavior, and email interactions, revealing insights that can enhance our strategy. Remember the last time you found a forgotten item in your cart? These platforms help us understand what led customers to that moment.
For Shopify merchants, these platforms are practically essential. They help usâŚ
- Spot high-value customers based on actual behavior.
- Create smart segments for personalized campaigns.
- Identify churn risks and jump into action.
- Measure customer lifetime value (LTV) to align with our goals.
- Recognize repeat purchase patterns for optimized re-engagement.
At the end of the day, we want to build meaningful relationships; these tools are crucial in defining who keeps our lights on and how we can keep them coming back for more.
Two names that often pop up in this category are Klaviyo and Omnisend. Both are designed to mesh seamlessly with Shopify and give us more clarity on our customers. Letâs break them down.
Klaviyo Analysis
Klaviyo is renowned for its email and SMS marketing prowess, but itâs also a powerful player in customer analytics. Itâs like discovering your favorite cookie recipe and realizing it includes the secret ingredientâdeep insights!
Strong Qualities
Klaviyo connects directly to our Shopify store, providing an uninterrupted stream of customer activity. With this data, we can categorize customers based on:
- First versus repeat purchases
- Products they buy
- Time since their last order
- Email engagement history
It even harnesses predictive analytics to project customer behaviorsâlike who might drop off or when theyâre likely to return. Imagine having a crystal ball for your shop!
Limitations
However, Klaviyo doesnât give a full picture outside its messaging ecosystem. If we have a robust strategy involving paid ads or influencer campaigns, it may miss those vital touchpointsâlike inviting someone to a party and forgetting to send the invite.
Omnisend
Omnisend. For those diving into E-commerce, Omnisend offers a user-friendly platform heavy on email and SMSâbut it also packs a solid punch with analytics. Itâs like finding a Swiss Army knife in the toolbox!
What It Does Well
This tool easily integrates with Shopify, syncing real-time customer data. From order history to engagement with previous messages, it helps us cater to our audience effectively. We can segment by:
- How often they buy
- Types of products
- Interaction with previous messages
- Total revenue generated
Omnisendâs workflows allow us to automate welcome messages and cart recovery emails, making it super easy to stay engagedâall while making it look effortless!
Shortcomings
| Feature | Klaviyo | Omnisend |
|---|---|---|
| Integration | Direct with Shopify | Direct with Shopify |
| Predictive Analytics | Yes | No |
| Email Automation | Strong | Strong |
| Cross-Channel Insights | No | Limited |
| User-Friendly | Moderate | High |
Both tools have their strengths and challengesâthe key is figuring out which works best for us and our goals. After all, weâre not in this game to play hide and seek with customer data!
Now we are going to talk about a vital aspect of online sales that can often be overlooked: how visitors actually feel when browsing a Shopify store. Weâve all been thereâlike wandering through a maze with no cheese at the end. Itâs all about website behavior analytics, a behind-the-scenes look at what gets customers clicking or what sends them running for the hills.
Understanding Customer Journeys
Google Analytics and Shopify reports tell us the basics: visitor counts, sales volumes, and drop-off rates. Website behavior analytics takes it up a notch to answer the ever-elusive question of *why*. These analytical superheroes use tools like heatmaps, session recordings, and even click-tracking to lay bare how each visitor interacts with our site. Imagine watching a movie of your customerâs shopping experienceâwhere they hesitate, where they dance around the checkout button like itâs hot coal, and what catches their eye (or doesnât). Understanding this is as crucial as figuring out how to open a jar of picklesâmessy if we donât get it right! Hereâs what we can glean from keeping an eye on customer behavior:
- Spotting friction points during browsing and checkout
- Identifying attention drop-offs on crucial product pages
- Pinpointing mobile usability issues that could be killing sales
- Highlighting gaps between traffic sources and the actual engagement
Getting a handle on this can feel like discovering a secret sale. Wouldnât we all want more conversions from those precious clicks? By analyzing user behavior, we can make informed decisions that improve the user experienceâthink better navigation, optimized product pages, and a smoother mobile experience!
One tool that has gained popularity among Shopify users is Hotjar. Itâs not just a catchy name; it has serious mind-reading capabilities! Hotjar dives into your storeâs user interactionâcleaning up the mess left by standard analyticsâwith helpful heatmaps and session recordings.
Hotjar: Tool for eCommerce Insights
Hotjar allows us to peek into the way users interact with our store. Think of it as a backstage pass to the concert of customer behavior. From tracking clicks to pinpointing drop-offs, weâve got our eyes glued on the action.
Strengths of Hotjar
With Hotjar, it becomes crystal clear whatâs working and what isnât. Its heatmaps reveal which sections of a page drive the most attention. Watching session recordings allows us to uncover hidden challengesâlike that one time my friend got lost in the checkout jungle because the button was too low! For anyone on Shopify, using this tool to reduce cart abandonment is a game-changer. We can observe where potential customers are interruptedâwere they frustrated by a poorly-designed form field? Did a funky layout confuse them on mobile? Knowing this gives us a chance to make impactful changes, such as:
- Raising the âBuy Nowâ buttonâs profile
- Simplifying the cart process
- Fixing those sneaky distractions on mobile
These tweaks might seem simple, but trust us, they can have a significant impact on sales. Itâs like adding whipped cream to your coffeeâsuddenly, itâs not just a drink; itâs a treat!
Challenges with Hotjar
Hotjar shines bright, but itâs not without its quirks. Sifting through session recordings can feel a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack, especially if we arenât sure what weâre after. Itâs best used alongside other metrics to help clear up confusion and target our focus.
Now letâs chat about something close to the heart of e-commerce: those fancy analytics platforms that help us make smart decisions. Ever tried flipping a coin to decide what to sell? Spoiler alert: it doesnât work. So, weâll explore tools that provide a clearer picture of whatâs really going on in our stores.
Tools for E-Commerce Data Insights
So, advanced analytics in e-commerce aren't just about pretty graphs; they help us get to the nuts and bolts of why some products are flying off the shelves while others gather dust. Need to know which items are just taking up space in the warehouse? These tools have your back. Consider how they dig deep into things like profit per product, inventory turnover, and the impact of discounts. For all the Shopify aficionados out there, having the right insights can be as good as finding 20 bucks in an old jacket. You know the feeling!
One platform that stands out is Glew.io. This tool hooks up with Shopify and a variety of other marketing platforms and dishes out insights like theyâre on a buffet spread:
- Find out which products keep customers coming back for more.
- See how bundling items or upselling influences what people spend.
- Get a handle on how seasonal trends can mess with your stock levels.
- Discover which combos of products make the best long-term customers.
All About Glew.io
Glew.io isnât just some flashy dashboard. Itâs built to help Shopify sellers delve deeper into their product performance, inventory status, and what makes customers tick. Forget basic metrics; Glew offers a treasure trove of data to know whatâs really boostingâor bustingâyour profits.
Strengths of Glew.io
Once you integrate Glew with your Shopify store, it syncs up your order information, product listings, and customer data like a well-oiled machine. You end up with automated reports that lighten the load and clarify your entire operationâfrom managing stock to understanding customer loyalty.
Here are a few things Glew does really well:
- Detailed Product Analytics: Discover which SKUs bring in the most cash versus just being the most popular. See how discounts shape your bottom line and watch how inventory flows with customer interest.
- Cohort Analysis: Group your customers by how they got to you or when they made their first purchase. Follow their journey and understand their behavior over time.
- Insights into Repeat Purchases: Learn what brings back those loyal shoppers who keep their wallets open instead of going silent after one buy.
Where Glew.io Could Improve
The flip side? Glew can be a bit much for smaller brands or teams just dipping their toes into data. For those folks, the depth can feel like trying to drink from a fire hose. And then thereâs the pricing model. As your data needs grow, so does your bill, which can give you sticker shock. Some of the snazzy featuresâlike forecasting and advanced reportsâonly come with pricier plans. But hey, sometimes youâve got to spend a little to make a lot. Right?
Now we are going to discuss how to effectively build a Shopify analytics setup that feels less like a Rubik's Cube and more like a smooth Sunday morning stroll.
Constructing Your Shopify Analytics Framework
With countless Shopify analytics tools at our disposal, it's surprisingly easy to find ourselves in a situation where everything looks good on paper but resembles a jigsaw puzzle in practice. The secret sauce? Having a clear planâstarting with a solid foundation and building on that as we grow.
Know What You Need and Keep It Simple
Before we dive into a sea of tools, we need to take a good hard look at the data that actually matters. Imagine a small team juggling a couple of paid ads; they donât need the same arsenal as a 20-person growth squad managing endless campaigns and trying not to trip over inventory.
So, let's ask ourselves some key questions:
- How many channels are we throwing our money at?
- Whatâs our sales cycle like? A week, a month, or more like 'forever'?
- Are we primarily DTC, B2B, subscriptions, or running a brick-and-mortar circus?
- How often do we need to wave our performance reports around?
- Who on our team will actually be using this treasure trove of dataâmarketers, operations, finance folks, or the executives looking for the next big thing?
This little exercise helps us figure out where to kick things off without throwing cash at tools we don't even need. Nobody wants to pay for a yacht when they only need a rowboat!
Layering Our Analytics Stack
Thereâs no need to rush into this. Building a Shopify analytics setup is like a delightful three-course mealâit comes together in stages:
- Start with Customer Data: Tools like Klaviyo or Omnisend serve as the first course, providing a hearty hub for customer insights. They help us segment our audience and create those irresistible outreach campaigns that keep customers coming back for seconds!
- Add Attribution: Now, this is the main course. Proper attribution ties together all our channels and connects our spending to revenue. Without it, every other tool is reporting like lone wolves on a snowy night.
- Incorporate Behavioral Analytics: Tools like Hotjar are your best friends here. They tell you how visitors interact with your site, helping identify and smooth over the bumps that are scaring away potential buyers.
- Integrate Product and Inventory Analytics: For brands grappling with extensive inventories, tools like Glew.io become our advisors, helping us see the bigger picture of profits and stock trends.
- Add Retention and LTV Insights: This part is crucial as we expand. Tools like RetentionX can help us shape long-term strategies for keeping our customers happy and coming back.
Consider Practical Realities
Letâs be real about a few things:
- Budget: Be sure we know how pricing works. Some platforms have costs tied to order volume or features, and nobody enjoys discovering those hidden fees on Friday night.
- Technical Know-how: Some tools come with a side of advanced features. Choose ones that won't leave our team feeling like they just took a rocket science class.
- Team Capacity: A shiny dashboard isnât useful if nobody has the time or the will to keep it updated. Automation is our best buddy here, but we must ensure the platforms we choose are ready to serve insights without needing constant babysitting.
Integration Is Key
Now, letâs remember, an analytics stack is not just a hodgepodge of softwareâitâs a system that needs to work in concert. For that to happen, we need seamless data integration. Most of the modern tools provide ways to link up with Shopify, either through:
- Native Shopify Apps: These are simple to install and sync important data like orders and customers in real time. Easy peasy!
- Third-party Connectors: Think of tools like Segment or Zapierâgreat for ferrying data between platforms that don't directly communicate.
- Custom APIs: These offer flexibility, but they come with a side of development resources and maintenance. A bit of a commitment, if you will!
No matter which route we choose, our goal is clear: ensure our marketing, product, and customer data flows smoothly into one reliable sourceâwithout the manual copying and pasting that sets off anxiety.
At the end of the day, having Attribution at the heart of our stack helps to unify everything. With accurate and actionable data rolling in from various sources, we can finally make informed decisions that guide our efforts forward.
Conclusion
By keeping an eye on your Shopify performance and remaining quirky yet professional in how you interact with customers, you can cultivate loyal relationships. The tools available today can make deciphering data feel less like deciphering hieroglyphics and more like flipping through a favorite comic book. Remember to lean on customer feedback like you would on an old friend; it can offer invaluable perspectives. In the end, analyzing your store's performance isn't just about numbers, itâs about building a vibrant community of satisfied customers who look forward to returning to your virtual doorstep.FAQ
- What analytics features does Shopify offer for store performance?
Shopify offers features such as sales performance, customer insights, traffic metrics, product analytics, and basic funnel data. - What is multi-touch attribution (MTA)?
MTA tracks various customer interactions with a brand, providing a comprehensive view of how customers arrive at a purchase, rather than just focusing on the last click. - How does MTA improve budget allocation?
MTA helps identify where marketing dollars should be spent by assessing the performance of different channels and interactions. - What are customer analytics platforms used for?
Customer analytics platforms analyze order history, browsing behavior, and email interactions to provide insights that can enhance marketing strategies. - How does Klaviyo assist Shopify merchants?
Klaviyo offers email and SMS marketing capabilities while providing in-depth customer analytics, including customer segmentation and predictive behaviors. - What does Hotjar provide for e-commerce insights?
Hotjar gives insights into user behavior through heatmaps and session recordings, helping merchants understand customer interactions and identify friction points. - What type of information does Glew.io offer?
Glew.io provides detailed product analytics, cohort analysis, and insights into repeat purchases, helping brands manage their inventory and customer loyalty effectively. - What should be considered when building a Shopify analytics framework?
Key considerations include understanding data needs, budget limitations, technical know-how, team capacity, and ensuring seamless integration of tools. - How can automation assist in managing analytics?
Automation helps streamline data collection and reporting processes, reducing the need for manual updates and enabling teams to focus on analysis rather than maintenance. - What role does attribution play in a Shopify analytics stack?
Attribution unifies the data from various channels, connecting spending to revenue and enabling more informed marketing decisions based on accurate and actionable insights.