Hi everyone! Last week I spoke as a panelist for DotNetNuke store and vendors webinar which DNN Corp put together… Within the webinar I presented some new features and enhancements that DotNetNuke recently added to the DNN Store related to Google Analytics and ECommerce Tracking. Analytics with Ecommerce allows vendors to properly setup and measure their marketing dollars to find out where sales and transactions came from, and which marketing dollars led to those efforts. You can find out more about Ecommerce tracking here: https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gajs/gaTrackingEcommerce
I approached the DNN Store a few months ago regarding how the store could begin to take advantage (and vendors could then take advantage) of new Google Analytics w/ Ecommerce tracking features. DotNetNuke worked to create a pilot program for us to assist with the implementation/testing so that they can offer the enhancements to all vendors. BIG THANKS to DNN Corp for adding these enhancements!
Previously, Snowcovered did allow for Google Analytics integration, however this had to be a separate integration code that was specific to the www.snowcovered.com domain. When it comes to properly setting up analytics (and then enabling the ecommerce feature), there are several steps involved to make sure that the domain name can be properly tracked without losing the analytics information throughout the process.
So… How can you take advantage of these new enhancements?
Step 1: Make sure you have an Analytics account and you have already enabled/implemented your Analytics Code on your website. https://www.google.com/analytics
Step 2: Enable Ecommerce within your Google Analytics account. You can do this be signing into your account and navigating into “Admin”, then “Property Settings”, and finally choosing to enable the Ecommerce Option.
Step 3: Enable Ecommerce and your tracking code within the DNN Store.There are two new fields in the vendor profile area. The GA SetDomianName is set to “none” by default for all vendors, this is the setting needed for the cross site tracking. The Enable GA Ecommerce is disabled by default, if a vendor would like to track the ecommerce data they will need to check this.
Step 4: Modify your JavaScript for using Google Analytics to include a few additional settings for setting the domain name, allowing the “Link Tracking”, and tracking the page view. Specifically you need to enable the options for setDomainName, setAllowLinker, and trackPageView
Step 5: Accurately utilize tracking… you will need to setup all hyperlinks that are pointing to the store to use the Google Analytics Link Tracking Onclick event. You can find more information here:
Here is an example.. Notice how the HREF still stays the same as it used to, however now there is also an “onclick” javascript reference within the hyperlink tag.
Step 6: Review your reports and verify the transactions are coming in! You can sign into your Google Analytics account and navigate into Conversions, and then Ecommerce. You can then begin to handle other features such as creating goals, conversions, etc…
So… Very useful. The transaction values that appear are the amounts that are taken out after the store takes the 25%. The transaction data also includes the product name and product option. The only transactions that do not currently come in are for referrals and also if you process refunds and so forth.
Let me know if you have any questions… I also want to give a big THANK YOU to the DNN Store (specifically Bill Walker and Nathan Rover) for pushing these enhancements along. I think many vendors will greatly benefit from having these option.
-Chad