Simple Google Analytics - Support

[econcepts]

It could be that the Google Safe Search option is with IE as well. I only could refer you to what I have heard on the Internet about that message (usually with Firefox).

I am viewing the site on Firefox (newest version) and here is what I see:

[nrg77]

Retracted....

[biffer791]

i just installed simple ga and when my first order went through, it was for 2 phone home jackets. 1 in blue large and the other in black large. but according to ga i only sold one, but but my revenue totals show the total of both.

is it possible that this module only looks at the item name or number and not the attributes and therefore when it got to the second line item on the order it either completely erased the original value or just ignored the second. i

the module should instead add too the existing value if a second line item has the same item name and number

[econcepts]

i just installed simple ga and when my first order went through, it was for 2 phone home jackets. 1 in blue large and the other in black large. but according to ga i only sold one, but but my revenue totals show the total of both.

is it possible that this module only looks at the item name or number and not the attributes and therefore when it got to the second line item on the order it either completely erased the original value or just ignored the second. i

the module should instead add too the existing value if a second line item has the same item name and number

This has nothing to do with how the module works. It it actually in the way Google records the data.

The module simply helps install the code on your site (that code comes directly from Google's instructions). The module just makes it easier to do by enabling you to add the tracking without the need to actually open up PHP code and plug it in.

The reports you are getting are actually correct. (Google showing 1 sale, but the full total of both (2) items.) It appears it's the way you are reading those statistics that is causing confusing (not in the way they are being recorded.)

A brief crash course on how Google reports data:

1) A single Goal equals a single sale (even if there are multiple items in any given order.) This is because Goals are "per action" based (not "per item").

2) A single Conversion equals a single sale (when using conversion tracking). Like Goals, conversion tracking tracks on a "per action" basis not a "per item" basis.

3) E-Commerce tracking tracks data on a "per ITEM (transaction)" basis. So, if there are two items in one given order, it will show both, and record the total value of both as well.

4) A single sales funnel reports data on a single GOAL (on a "per action" basis).

So, to sum it up, the only thing that you should expect Google to track on a "per item" basis is the e-commerce portion of analytics. Everything else is based on a "per action" basis with one action equaling one tracking component.

Again, this way of recording data has nothing to do with the Simple Google Analytics module itself -- which only integrates Google tracking into your website. It is completely and totally a function of how Google records your data, and how you are able to read and interpret it.

In the Google workbook I created, I go into great detail about the key tracking components you want to make sure you read in your reports, and give illustrative examples of how you can use and interpret them to help you get the most from your store. You may want to get a copy of that sometime and go over the contents. I think it will really clear a number of questions up that I consistently see users asking, and the feedback on it so far shows it has done exactly that for many who have used it.

There is a way to read and interpret statistics properly. Just installing the Simple Google Analytics module will not give you answers, it will only give you the DATA needed to get your answers. To get your answers, you need to be able to interpret what those statistics are saying.

Installing the GA module is the right start, but if one is unable to narrow down a few key statistics offered by the tracking results, and get true answers from them, then it could mean the difference between making more money, losing money when it comes to your online store.

Hopefully this post helps you a bit to understand where the confusion may be coming into play. Good Luck with your store!

[biffer791]

I think you misunderstood me. There is a problem with the way this program works with google analytics. I belive it to be the way the program defines the product id.

Here is my sales according to google analytics:

Products Items Revenue
Contour Smoothy 5 $94.35
Phone Home Jacket 1 $97.95

Here is how those 2 orders look in zencart:
Products Model Tax Price (ex) Price (inc) Total (ex) Total (inc)
5 x Contour Smoothy
- Color: Black
- Size: 10 0% $18.87 $18.87 $94.33 $94.35

and
Products Model Tax Price (ex) Price (inc) Total (ex) Total (inc)
1 x Phone Home Jacket
- Color: Black
- Size: Large 0% $97.95 $97.95 $97.95 $97.95
1 x Phone Home Jacket
- Color: Heritage Blue
- Size: Large 0% $97.95 $97.95 $97.95 $97.95




Notice how when an order for 5 contour smoothys all in the same size and color was placed google analytics got the qty and total correct, but when 2 Phone Home Jackets are bought one a blue large and the other black large google analytics gets it wrong.

I think if there was an option to append the item_id with attribute ids it would correct the problem. I think google is only expecting to see an id once per order and the fact that this order has the same id on 2 different lines is confusing it.

[econcepts]

What does the E-Commerce Tracking data (that is actually passed to Google) look like? The code that is separated by the "pipe" | delimiter that is.

Post that and I think I could better explain it to you if needed.

This could be due to the way you have the data on your end being setup and sent to Google. I would check to see what you are using as your unique identifier for passing data to Google.

Your choices are "Products_ID", or "Products_model".

That determines how a product is portrayed on the Google end. If a product id is identical from line to line, then that will show as a "1" (if your determining unique identifier is Product ID).

If however your identifier is "products_model", and each product color has a different model, that would comes across as "2".

See if that helps any. I absolutely understand what you are saying and where you are coming from (your illustrative description was right on), however, the way the code is setup currently, is the way Google tells you it has to be setup (1 item per line).

[econcepts]

One other quick example that may help here.

The following code was taken from an order placed on my test Zen cart site. I intentionally ordered several products and ordered two of the same product (which come in different "options") to show you what is happening.

<form style="display:none;" name="utmform">
<textarea id="utmtrans">UTM:T|12||547.81||5.00|Test|Tennessee|United States
UTM:I|12|8|A Bug\'s Life Linked|Cartoons|35.99|1
UTM:I|12|23|The Wheel Of Time Linked|Strategy|99.99|3
UTM:I|12|26|Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer|Mice|70.95|2
UTM:I|12|26|Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer|Mice|64.95|1</textarea>
</form>

In the above example, I have 4 different "transactions" (1 for each unique product I added to my cart ... even though one of those unique products [#26] has to different OPTIONS.)

The red highlighted number indicates the "sku" that Google will use to determine whether a product is considered unique or not. The orange number represents the qty of that product purchased.

Product #26 had two different attribute options. Those different options make it unique (if it wasn't then the cart would have added a number to the first transaction for #26 and it would show a qty of "3" (instead of the "2" you see in the sample.)

Since Google analytics tracks "transaction level data", it wants each of these two different "transactions" of the same individual product on different lines (this is per Google's developer FAQ's listed on their site.)

The qty number is only appended to the previous transaction IF and only IF that transaction is identical in nature to the first (meaning, you actually added another qty amount of a product to your cart that was exactly the same as one you already had in it.)

So, having said that, I come back to the "unique identifier" that Google uses to determine how to report an e-commerce transactional sale.

In my example I indicated to Google that my unique identifier would be product ID. Therefore, as reported to Google, I only have 1 "Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer" that was purchased. There are multiple qtys of that product, but that product alone only represents "1" unique product (that happens to come in two different variations).

So, as mentioned in the first post, go back and check what you have set as your unique identifier (done from within the admin) and more than likely, that setting is causing google to give you the data is is reporting.

I'm trying to work through this with you. I hope this post helps.

[biffer791]

Where can i see the data that gets sent to google?

[biffer791]

<textarea id="utmtrans">UTM:T|1613||59.95||0.00|Wayne|PA|US UTM:I|1613|5|Gaucho Capri|Women\'s Active Bottoms|29.98|1 UTM:I|1613|5|Gaucho Capri|Women\'s Active Bottoms|29.98|1</textarea>

how do i make google see both items?

[biffer791]

I think my best option would be to have google_analytics.php just combine the lines with identical product ids.

or add option_value_ids to the end of the product_id