How to Set Up GA4 for Shopify

As an Australian or New Zealand business, you’re likely already using Google Analytics to track website traffic and user behaviour. But have you heard of Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?

This new version of Google Analytics offers improved data tracking and analysis, making it an essential tool for any business looking to optimise its website’s performance. In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to set up GA4 for Shopify, so you can start reaping the benefits for your business.

What is GA4?

GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics, offering a more comprehensive and integrated approach to data tracking and analysis. GA4 was designed to help businesses gain deeper insights into customer behaviour across multiple platforms and devices.

It provides businesses with more comprehensive insights, including user demographics, interests, and actions. Additionally, GA4 is designed to provide a better understanding of how users interact with your site, helping you optimise the customer experience.

Why is GA4 important for my Australian or NZ business?

As a business owner, it’s important to understand the value of data-driven insights. GA4 offers new and improved ways to track and analyse data, allowing you to make informed decisions about your website’s design, content, and user experience.

Some of the benefits of GA4 include:

• Improved cross-device tracking: With GA4, you can better track user behaviour across multiple devices, allowing you to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how users interact with your site.
• Streamlined data tracking: GA4 streamlines data tracking and analysis, making it easier to identify trends, gain insights, and make data-driven decisions.
• More comprehensive data: GA4 provides businesses with more comprehensive insights into user behaviour, including demographic data, interests, and actions.
• Better user tracking: With GA4, you can track user behaviour across your site more effectively, allowing you to optimize the customer experience and increase engagement.

Now that you understand the benefits of GA4, let’s walk through how to set it up for your Shopify store.

Step 1: Create a GA4 Property

To set up GA4 for your Shopify store, you’ll need to create a GA4 property. You can do this by following these steps:

• Go to the Google Analytics website and log in using your Google account.
• Click “Create property” and select “GA4 property.”
• Enter the name of your property and select your reporting time zone.
• Click “Create” to create your new GA4 property.

Step 2: Connect GA4 to Your Shopify Store

Once you’ve created your GA4 property, the next step is to connect it to your Shopify store. You can do this by following these steps:

• Log in to your Shopify store and go to the “Online Store” section.
• Click “Preferences” and scroll down to the “Google Analytics” section.
• Enter your GA4 measurement ID (which you can find in your GA4 property) in the “Google Analytics account” field.
• Click “Save” to connect your GA4 property to your Shopify store.

Step 3: Set up GA4 eCommerce Tracking

Once you’ve connected your GA4 property to your Shopify store, the next step is to set up eCommerce tracking. This will allow you to track user behaviour related to purchases, such as order value, product performance, and more. You can set up eCommerce tracking by following these steps:

• Log in to your GA4 property and select “Ecommerce settings.”
• Toggle “Enable enhanced eCommerce reporting” to “On.”
• Select your currency and time zone.
• Click “Save.”

Step 4: Add Custom Events

To get the most out of GA4, it’s important to add custom events to track user behaviour related to your specific business. This will provide you with more detailed information about how customers are interacting with your website and what they’re doing on it.

To add custom events, you can use Google Tag Manager, which is a tool that allows you to manage and deploy marketing and analytics tags on your website without having to change the code. You’ll need to create a Google Tag Manager account if you don’t already have one, and then install the Tag Manager code on your Shopify store.

Once you’ve set up Google Tag Manager, you can create custom events by defining triggers and tags. Triggers are the conditions that need to be met for an event to be tracked, such as a button click or a page view. Tags are the actions that are taken when the trigger is met, such as sending data to Google Analytics.

Some examples of custom events you may want to track on your Shopify store include:

• Add to cart
• Remove from cart
• Checkout initiated
• Checkout completed
• Product viewed
• Product added to wishlist
• Signup completed

Step 5: Test and Validate

After you’ve set up GA4 and added custom events, it’s important to test and validate that everything is working correctly. You can do this by using the Google Tag Assistant extension for Google Chrome, which allows you to see which tags are firing on your website and whether they’re working correctly.

To use the Tag Assistant, simply visit your website and click on the Tag Assistant icon in the Chrome toolbar. The Tag Assistant will show you which tags are firing, and you can click on each one to see more details about it.

It’s also a good idea to perform some manual testing by going through your website and performing various actions, such as adding items to your cart and completing a checkout. This will help you ensure that all of your custom events are tracking correctly and that you’re getting the data you need.

Step 6: Use Your Data to Make Informed Decisions

Once you’ve set up GA4 and you’re tracking data, it’s important to use that data to make informed decisions about your website and marketing strategies. GA4 provides a wealth of information about user behaviour, including where users are coming from, how they’re interacting with your website, and what actions they’re taking.

You can use this information to optimise your website and marketing strategies, such as by:

• Optimising your website for specific user behaviours, such as by making it easier to add items to the cart or checkout.
• Creating more targeted marketing campaigns based on user behaviour, such as targeting users who have added items to their cart but have not completed checkout.
• Testing different website layouts and designs to see which ones are most effective at driving conversions.

Overall, setting up GA4 for your Shopify store is a critical step in understanding your customers and optimising your online business. With the right tools and strategies, you can use your data to make informed decisions and drive growth for your business.

Sound Complicated? Let Kia Ora Take Care of It

If you don’t have the technical expertise or the time to implement GA4 and customise it to your specific needs, don’t worry. Kia Ora Digital is here to help.

As Shopify experts, we have extensive experience setting up GA4 and other analytics tools for our clients in Australia and New Zealand. Our team of experts can ensure that your GA4 implementation is done correctly and customised to your specific business needs. We can also help you add custom events and set up conversion tracking, so you can measure the impact of your marketing campaigns and optimise your website accordingly.

In addition to GA4 implementation, we also offer a full range of Shopify SEO services, including site speed optimisation, keyword research, and content optimisation. We understand the importance of having a fast and well-optimised website, and we can help you improve your website’s performance and visibility in search engines.

With our help, you can focus on running your business while we take care of the technical aspects of your website. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you with GA4 implementation and other digital marketing services.