If the words “Google Analytics” prompt a blank stare from you, you’re not alone. As an Etsy seller, you might believe you don’t need such an in depth tool – yet or possibly, ever.
Even if you aren’t really ready to use it, setting up Google Analytics is never a bad idea. You can’t go back and get the data, it only starts reporting once set up. So basically, the longer you have it active, the more information you have to work with!
I’m going to tell you more about the tool and how to set up Google Analytics for Etsy.
What is Google Analytics?
Google provides Analytics as a tool to measure and report website traffic. It’s totally free to use (yay!) and has so many features. To be honest, it’s quite overwhelming but if you’re a data nerd like me, also fascinating.
You can set goals, track behavior, learn about your audience, see conversations – and much, much more. It’s full of insights that can help to grow your traffic, sales, and business.
Why do you need Google Analytics?
Google Analytics shows you what’s working (and what’s not working). Think about the following questions:
- What is your best selling product?
- Where do your buyers find your shop?
- Are shoppers visiting your site on mobile or desktop?
You probably have an idea of the answers to these questions. But Google Analytics shows you the exact data behind the numbers. If we know how our shop flows and what our buyers want, we can effectively market and grow our business.
How can you use Google Analytics for Etsy?
As an Etsy seller, you can use Google Analytics to tell you:
- See which platform is sending the most traffic to your shop. Pinterest sends over 90% of the “social media” referrals I get – are you using Pinterest for Etsy?
- The behavior flows of shoppers. Which product they start with and visit next, as well as when they drop off or leave your shop.
- How many of your visitors are new versus returning.
- Your most visited products and how long a potential buyer spends on the page.
Some of this is available in the Etsy dashboard on a very basic level. The depth and reporting of Google Analytics is unmatched!
Taking into account all of this data, you can make decisions like:
- Which social media platforms to spend more time on marketing (and which aren’t sending traffic).
- Creating products similar to your most viewed and best selling – in other colors, sizes, styles, etc.
- How to adjust your messaging depending on the demographics of your audience
The possibilities are endless! Even if you don’t feel like you need Google Analytics right now, it doesn’t hurt to set up. The more data you do have when you’re ready, the better!
How do you set up Google Analytics for Etsy?
Getting started with Google Analytics can be intimidating, but follow these steps for connecting your Etsy shop – I promise it looks worse than it is! This post was written in January 2020, sometimes the dashboard changes a bit, but overall these steps should get you where you need to be.
Step One: Visit analytics.google.com and sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have one (does anyone not have a Google account?) then make one – you’ll have access to all the wonderful, free Google products.
Step Two: Click the gear icon for Admin (bottom left) > Click Create Account (blue button)
Step Three: Enter Information
- Account Name: shopname.etsy.com > Next
- Measure: Web > Next
- Website Name: shopname.etsy.com
- Website URL: http://www.etsy.com/shop/shopname
- Choose an Industry Category and Time Zone
- Click Create
Step Four: Input Tracking ID
The Tracking code with start with “UA” and be followed by several numbers. Copy this code and hop over to your Etsy dashboard. In Etsy click settings, then options, then select the Web Analytics tab. Paste your code here.
That’s it! Not too bad, right? Allow up to 48 hours for Google Analytics to begin reporting.
Was it easier than you thought? Let me know by leaving a comment below!