How to Use Google Analytics to Understand Customer Behaviour

2 Apr

In today’s competitive e-commerce landscape, understanding customer behaviour is essential for driving sales and improving customer satisfaction. Google Analytics is a powerful tool that provides detailed insights into how customers interact with your website, enabling you to make data-driven decisions and optimise your e-commerce strategy. At Online Market Experts (OME) Outsourcing, we specialise in helping e-commerce and retail businesses harness the power of Google Analytics to unlock valuable customer insights.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to use Google Analytics to better understand customer behaviour and make informed business decisions.

Why Understanding Customer Behaviour Matters in E-Commerce

Customer behaviour includes every action a visitor takes on your site — from the pages they visit and the products they click on to how long they stay on a page and whether they complete a purchase. Tracking and analysing this behaviour allows you to:

Identify which products and pages are driving conversions.

Understand why customers abandon carts.

Find opportunities to improve the user experience.

Personalise marketing strategies based on customer preferences.

Improve customer retention and satisfaction.

Setting Up Google Analytics for Your E-Commerce Site

Before you can start gathering customer insights, you’ll need to set up Google Analytics correctly:

1. Create a Google Analytics Account

Go to https://analytics.google.com.

2. Set Up E-Commerce Tracking

In your Google Analytics account, go to Admin > E-commerce Settings.

Enable E-commerce tracking and Enhanced E-commerce.

3. Add the Tracking Code to Your Website

Google Analytics will provide you with a tracking code (Global Site Tag).

Insert the tracking code into the <head> section of every page on your website.

Key Metrics and Reports to Track Customer Behaviour

Once Google Analytics is set up, you can start collecting and analysing data. Here are the key reports and metrics to focus on:

1. Audience Overview Report

Find this under Audience > Overview.

This report provides insights into:

Number of users and sessions

Bounce rate (percentage of users leaving after one page)

Average session duration

✅ Use this data to measure overall site engagement and identify patterns in customer traffic.

2. Behaviour Flow Report

Go to Behaviour > Behaviour Flow.

This report shows how users navigate through your website.

✅ Use this data to identify which pages keep users engaged and where drop-offs happen.

3. E-Commerce Overview Report

Go to Conversions > E-commerce > Overview.

This report provides insights into:

Total revenue

Conversion rate

Top-selling products

✅ Use this to identify your best-performing products and optimise product pages.

4. Acquisition Report

Go to Acquisition > Overview.

This report shows how users are finding your site (organic search, paid ads, social media, etc.).

✅ Use this to adjust your marketing efforts and focus on the most effective channels.

5. Cart Abandonment Report

Go to Conversions > E-commerce > Shopping Behaviour.

This report shows where customers drop off during the checkout process.

✅ Use this to identify friction points in the checkout process and reduce cart abandonment.

How to Apply Insights from Google Analytics

Knowing the data is one thing — using it effectively is another. Here’s how you can apply insights to improve customer behaviour:

1. Improve Product Pages

If you notice high bounce rates on product pages, optimise product descriptions, images, and calls to action (CTAs).

2. Reduce Cart Abandonment

If users abandon carts frequently at the payment stage, consider simplifying the checkout process or offering more payment options.

3. Adjust Your Marketing Strategy

If the majority of your traffic comes from social media but few conversions result, adjust your social media strategy or invest in other channels.

4. Personalise the Customer Experience

Use customer data to create targeted email campaigns, product recommendations, and special offers.

Case Study: How OME Helped an E-Commerce Business Improve Conversions

At OME Outsourcing, we helped a medical e-commerce brand increase their conversion rate by (25%) in just three months using Google Analytics. After setting up enhanced e-commerce tracking, we identified that most customers were dropping off at the payment stage. By streamlining the checkout process and adding more payment options, we reduced cart abandonment and boosted overall sales.

Best Practices for Using Google Analytics in E-Commerce

✔️ Set up goals and events to track conversions and customer actions.
✔️ Use segmentation to analyse different customer groups (e.g., by location, device, or behaviour).
✔️ Regularly check reports and adjust strategies based on new insights.
✔️ Test different site elements (like CTAs and product images) using A/B testing.

Partner with OME Outsourcing for Expert Analytics Support

Understanding customer behaviour can be complex — but you don’t have to do it alone. At Online Market Experts (OME) Outsourcing, we help e-commerce businesses leverage Google Analytics to optimise their strategies, increase conversions, and improve customer satisfaction.

👉 Ready to take your e-commerce business to the next level?
Contact us today to learn how we can help you unlock the full potential of Google Analytics!

Published by Online Market Experts – Your Partner in E-Commerce Success

Nicole Enad