How to Set Up GA4 Enhanced E-Commerce Tracking and Conversion for Shopware 6

As an ecommerce store owner, tracking customer behaviour is crucial. Analytics help us gather accurate insights. Ecommerce tracking provides a comprehensive view of performance. The website analytics field is changing significantly, moving from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 due to its discontinuation.

What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 is the web analytics tool that provides website and app owners with details of overall performance. There are several features like information on user behaviour, engagement and conversion metrics. 

Benefits of Google Analytics 4

In-depth Customer Insights

GA4 tracks more than just basic website visits. It also tracks granular user interactions, such as product views, add-to-carts, and checkout behaviour, to form a thorough tapestry of customer journey data. By doing so, you can identify exactly when customers may be dropping off during the buying process and make your store more “conversion-friendly.”

Cross-Device Tracking

In a multi-device world, customers seamlessly navigate between desktop computers, phones, and tablets. GA4 merges this data, providing you with a more comprehensive sense of user behaviour across devices. This allows you to grasp how customers interact with your brand from every possible angle.

Privacy-Focused Measurement

Google Analytics 4 is built with significant importance for user privacy. With certain features like cookiless measurements, and data collection of users to ensure your analytics practices remain compliant.

Predictive Analytics

With the support of machine learning, GA4 provides efficient predictive information. This is useful to forecast trends, understand the customer needs and even help to predict purchase.

Automated Analysis

GA4 automates data analysis tasks. It identifies key trends and generates insightful reports. This helps to save valuable time and resources. This allows you to focus on what matters most in your business. 

Steps to Set up Google Analytics 4 in Shopware 

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics Account 

Create a Google Analytics account if you don’t already have one. If you have one sign in with your Google account. Then on the bottom left corner click the gear icon and select ‘Admin’.

Then you have to click on ‘+Create Account’ and enter a name for your account. Then configure data sharing settings according to your preferences and click ‘Next’. To add a new property for your website click on ‘Create Property’

Step 2: Set Up a GA4 Property

The next process is to set up a GA4 property. You have to choose ‘Web’ as the platform for your GA4 property. Then enter a name for your website and configure settings like reporting zone and currency.

Then click on ‘Next’ and review the data sharing settings. Accept the terms of service and click “Create”.

Step 3: Choose Your Data Stream Method

There are two ways to send data to your GA4 property.

• Using Google Tag Manager: This offers more flexibility and easier tag management.
• Manual Implementation: This involves adding the tracking code directly to your website’s code.

Using Google Tag Manager

Creating a GTM Account

Start by signing up for a Google Tag Manager (GTM) account. You can do this by visiting the GTM website and following the registration process. GTM allows you to manage various tags and tracking codes on your website without directly modifying the site’s code.

Setting Up a Container

Once you have your GTM account, the next step is to create a container for your website. Think of a container as a virtual space where you’ll manage all your tracking codes and tags for a specific website.

Creating a New Tag

Within your GTM container, you’ll create a new tag. Tags are snippets of code that track specific actions or events on your website. In this case, we’re setting up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) tracking.

Choose GA4 Configuration

When creating a new tag, select “Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration” as the tag type. This tells GTM that you want to integrate GA4 with your website.

Enter GA4 Measurement ID

Your GA4 Measurement ID can be found in your GA4 property settings within your Google Analytics account. Copy this ID and paste it into the appropriate field in GTM.

Page View Event

Ensure that the option to “Send a page view event when this configuration loads” is checked. This setting tells GA4 to track page views whenever this tag loads on your website.

Set the Trigger

A trigger determines when and where your tag will fire. For tracking all website visits, set the trigger to “All Pages.” This means the tag will fire and track data on every page of your website.

Saving and Publishing

After configuring your tag and trigger, save the tag within GTM. Once you’re satisfied with your setup, publish your GTM container to make the changes live on your website.

Manual Implementation

Accessing GA4 Property Settings

Begin by logging into your Google Analytics 4 (GA4) account. Once logged in, navigate to your GA4 property settings.

Adding a Data Stream

In the GA4 property settings, locate the “Data Streams” section and select “Web” as the type of data stream you want to add.

Choose Manual Measurement

When adding a new stream, opt for “Manual measurement” instead of the automatic setup. This allows for more control and customization in tracking.

Name Your Stream

Give your data stream a descriptive name that helps you identify it later, especially if you have multiple data streams for different purposes or websites.

Enter Website URL

Provide the URL of the website you want to track using this data stream. Make sure to enter the complete and accurate URL to ensure proper tracking.

Generate Measurement Protocol Secret

The Measurement Protocol Secret adds an extra layer of security to your data stream. Click on “Generate” to create a unique secret code for your data stream.

Copy the Global Site Tag (gtag.js)

After generating the Measurement Protocol Secret, you’ll receive a global site tag (gtag.js). This is a JavaScript snippet that needs to be added to your website’s code.

Place the Global Site Tag

Copy the global site tag code provided and paste it immediately after the opening <head> tag on all pages of your website. This ensures that the tracking code is loaded and executed correctly for every visitor to your site.

Conclusion

The setting up of GA4 Enhanced E-commerce tracking on your Shopware 6 store is important because it allows for insights into deep customer insights, improved cross-device experiences, privacy compliance, the leveraging of predictive analytics, and its automation on data analysis. Whether the implementation is flexible through Google Tag Manager or made through a manual implementation for more control, GA4 empowers informed decision-making which improves user journeys and refines marketing strategies toward maximizing conversions.