How to Install GA4 on Shopify

Shopify is a cloud-based e-commerce platform that enables companies to build online storefronts and conduct online sales of their goods and services. It was founded in 2004 and has since become one of the most well-known e-commerce platforms. It is popular with businesses of all sizes because of its user-friendly interface, simplicity of use, and scalability.

With Shopify, businesses can create and configure their own online store, manage their inventory, and keep track of sales. They have provided a number of features and tools that allow for various POS systems, marketing and SEO tools, analytics and reporting, and integration with third-party apps. By using Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with Shopify, you are able to provide even better benefits for your business. However, you first need to learn how to install GA4 on Shopify

In this article, we will go more in-depth about what Google Analytics 4 is, what Shopify is, how to install Shopify, and the benefits that both services can bring to your business.

Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 is a free online analytics tool that can be incorporated into any website and is easy to implement. It is the newest version of Google Analytics which was introduced in October 2020. Shortly after, it was announced that on July 1, 2023, Google would completely stop supporting Universal Analytics. 

To aid in the improvement of your SEO, GA4 assists with gathering cross-platform data and provides customer data past the initial customer acquisition. It can be used to identify the main sources for user traffic, evaluate the effectiveness of marketing initiatives and campaigns, track goal accomplishments like purchases and items being added to the cart, identify patterns and trends in user engagement, and gather other visitor data like demographics. Google Analytics enables users to track up to 200 different metrics on how their website is performing.

The features in GA4 are helpful for any digital marketer or online business. It will easily help you monitor the performance of your business activities and website, help you better understand your audience, and give you an overview of what things are and aren’t working in your business. Without Google Analytics, you can miss out on a lot of important information, like making inferences about how visitors are using your website. Without the data from GA4, you cannot make the necessary changes that will help your business grow. The best part is that setting up a Google Analytics account is not difficult at all and is accessible to anyone who has a Google account. 

Installing GA4 On Shopify

To set up GA4 on Shopify: 

Step 1: Create GA4 Property

If you do not have a Google Analytics account, you will need to create one. Then log into your Google Analytics, go to “Admin,” and select “GA4 Setup Assistant.” It will then take you to a setup menu. From there, you will need to create a new GA4 property and click “Create Property.”

Step 2: Install the Tracking Code for Google Analytics

Go to “Online Store,” then “Preferences” in your Shopify admin. Under “Google Analytics,” click
“Add Google Analytics code.” Then, paste the GA4 property ID into the “Tracking ID” field and save.

If you can’t see this on the analytics dashboard, go to “Admin,” then choose your GA4                            property from the drop-down menu under “Property.” Click “Setup Assistant,” and the steps for installing the tag can also be found here.

Step 3: Enable Tracking for E-Commerce

Go to “Data” and “E-commerce Setting” in your GA4 property and turn on “Enable E-commerce.”

Step 4: Add Enhanced E-commerce Tracking

Go to “Data,” “E-commerce Settings,” and turn on “Enable Advanced E-commerce Reports.” Enhanced e-commerce allows you to monitor how users engage with your product pages and checkout process. Make sure to add the required code to your Shopify theme for it to work correctly.

Step 5: Viewing Your Data

After setting up GA4 on Shopify, you can start viewing all the e-commerce data that GA4 has collected. Go to Google Analytics and click on “Conversions,” “E-commerce,” and then “Overview.” There it will show all the data that has been collected from your Shopify. 

The Benefits of Integrating Shopify and GA4

Integrating Shopify and GA4 can provide many benefits for your business. Some of the advantages of using these two services together include:

Tracking Website Traffic

Businesses are able to monitor clicks, page views, and transactions, among other user activities, using Google Analytics 4. By integrating Shopify and GA4, businesses can watch customer activity on their websites and see which products are popular, how users move around the site, which pages receive the most and least interactions, and how to move forward from that. 

Improved Attribution Modeling

Attribution modeling is the process of determining which marketing channels are responsible for driving conversions and which attribution model the user is following in the steps of their conversion. With GA4, companies can examine the customer journey and determine which touchpoints have the greatest impact on the purchasing decision using machine learning. Businesses can track the results of their marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions about what to invest in.

Advanced Segmentation

With GA4, businesses are able to split and categorize their customers into different groups according to their similarities, such as demographics, behavior, and hobbies. Businesses can also segment their clients based on past purchases, cart abandonment, and other factors by integrating GA4 with Shopify. This enables them to tailor their marketing campaigns and increase customer retention rates. 

Improving Marketing Campaigns

Google Analytics can be used to monitor the results of marketing campaigns such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising or social media promotions. Businesses can optimize their ROI by examining the data to identify which ads are bringing in the most traffic and conversions.

Easier Reporting

GA4 provides a more simplified and user-friendly data analytics reporting than Universal Analytics. Businesses can quickly create reports that demonstrate the effectiveness of their website, sales funnel, and marketing initiatives. 

Analytics for Shopify

Shopify provides built-in analytics tools to aid businesses in monitoring and analyzing their business performance. Some of the main analytics tools offered by Shopify are:

Sales Reports

Shopify offers detailed sales reports on your store’s transactions, including total sales, best-selling products, and sales by distribution channel.

Traffic and Referral Reports

Reports on traffic and referrals allow you to see where customers are coming from, which websites are referring them to your site, and which pages are the most popular.

Product Reports

This produces statistics on sales, inventory levels, and product views.

Conversion Rate Optimization

The built-in tools can monitor and improve conversion rates, such as abandoned cart recovery, product recommendations, and customer reviews, to improve your conversion rate.

Mobile Analytics

You can monitor several aspects of your business’s performance on mobile platforms, such as app performance and mobile conversion rates.

To offer more comprehensive and holistic analytics and reporting capabilities, Shopify also interfaces with a range of third-party analytics solutions, such as Google Analytics.

Upgrading to a Premium Shopify Plan

The standard version of Shopify is a great option for individuals and small businesses wanting to sell online. Shopify Plus is better for companies that generate revenue in the millions of dollars because it gives a more personalized experience. The core features and functions of Shopify and Shopify Plus are the same, but with Plus, you also get access to new features, integrations, and support options. For example, with the standard version of Shopify, you are able to install Google Analytics on every page of your business except for the checkout page. If you have Shopify Plus, you can install Google Tag Manager. Some of the other main differences include: 

Pricing

The standard version of Shopify is $29 per month. The other plans offered are higher priced, but they are tailored to your unique needs. These plans are intended for larger companies and enterprise-level clients.

Customization

Shopify Plus gives you more freedom to create and run your online store as well as more customization possibilities. This covers functions including the capability of developing personalized checkouts, integrating with personalized APIs, and other things.

Scalability

Shopify Plus is built to support high-volume sales and can be swiftly scaled up to address increases in traffic or sales. Although Shopify is also scalable, it may not be able to handle extremely high sales volumes as well as Shopify Plus can. 

Support

Other features that Shopify Plus offers are a dedicated account manager, priority technical assistance, and access to other special resources and tools. 

Shopify may be the ideal choice for your business if you run a small to medium-sized business with low sales volumes and don’t require sophisticated customization options or specialized support. However, Shopify Plus can be a better option if you run at an enterprise level with a larger sales volume. In that case, you will probably need that flexibility and support.

Why Shopify and GA4?

Overall, integrating GA4 and Shopify can give businesses a more thorough understanding of their clients and their behavior. This ultimately allows them to make informed decisions about their marketing and sales strategies with their customers’ best interests in mind.

FAQ:

• What is Google Analytics 4?
• Why is Shopify important for my business?
• What are the benefits of integrating GA4 and Shopify?
• Does Shopify offer analytics?
• How is Shopify Plus different from Shopify?