computer screens and mobile devices show charts and graphs
How to Use Website Analytics Strategically
Track site visitors and sales to increase your online exports.

How to Use Website Analytics Strategically

How to Use Website Analytics Strategically

You should be tracking your website visitor activity with any one of many website analytics dashboard programs currently available to consumers. Your site analytics is a dashboard of business activity that, if interpreted and acted upon in a knowledgeable manner, will produce a clearer view into the cause-and-effect of online activity to your overall sales.
 

Website visitor data is your analytics data, and is what you use to drive business decisions.
Website visitor data (analytics) is what drives your business dashboard for tracking online sales

Site Analytics Translates to Customer Interaction

Look at your analytics as you would customers walking through the door- they enter, they look at this, they look at that, and they leave. Why didn’t they make a purchase? While for “in-person” shopping that is easier to assess, for online shopping looking at this activity in aggregate- or grouped together over time- is the best way to go about it.
 

Website analytics are the puzzle pieces that help you to understand your consumers
Site analytics help you to piece together the puzzle of understanding your online consumers.

As you hopefully already understand by now through your own dabbling site analytics can get very complicated very quickly. When we counsel our CS business clients on their digital strategy, we tell them to focus on the following “overview” data points for use in business strategy and decision making:

  • Total website visitors - looking at this data figure in a 6 or 12 month timespan view, you can easily get a sense of your site’s “heartbeat” for website visitor activity and all digital marketing efforts.
  • Session duration/dwell times - this will be a subjective benchmark for you insofar as the actual times go, but what you are looking for here is cause-and-effect in visitor behavior and your website efforts. If effort was spent on content, but session duration declines, why?
  • Site visitor country of origin - looking at the top 3 countries that your site draws in from search can be a clear indicator of preexisting international interest, and could help form your overall business export strategy.
An example of what your website analytics dashboard may look like.
Website analytics dashboards like this one help you track online overseas sales success.

See Sales in Your Site Analytics Using eCommerce KPIs

Website analytics only show the volume and activity, and it is up to you to translate that information into what that means for your business’ bottom line- return on investment (ROI), ecommerce sales conversion, online profit margin, whatever you want to call it. Using ecommerce key performance indicators (KPIs) means that in addition to understanding your website’s visitors, you have some sort of insight into what that translates to in online sales, by the overall business activity you are tracking on your end.

An Example of USCS Client Strategic Use of Analytics

US Commercial Service Client Atlantis has been working with their local CS Office and Trade Specialist for around six months, developing their digital strategy through counseling focused at broadening their awareness of all issues and obstacles involved in selling online overseas for export, also called cross-border ecommerce. 
 

The Website Globalization Review Service is available only to clients of the USCS
The WGR Gap Analysis Service is an international SEO diagnostics report is available only for CS business clients.

After gaining a better understanding of their client’s current online sales situation, the local Trade Specialist at the CS Office recommends a WGR Gap Analysis Service for their client Atlantis’ website. This service will identify existing issues with the website that are preventing it from showing up in an international online search, and therefore make a sale.
 

CS Client example using website analytics and ecommerce key performance indicators to measure business success
CS Client Atlantis looks through their site analytics and sales records to see marked improvement as a result of implementing WGR Service recommendations.

CS Client Atlantis likes the WGR Gap Analysis Service report recommendations, and several months after implementing the recommendations they note an increase in their website analytics as a result. Using ecommerce KPI formulas, CS Client Atlantis sees that as a result of the search engine optimization (SEO) improvements made several months ago they now have a 2% sales conversion rate, up from a 1% from before the WGR Service.
 

Return to eCommerce Frontline Library Content


Looking for more ecommerce resources?

The eCommerce Business Service Provider Directory
eCommerce Business Service Provider Directory
Find service provider help with SEO, analytics, digital marketing, website development, IT security, translation, and more.
Cross-border ecommerce generates sales for your B2B and B2C business
Cross-Border eCommerce Business Resources
Improve your online business presence to acquire new overseas consumers.
The WGR Service uses SEO crawls and internationalization best practices
WGR Gap Analysis Service
Is your website search engine optimized to attract overseas consumers? Online customer acquisition begins with a properly functioning website.
Phone Map Tech Download
Business Market Intelligence
Staying informed about business opportunities with international market research is key to successful export planning.
Computer Screen, Flags, and Coins CCG Image
Country Commercial Guide (CCG)
Reports on market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business customs prepared at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department, and other U.S. Government professionals.
Warm tone library bookshelves
eCommerce Frontline Library
Learn strategies and hone your business tactics for competing and winning in the ultra-competitive frontline of international ecommerce sales.
Finger pointing at button with words "e-commerce"
eCommerce Featured Events
Resource videos on digital strategy to increase online overseas sales.
Rural Export Center
The Rural Export Center (REC)
Start your export journey with customized research and training through the Rural Export Center
eCommerce Solutions Center and US Commercial Service Logo
The eCommerce Solutions Center (ESC)
The eCommerce Solutions Center (ESC) is dedicated to promoting economic growth and supporting opportunity for all U.S. businesses engaged in overseas cross-border ecommerce through its focused support of ecommerce educational outreach events.