Web Analytics & User Research: Data That Makes Decisions

Web analytics is the glasses through which you see your shop. Without them you guess. With them you know. We have analysed over 500 shops in web analytics consulting, most had GA4 installed, but nobody knew what the numbers really meant. User research shows the why behind the numbers. Together they are the foundation of every conversion optimisation, because only data that makes decisions is valuable.

Why most shop operators collect data but do nothing with it

Google Analytics is installed. The tracking code is running. The dashboards are full of numbers. But nobody knows what they mean.

The typical situation: a shop operator sees that the conversion rate has dropped. From 2.1 % to 1.8 %. Panic. What happened? No idea. Maybe it was the update? Or the new images? Or the competition?

We know. Because we do not only collect data. We analyse it.

What we check in the analysis

Tracking setup: Is GA4 working correctly? Are e-commerce events present? Are transactions counted twice? Bad data is worse than no data.

Funnel analysis: Where do customers drop off? Every step is measured. Not only “cart to order process”. But: product page to cart. Cart to order-process step 1. Step 1 to step 2. Step 2 to purchase.

Segmentation: Mobile vs. desktop? New vs. returning? Organic vs. paid? The average deceives. The segments reveal.

Heatmaps & session recordings: We see what customers really do. Not what they say. Not what they should click. What they actually do.

The most important metrics

Attribution: Who gets the credit?

Last-click attribution is the biggest lie in e-commerce. It gives the last click all the credit. When a customer hears about you on Instagram, then googles, then clicks a retargeting link, retargeting gets 100 % of the credit.

That leads to wrong budget decisions. You cut Instagram because it “does not convert”. But Instagram was the trigger.

What the industry says

Google itself estimates that 95 % of websites have analytics tools installed, but only 30 % actively use the data for decisions. That means: most shop operators collect data without analysing it. They have the glasses, but they do not look through them.

Attribution: Google has shown with its data-driven attribution model that last-click attribution systematically gives credit to the wrong channels. The first touchpoint (awareness) and the last touchpoint (conversion) are equally important, but only if you measure both.

Tracking quality: Studies show that on average 15–20 % of e-commerce transactions in standard setups are counted twice or lost. For a shop with 500,000 Euro monthly revenue that is 75,000–100,000 Euro that are either over- or under-measured.

User research: Nielsen Norman Group has proven that usability tests with only 5 participants find 85 % of critical problems. Not 50. Not 20. Five. That makes user research affordable for every shop, not only for enterprise.

User Research: The Data You Do Not Find in Analytics

Analytics shows you WHAT happens. User research shows you WHY.

Usability tests: We observe real users interacting with the shop. Five tests find 85 % of critical problems, confirmed by Nielsen Norman Group.

Customer surveys: We ask buyers: what convinced you? We ask non-buyers: what stopped you?

FAQ: Analytics & Research

What is more important: quantitative or qualitative data?

Both. Analytics shows you WHERE problems lie. User research shows you WHY. Without both you guess.

How long does an analysis take?

The initial diagnosis takes 72 hours. We install our tracking stack, analyse the funnel and deliver a priorities report with the biggest levers.

Can I keep my existing analytics setup?

Yes. We work with GA4, Adobe Analytics, Matomo and custom setups. We supplement where gaps are, we replace nothing that works.

Related Topics

• Conversion Rate Optimisation
• A/B-Testing
• eCommerce UX

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