2022 has been an exciting year — we’ve helped over 1,400 DTC brands get accurate insights on their Shopify and BigCommerce store performance, launched several new connections and data destinations to empower merchants with complete data across the customer journey, and we’re not stopping there!  We’ve got big plans on the horizon for 2023, and there’s no doubt you do too! As we round out the holiday shopping season and prepare for 2023, we asked experts across the ecommerce industry to share their top tips to help you kick off the new year and make 2023 your best year yet. 1. Pivot your retention strategy With acquisition costs at an all-time high during the holiday shopping season, now is the perfect time to focus on keeping your current customer base satisfied and coming back for more. “Beat rising customer acquisition costs by pivoting to your retention strategy.  “2023 is the year of LTV. Weaving in more LTV touchpoints into your customer journey is going to be absolutely crucial. We see brands implementing this in some really creative ways, particularly in the customer account portal! Totally transforming their customer account portals into engagement hubs, our brands are adding subscription-led loyalty programs, referrals, upsells, and even opportunities to gift subscriptions all directly built-in to the account portal experience.  “Moreover, gone are the days of the standard ‘Subscribe and Forget’ subscription experiences. Brands are complementing these LTV touchpoints with total flexibility over their subscription experience. Be sure to give your loyal customers total control over their customer journeys enabling them to expedite next orders, skip next orders, add or swap new products in their next orders to create more of a membership-like experience.” — Gabriella Tegen, Founder & CEO at Smartrr 2. Run ads and scale them on Facebook If BFCM has proven anything to DTC brands it’s that Facebook Ads are back! Brands are seeing their Facebook ads convert more effectively (and more affordably), but the key is building strong campaigns with proven ads. “As marketers, we’re constantly adapting to changes, new trends, tactics, & best practices, but sometimes you just need to think more simply: run ads and scale them. “Every Facebook Ad account should have a ‘Cold ABO Testing’ campaign and a ‘Cold CBO Winners’ campaign. “Your ABO campaign should be used to test your new ads and determine whether they’re winners or not. Move the winning ads into your CBO campaign because you know these are going to convert. We do not want to test new creative in CBO because we are letting Facebook automate here. So let's give Facebook the strongest ammo we’ve got! “Following your cold campaigns, establish a ‘Warm Remarketing’ campaign to target all the people who engage with our brand, but did not convert. “The goal of Facebook Ads is to get out of the learning phase as fast as possible and stay out of it. Build a plethora of strong evergreen ads that you’re going to run for a long period of time. I like to call these ads your account’s muscle. If your ads are performing in your testing campaign, leave them on & scale them as well. “Run ads & scale them. It's easier than you’re making it seem.” — Tim Ferrar, Account Manager at Media Jet Marketing 3. Find the perfect moment to pop-up Amidst a rising ‘opt out’ culture, consumers have grown increasingly wary about who they share their contact information with. Finding the perfect moment to enroll customers in your SMS campaigns is crucial to understanding your customer base and growing your subscriber list. “Since SMS is a more personal and intimate channel (that’s part of its inherent value), it can make some consumers wary of opting in. If you find that to be the case among your target audience, take a value-first approach and wait until after they’ve made a purchase. This way you’ve been able to demonstrate value for them before asking for something as personal as their phone number, which builds trust and increases the engagement and long-term value of their contact. “Use the order thank you page here with an in-page promotion so that it appears native to your website or via a pop-up to collect SMS opt-ins. This is great for order information like tracking notifications so they can know exactly when their purchase will arrive. (No porch pirates please & thank you!)” — Michael Wadsworth, Partner Marketing Manager at Justuno 4. Send new subscribers a warm welcome Speaking of SMS, now that you’ve found the perfect time to get their digits, it’s time to give them a warm welcome to your SMS community. “SMS Pro Tip: 24 hours after a subscriber joins your SMS program, send a triggered message with educational content. You can share information like how your products are crafted, your brand’s values and mission, or how their purchases will make an impact. Include a link back to your brand’s “About” page so they can learn more.” — Elodie Huston, Content Marketing Manager at Attentive 5. Don't underestimate the power of marketing “The run-up to Christmas signals an end to the calendar year and so we believe it's an opportune time for ecommerce brands to position themselves strongly for 2023. The power of marketing during this time cannot be understated, those brands that put in the graft and double down on marketing efforts will have the most success going into the new year.  “Focus on diverse traffic acquisition (i.e don't focus solely on Facebook or Google Ads for example) and push hard to be unique and stand out from the competition so that customers choose your brand over others.  “It's also worth noting that it can cost five times as much to acquire a new customer compared to maintaining an existing one, highlighting the importance of retaining your relationship with customers once you’ve acquired them to ensure they're kept satisfied and come back all year round.” — Ross Adamson, Marketing & Partnerships Executive at Charle Agency 6. Reward your best customers at the end of the year The end of the year is the perfect time to show your top customers some love— after all, it is the season of giving. Running an RFM analysis with a reporting tool like Daasity makes it easy to identify which customers are your top performers, based on how recently they placed an order, how often they’ve made purchases, and how much they spent.  “Reward your best customers at the end of the year!  “At Daasity, we believe the best way to group customers by value (and ID your best customers) is via RFM Analysis. “RFM breaks down customers by three dimensions of behavior: Recency, Frequency, and Monetary.  “Almost every brand has RFM charts like this… “…Where you can see that the longest bar corresponds to RFM 1 customers (i.e., your top 10% of customers on an LTV basis), who are almost 40x more valuable than RFM 10 customers (i.e., your bottom 10% of customers on an LTV basis).  “Basically, your RFM 1 customers are the best-of-the-best-of-the-best: they’re the most engaged with your brand, spend the most, and (probably) love you the most. Shoot them a 10% end-of-year “Thank you for being you” discount, and you might just drive some extra purchases before 2023.” — Dave Swendemen, Senior Content Manager at Daasity 7. Get your budget ducks in a row To keep the momentum going into the new year, prioritize what needs to happen in Q1 and set aside a budget for this. This will allow your team to remain agile and start off strong at the head of the new year! “Get your budget ducks in a row. “As an agency, we often hear this side of the New Year that merchants would rather pick up certain conversations about projects or builds at a later date. While this is undoubtedly a very busy time for many, these discussions are then further delayed when merchants need to then reassess budgets. This leads to a brand delaying the start of a project from early January to some time towards the end of Q1 as a result of not focusing on any financial preparation activities ahead of time. These delays can be costly for brands that cannot afford to lose momentum. “Align with your team on what needs to happen in Q1 in relation to your ecommerce store, then designate a specific budget to this, or even push forward with conversations with suppliers so you can hit the ground running. If you get to grips with where your spend either is currently or what it needs to be from 2023 onwards, it means that you’ll have the ability to move quickly on activity that will be able to help you start the year strong. Avoid a Q1 lull by getting ahead!” — Nathan Abbott, Head of Growth at Underwaterpistol 8. Use data to prevent BFCM churn Many BFCM customers often yield a low LTV — whether they’re discount shoppers, or buying gifts for people on their holiday list, they don’t intend to come back for more. Using customer data, brands can better understand these customers and offer strategic incentives to help mitigate their churn.  “The most important strategy post-holiday season in my mind centers around customer retention.  “Typically, brands see a large influx of new customers and subscribers as a result of their BFCM marketing pushes and promotions. In addition to a nice bump in sales, you now have a treasure trove of data to analyze over the next several months. Use this data to track customer cohorts that signed up during the holiday season, and follow their short-term and long-term behaviors as it pertains to churn.  “It is common for businesses to see an increase in customer churn from this cohort, as a lot of savvy customers buy a product or sign up for a subscription just for the discount, and then churn. Mitigate this behavior by offering incentives at strategic junctures in a customer’s lifecycle with your brand. This could be free shipping (if you don’t already offer it), a one-time discount, or even a “surprise and delight” gift before the charge that your data shows most customers tend to churn on.  “Remember, even extending your customer lifecycle by one charge can have a massive impact on your bottom line!” — Paul Hughes, Senior Account Manager at Recharge 9. Personalize your SMS strategy Stand out from the crowd with personalized SMS messages. And no — that doesn't just mean calling your subscribers’ by their first names! With 96% of customers interested in receiving weekly text messages from the brands they love — up from 31% last year — now’s your chance to perfect your SMS strategy, understand what drives your customers, and build a community around your brand. “We all get dozens of texts each day — your messages need to stand out for recipients to pay attention. People are more likely to act on a text when it looks like you wrote it just for them. This means more than just including basic details like a first name — provide value to your customers by speaking to their unique needs and interests, or by sending exclusive offers aligned with their past purchases. “Strategically personalizing your texts helps you nurture relationships with customers by making them feel special. Plus it motivates them to take action immediately.” — Jessica Schanzer, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Klaviyo 10. Understand your top-performing channels The key to maximizing your customer retention and optimizing your acquisition costs — especially in uncertain economic conditions — is understanding which channels and campaigns are performing the best and bringing in more high-LTV customers.  With accurate attribution insights at your disposal, you can better allocate your marketing budget to campaigns that work, and spend less on those that don’t. “Based on Shopify’s 2023 ecommerce trends report, 73% of DTC brands plan to rely on external financing in the coming year to get closer to profitability. After a bumpy Q3 and Q4 we expected to see this, but perhaps not such a high percentage.  “For most of these brands, 2023 will be all about increasing customer net revenue retention and decreasing the cost of new customer acquisition as aggressively as possible.  “One of the key factors to steer these brands towards a positive outcome is having accurate product and purchase data linked with the complete marketing attribution data in your Google Analytics or other data destinations used by your organization.  “So for 2023, my advice to all DTC brands is to prioritize having accurate acquisition, ecommerce, and marketing data even over saving costs.” — David Pascu, Head of Client Services at Littledata 11. Re-engage your BFCM shoppers Your brand is more than the discounted rate you offered during BFCM. Build a loyal community by re-engaging your customers and incentivizing them to buy again. “Following BFCM, brands now need to focus on re-engaging with the customers who bought during this time.  “A solid strategy around capitalizing on the influx of new customers is imperative. You can start by looking into order quantities from these customers and comparing this with the average days between transactions. This will give you an idea of when they may reorder or replenish, meaning you can time your reorder or replenishment messaging perfectly. “Now is a great time to demonstrate value beyond just the discounted rate they got for BFCM. Start building brand value and loyalty by making them feel part of your tribe with some regular communication. By showing them some love, you’ll give yourself the best chance for them to return and pay full price next time. “Create engaging touchpoints to build trust. Why not ask them how the product they bought is performing? Are they enjoying the product? If the product was a gift, ask how it was received. “Lastly, why not surprise and delight your newly found customers with an unexpected gift or a thank you? This doesn't need to be expensive, but it does need to feel personal and relevant. After all, this is also likely to cost you less than acquiring a new customer.” — Jason Chappel, Head of Client Strategy at Blend Commerce 12. Leverage subscriptions to boost retention Between an unsteady economy and rising acquisition costs, brands have their focus on keeping their current customers satisfied. To keep customer lifetime value (LTV) high, integrate as many opportunities for upselling and recurring orders as possible. “With the days of cheap customer acquisition behind us, and many of the key ecommerce markets in recession, customer retention is now mission-critical for DTC brands. Increasing repeat order rate, repeat order frequency, cross-sell conversion, and minimizing subscription churn are all essential levels to pull in order to maintain a strong customer lifetime value in 2023 and win the DTC race.” — Harry Willis, Partnerships Lead at Relo by Blueprint And that's a wrap! As we wrap up 2022, take these tips with you to start off 2023 on the right foot. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the loop on all things ecommerce analytics with weekly updates from our analytics experts.

We're happy to share that G2 has named Littledata a category leader in the E-Commerce Analytics category. G2 is the world’s largest and most trusted software marketplace, and we were honored to be awarded G2's Winter 2023 Leader badge. In the Winter 2023 G2 Grid® Report for E-Commerce Analytics, Littledata emerged as a leader with notably high satisfaction ratings, including a 98% likelihood to recommend the software. Highlights from Littledata's G2 reviews: Littledata named a Leader in the E-Commerce Analytics category Top analytics connector for mid-market brands (typically on Shopify Plus or BigCommerce Enterprise) 5-star reviews across the board, from both data scientists and ecommerce managers Littledata users have a 98% Likelihood to Recommend the software As the only complete, automated server-side tracking for Shopify and BigCommerce stores, Littledata has continued to lead the pack since launching our first Shopify app in 2017. But we aren't letting success go to our heads. “We're not resting on our 5 star laurels,” says Edward Upton, Littledata CEO. “Littledata continues to invest to beat the ad blockers and future-proof your e-commerce data. As recent G2 reviewers have noted, we already offer full support for Google Analytics 4, the new version of Google Analytics, without the need for custom tagging or Google Tag Manager (GTM) setup.” Bianca Dihoiu, Head of Customer Success, notes that the customer success team supports Google Analytics just as much as it supports the Littledata platform: “Accurate data is something every business desires, but it can become tedious to implement and maintain numerous apps and tools in this ever changing ecosystem. Littledata’s automated tracking eliminates the hefty maintenance time and costs typically associated with advanced Google Analytics setups for Shopify sites. As brands start to trust their data again in Google Analytics, our team is here to help with any questions around the new platform and assistance in how to use it.” Littledata achieved the Leader award by receiving positive reviews, from verified users compared to similar products in the E-commerce Analytics category. For inclusion in the quarterly report a product must have received 10 or more reviews, and in 2022 Littledata received 12 independent reviews from verified buyers. "Rankings on G2 reports are based on data provided to us by real software buyers," said Sara Rossio, Chief Product Officer at G2. "Potential buyers know they can trust these insights when researching and selecting software because they’re rooted in vetted, verified, and authentic reviews."  Learn more about what real users have to say (or leave your own review of Littledata) on G2’s Littledata review page!  

There have been rumors circulating about the latest version of Shopify checkout not supporting Google Tag Manager (GTM). Is Shopify cutting off support for GTM on the checkout completely? This might be the biggest announcement from Shopify this year, but also the most overlooked. We have been working with Shopify tracking since the beginning at Littledata and have followed these updates closely. So let me unpack what is and is not changing for GTM tracking on Shopify and Shopify Plus. What is Google Tag Manager? Many Shopify stores use Google Tag Manager (GTM) to deploy marketing ‘tags’ across their web pages, without the need to directly edit the store theme.The  free tool developed by Google has shot to popularity ahead of paid rivals such as Tealium. GTM makes it easy for these stores to track pageviews and on-site events in Google Analytics, Facebook Ads and other analytics and marketing platforms, but capturing checkout steps and transactions (orders) is more difficult. Until recently, Shopify Plus stores had the ability to also add GTM to the checkout pages, by adding the GTM container to the theme checkout.liquid file. This allowed tracking of checkout steps to power, for example, abandoned checkout retargeting via email or Facebook Ads. Even though there are automated solutions that track checkout steps accurately and securely without the need for GTM, some merchants and agencies still tried to do this manually via GTM. When will GTM be blocked on the Shopify checkout? Starting last month (November 2022), and accelerating after peak trading season (holiday shopping) ends, Shopify will no longer be allowing Google Tag Manager in the checkout for Shopify Plus stores. Shopify has been rolling out a new version of its checkout to Plus stores which will remove the ability to add scripts via checkout.liquid. The checkout.liquid file will still be present but be ignored. Shopify will no longer be allowing Google Tag Manager in the checkout Stores will get the ability to modify aspects of the checkout experience from within Shopify admin, but not the ability to add GTM to the checkout. This is not a temporary measure; it’s a long term solution to increase security in the checkout. You can still track completed orders on the order status (thank you) page via the Checkout Order Status Script section, but this client-side tracking is increasingly unreliable. Why didn’t merchants get a headsup? To be fair to Shopify, they have flagged extra scripts on the checkout as a security risk for a few years. They have been trying to close the Additional Scripts loophole since 2020, and have added a browser console warning about third-party scripts being blocked on the checkout. Their long term solution is the Web Pixels API, to allow tracking of checkout pages without access to the checkout pages - but this solution isn’t quite ready, and doesn’t include key steps of the checkout journey. How to replace GTM on the Shopify checkout If you run GTM on a Shopify Plus checkout you need to find an alternative to tracking the checkout steps. And you need to do so ASAP. Although GTM may still be running in your store, it won’t be for much longer. You have only two options I’m aware of: Use Littledata’s end-to-end tracking, which tracks tracks Shopify checkout steps server-side and automatically sends those events to data destinations such as Google Analytics, Segment, Facebook Ads (via Conversions API). This has the added advantage of tracking pre-checkout events server-side, which improves both page performance and data accuracy. Use an app that integrates with Shopify’s Web Pixel API. Apps like Elevar have taken this route, even though Web Pixel is still quite limited. Neither solution will provide quite the same level of customization as Google Tag Manager, but then it comes without the risks either. Can your store really take the risk of interrupting the checkout journey for the sake of some minor marketing optimization? Littledata tracks Shopify checkout steps server-side, without the need for GTM Why is Shopify restricting usage of GTM? GTM is loved by marketers for its ability to bypass developer blockers to get marketing tags live, but it is hated in equal measure by web security experts for the same ability to bypass security. With great deployment power should come great responsibility, but GTM allows a non-technical user to inject unknown JavaScript into all web pages on a site with minimal scrutiny. On pre-checkout pages of a store the worst impact is container bloat - multiple tracking tags from different vendors slow down the user experience for customers. The antidote to bloated GTM containers is to push most of the tracking server-side. Server-side tracking allows for faster page loads while improving data accuracy. But adding GTM to the checkout pages presents a much greater risk. As well as potentially interrupting a business-critical path to payment, rogue scripts loaded from GTM can scrape credit card details from the page and facilitate credit card fraud. The final straw for Shopify seems to have come in August when Shopify’s checkout was out of action globally for the best part of a day due to a conflict with GTM. I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about the @shopify checkout issue. 12 hours and massive stores are still affected with no announcement from shopifyHere’s a fix, if your store is affected pic.twitter.com/rkvr72AlBP— Matt Schroeder | 3PL Operator 📦 (@SchroedsBiz) August 31, 2022 With over $500M a day of GMV processed through Shopify checkout in Q3 alone, that is just too big an operational risk for Shopify to bear. Is GTM safe on the rest of my Shopify store? Yes, I can’t see why or how Shopify would restrict third-party scripts -- including GTM -- on the pre-checkout storefront. Shopify allows stores to add any functionality to the storefront as they want, even if that does make the pages load more slowly. That said, two advances in web tracking technology may make GTM redundant for your store: Enhanced Measurement in Google Analytics. This allows stores to track clicks, outbound links, video engagement and page scrolling without adding any code to the storefront. These were all events that required GTM to trigger previously. And it’s completely compatible with Littledata’s Google Analytics 4 connection. Server-side tracking across the customer journey. Browser-based tracking via GTM is increasingly unreliable as cookies and tracking scripts get blocked. Although Google Tag manager also supports server-side containers, the setup can be fiddly and requires you to run your own server infrastructure on Google Cloud. Littledata’s out-the-box server side solution provides all the benefits of server-side with none of the maintenance. So even if you’re quite happy with GTM - and not on Shopify Plus - I recommend you have a think about whether you really need GTM, or could find a lower maintenance solution. [subscribe]

Geologie is an award-winning DTC brand that has set a high bar for using only clean, safe, and clinically-proven ingredients in their skin, hair, and body care products. Don’t just take our word for it—they have over 6,000 five-star reviews! But an impressive product line and dedicated customer base were just the beginning. Sometimes you need to be inspired by data. Like many skincare brands online today, Geologie sells by subscription. With a large subscriber base, it was vital for them to find a solution that would send accurate, unified data from all of the tools they use to a central data destination. Littledata’s out-of-the-box solution gave them visibility to their recurring payments and the lifetime value (LTV) of their customers, directly in Google Analytics. The Challenge: Getting unified data out of siloed tools The team at Geologie needed key customer metrics to help grow their subscription business. Founded in 2018 to improve well-being through dermatologist-recommended products, Geologie offers personalized routines focused on their skin, hair, and body needs. This hyper-personalization is perfect for creating a subscription program. Still, they needed to track these customers’ recurring payments and ongoing LTV (adjusted for recurring orders, returns, subscription upgrades, and other changes). When Geologie’s Head of Growth and Head of Ecommerce banded teams together to look for a solution to this tracking issue, they realized it would take extensive work. A noteworthy pain point was the time and energy it would take for their development to learn Shopify’s API in detail, not to mention developing a complete tracking solution, implementation time, and deploying ongoing maintenance. [note]Download the full case study to see how Geologie unlocked data-driven growth [/note] Like many fast-moving DTC brands, their desire was for core metrics to be clean and accurate without the ongoing costs of maintenance. The rollout of Google Analytics 4 did not make things easier; the sunsetting of Universal Analytics created another roadblock! Geologie needed to set up GA4 to continue tracking and sending events to Google Analytics, and was hoping to find a way to track in parallel, sending complete data to both Universal Analytics (the old version of GA) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) at once. The Solution: Setting up Littledata's Google Analytics and Recharge connections Geologie leveraged Littledata’s plug-and-play Recharge integration to capture recurring payments in Google Analytics and pull in additional user data from Shopify — unified data they did not have before. Stephen Racano, Geologie’s Head of Growth, was at the helm of this implementation. Racano says that Littledata was extremely easy to install, and the customer support provided from start to finish was exceptional. Since they were early to GA4 thanks to Littledata, Geologie will be able to conduct year-on-year analysis in the future. They can also start building custom free-form reports in Explorations using this data. This connection also allows them to warehouse and send data to BigQuery and track Cohort Performance in real time. Results: More subscribers, higher retention, and three years of over 150% growth Since implementing Littledata, Geologie has successfully grown its subscription business with three consecutive years of 150%+ growth without seeing an increase in customer acquisition cost. In addition, their data-driven strategy has simultaneously helped improve retention rates by 25% year-over-year. With accurate data flowing and correct data being sent from Shopify and Recharge subscriptions to Google Analytics, Geologie now has a complete picture of attribution, recurring orders, and LTV from customers. [subscribe] “I had always looked at Littledata as a temporary solution," said Racano. "But given the complexity of bringing the development of our analytics in-house compared to the pricing and high level of support of Littledata, that really wouldn't make sense”. Racano estimates that by implementing Littledata, they save over 50 hours per year in analytics implementation time. Sometimes automation is a good thing ;) About Littledata Littledata is the top ecommerce data platform for modern DTC brands, tracking the entire customer lifecycle, unifying touchpoints across tech stacks, and sending data to the most popular data destinations. Connect sales, marketing, and customer data for action and analysis. [tip]Are you tracking subscriptions correctly in Google Analytics? Learn how by downloading the complete DTC Guide to Subscription Analytics[/tip]

We're excited to announce that Littledata now integrates with Klaviyo SMS. The integration is designed to help merchants uncover revenue opportunities in their data -- whether you're doing 100 orders per month or 100,000. The enhanced functionality extends our Klaviyo connection to track SMS messages and campaigns in addition to Klaviyo email campaigns and automations. The best part? It works for any Shopify or BigCommerce store using Google Analytics: Get complete conversion tracking for Klaviyo SMS campaigns in Google Analytics  Compare Klaviyo performance against other channels, such as Facebook Ads Improve marketing ROI with granular LTV data and checkout funnel tracking Works with GA4, the new version of Google Analytics Klaviyo has long been the most popular email solution for Littledata's customers, and we couldn't be more excited to support SMS tracking for a complete Klaviyo integration. As Klaviyo notes, 1 in 3 consumers prefer texts over emails from their favorite brands, and combined email and SMS campaigns can drive ridiculously high revenue for data-driven DTC brands. Being able to see what campaigns are performing well as an Ecommerce Manager, PPC Manager, and Founder was crucial to our current customers and the continued evolution of Littledata's core offering of proving accurate data for DTC brands. To really unlock that revenue potential, merchants need data they can trust across every customer touch point. That's where Littledata comes in. With first-party tracking that works automatically, it's an advanced Google Analytics connection that can be set up in less than 5 minutes so you can get back to business. The most popular app stack we see is Shopify + Klaviyo + Recharge, and with this extended Klaviyo integration we now support granular tracking across that stack. Popular app stacks like this give merchants increased visibility and control over their campaigns, alongside a single source of truth in Google Analytics thanks to Littledata's smart tech.  The new SMS integration works with both Universal Analytics (GA3 or the "old version" of Google Analytics) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4). It's been optimized for GA4 because a) that's where everything is going, and b) the channel groupings and data-driven attribution reporting in GA4 are much more powerful and flexible. [tip]Follow our Klaviyo SMS tracking guide to ensure that your SMS campaigns are tracked correctly by Littledata in Google Analytics[/tip] What is Littledata? Littledata is the top ecommerce data platform for modern DTC brands. Our first-party tracking solution makes it easy to send complete, accurate, unified data to destinations like Google Analytics, Segment and Facebook Ads. We've partnered with Klaviyo, the top ecommerce marketing automation platform, to help you do more with your data. Learn more >>>

With BFCM behind us, it’s time to push forward and begin planning for 2023. One of the biggest changes 2023 has in store for ecommerce brands is the deprecation of Universal Analytics and the rise of Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Many merchants are still struggling with their migration from UA to Google Analytics 4, and we get it — change is hard. Especially when it comes to a vital tool that your business relies on.  [tip]Get the free ebook on 10 reasons to switch to GA4[/tip] The good news is that switching to GA4 doesn't have to rack your nerves. Littledata’s Head of Client Services, David Pascu, shares his expert advice on building a strong foundation in GA4 on the Infinity Nation podcast. Whether you’ve been tracking in parallel for months, or you’re pushing off your migration until the last minute, you won’t want to miss this episode. Sending Shopify data to GA4 David joined Al Keck on the Infinity Nation podcast to discuss all things Shopify and GA4. David answers many of the most common questions users have about migrating to GA4, including: Myths and facts about GA4 for DTC brands Why Google is deprecating UA in change for GA4 When should you get started with GA4 How to start sending ecommerce data to GA4 Listen to the full episode >>>

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner. And what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by shopping for some great gifts?  That's why we've put together Littledata’s Holiday Shopping Guide, with some of our favorite merchants from all over the world. These direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands reach thousands of happy customers — some even offer subscriptions for the gift that keeps on giving! Whether you're looking for the perfect present for your significant other, family member or you're just trying to find a work colleague's Secret Santa, we've got you covered. So take a look at our guide and find the perfect gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list.  Happy holidays, and happy shopping! Grind As a remote-first company, it’s no surprise that Grind is at the top of our list! Over the past two years, Grind has quickly grown from a handful of London-based cafes to an international DTC brand, shipping their famous house blends across the globe. This holiday season, learn how Grind skyrocketed its online sales from $10k to $500k monthly in just three months. And be sure to check out our top gift picks from Grind below. Treat your coffee lover to Grind’s Nespresso-compatible Coffee Pods. If they’re looking for a new favorite blend, they can explore up to three different flavors and find their new favorite to sample before purchasing in bulk.  If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious, opt for Grind’s French Press Gift Set. The set includes Grind’s classic tin in silver or pink, the Grind house blend ground coffee, and a limited-edition tote bag, featuring a Shoreditch Grind illustration. For the aspiring mixologist, be sure to pick up the Espresso Martini Gift Set. A cocktail kit that comes with everything a person needs to make their favorite caffeinated cocktail at home this holiday season.  Last but not least, we have the ultimate gift for the coffee lover in your life: a subscription to their favorite coffee shop. Give your friends and loved ones the gift of their favorite house blends from the comfort of their homes all year long! Abbott Lyon If you’re looking for an indulgent & unique gift, then look no further than Abbott Lyon. Their beautiful personalized jewelry is the perfect way to add a little sparkle to your recipient's life this holiday season. Not only are their products highly personalized, but their site experience is too! By utilizing server-side tracking to capture complete first-party data, Abbott Lyon unlocked opportunities for personalization and identified key areas for improvement in their website to optimize the user journey. Gifting someone who loves to travel? The Mini Raffia Pearl Resort Bag is the perfect accessory for them. This lavish little bag will add a touch of class to any outfit and can be customized with their initials.  The Sphere Chain Anklet is a great gift for someone special and is different from the usual gifts you see. The spheres create a delicate and eye-catching design and are available in silver and gold. This charming and budget-friendly anklet is a great way to show your loved ones how much you care.  Johnnie-O For all the fashionable guys in your life, Johnnie-O captures the perfect mix of style, function, and high-quality materials. Shoppers can receive unique offers, including personalized product recommendations, discounts, and loyalty perks by enrolling in Johnnie-o’s SMS and email newsletter. By seamlessly sending Shopify data to Segment with Littledata’s plug-and-play connection, Johnnie-O opened up endless opportunities for omnichannel engagement and messaging with their customers. Ready for the ugly Christmas sweater parties? You can’t go wrong with Johnnie-O's festive collection! Their use of color and patterns is spot-on, and the quality of their pieces is second to none.  Christmas sweaters are perfect for those who want to show their holiday spirit but sometimes it’s a little too much for your recipient and they would be happy with a baseball cap instead. A red baseball cap is a more subtle way to show your holiday spirit and it’s also a lot more practical. You can wear it all year round and it won’t take up as much space in your closet.  Joshua Tree Coffee Gifting subscriptions are on the rise this holiday season, and we can understand why — it’s the gift that keeps on giving! Joshua Tree Coffee offers personalized subscription gifts, in which recipients can choose their favorite roasts, frequency, and quantity. Joshua Tree Coffee isn’t alone — subscriptions are the fastest-growing area in ecommerce. Whether you’re selling coffee, snacks, or skincare products, you name it, now is the time to launch your subscription service! And with the subscription ecommerce market set to be worth over $478 billion by 2025, what time is better than now to learn the ins and outs of selling by subscription? The sooner you start, the sooner you will perfect your subscription model. [tip]Discover the keys to building data-backed subscriptions with The DTC Guide to Subscription Analytics[/tip] Among our top picks from Joshua Tree Coffee are the Variety Sample Pack and Mug Bundle. Including four different kinds of coffee beans, the coffee lover you're shopping for will be able to sample a quality mixture of light, medium, and dark roasts and discover their new favorite while drinking from their new mug. Robert Goddard If you’re not keen on shopping around multiple stores this BFCM, Robert Goddard is your one-stop shop for all your designer fashion needs! With up to 50% off, their Black Friday sale has already begun! Offering a variety of products, SKUs, and brands, Littledata’s Shopify source for Google Analytics plays a crucial role in helping the Robert Goddard team understand which products are their top performers, identify which campaigns lead to the most conversions, and get a complete view of the customer journey. As winter sets in, many of us are looking for ways to stay warm, one great option is to gift the Barbour Mallory Beanie Hat and Scarf Gift Set. This delicate cream colorway is an excellent choice for any winter wardrobe. Not only will it keep you cozy and warm, but it will also make a great fashion statement.  When it comes to giving a practical and cozy gift to the fashionable men in your life this winter, why not try a pair of Barbour Navy Porterfield Slippers? Made from a suede and cotton blend, these slippers are sure to keep feet warm and comfortable all season long. Plus, they're stylish with Barbour's classic tartan lining. Geologie Whether you're on the lookout for practical gifts or are looking to treat yourself this holiday season, Geologie has got you covered.  Geologie’s Shopify store is running Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in parallel, so they can not only understand this year’s BFCM performance but also run year-over-year analysis in the years to come.  A great starter set full of fresh scents including their signature bergamot and juniper scent, the Signature Body & Hair Gift Set is a great way to try out the brand. This set includes a Superclean Body Wash, a Natural Deodorant, and a Hair Co-Wash, all of which are made with highly effective formulas that promote great skin care. The award-winning Allstars have been put together as the Geologie Bestsellers Gift Set that includes a Hair Co-Wash, 2 Salicylic Acid Face Washes, and a Dark + Puffy Under Eye Cream. This is the perfect gift for anyone who wants to start and finish their day feeling refreshed.  Living.Fit For the fitness gurus on your list, Living.Fit offers everything they need to get their at-home gym up and running. With a range of gym equipment and apparel available, you can start your fitness journey at home with ease. For those that prefer guided workouts, Living.Fit’s got you covered there too! Give the gift of Living.Fit’s exclusive membership is powered by Recharge Payments subscription service. Living.Fit leverages Littledata’s out-of-the-box integration with Recharge to get a complete view of the subscriber journey, differentiate between one-off, first-time, and recurring orders, and optimize the subscriber experience.  If you’ve ordered your equipment but aren't quite sure how to use it properly to get the best results, don't worry - Living.Fit has a wide range of workout plans that you can purchase online and follow along with at your own pace. A great way to learn without paying the price of a gym membership.  Flux Footwear Flux Footwear is the ‘world's most adaptable footwear’, with incredible flexibility that allows you to feel as if you are walking barefoot without sacrificing style or comfort. With a simple design and commitment to quality.  Flux is fine-tuning its Facebook and Instagram campaigns to help shoppers find the perfect pair for their loved ones. With Littledata’s Facebook Conversions API integration, Flux built dynamic product ads to retarget abandoned carts and target potential customers. One year after launch, Flux scaled its revenue 600% and powered its growth primarily through paid social. There is no occasion too big or too small for Flux Footwear. Flux’s Adapt Trainers are the perfect gift for anyone on your list. Their limited-edition colorways won't last long, so grab them while you can!  So you’ve got your equipment and workout plan sorted with Living.Fit, but you need a trainer that offers durability, increased flexibility, and uncompromising grip. Then look no further than the Adapt High-Top with Graphene. These sneakers are great for any workout and will help you get the most out of your training. A must-have for any fitness enthusiast.  Happy shopping! In this holiday season, why not take advantage of these fantastic businesses that make use of Littledata to make their data work harder and treat your loved ones (and yourself!) to something special!

It’s been a banner year for Littledata on BigCommerce. Our Google Analytics app for BC has been highlighted and recommended by BigCommerce merchants and account managers, and we were recently honored with a multi-week feature in their app marketplace! Our data experts work with thousands of DTC Brands and know what brands are looking for in their advanced Google Analytics integration for their ecommerce store. At the core our customers care most about getting accurate and detailed information about customer behavior, from finding the best organic marketing channels to understanding granular details like how to improve checkout conversion rates and build better retargeting audiences. Our fast growth on BigCommerce hasn’t come by accident. With full support for both GA3 (Universal Analytics) and GA4 (the newest version of Google Analytics), we’ve met a major need for BigCommerce brands to have accurate, unified data in the tools they are already using – while preparing for a world without cookies. Our first customer review on BigCommerce app store might still say it best: “Google Analytics is a monster, and overwhelming to new users like myself. When the data in GA does not match the data in BigCommerce, making proper marketing and ad budget decisions becomes an even more difficult task. The Littledata Connector for Google Analytics and their All Website data configuration in GA opens a whole new world of clarity….confirming the true conversion value of Google (cpc), Bing, Social Media as well as referral revenue and conversions” The announcement of Google sunsetting Universal Analytics and the implementation of GA4, have some people in the industry confused and worried. But have no fear, Littledata is the first app to offer automated server-side tracking for Google Analytics (UA + GA4) including subscription analytics (Recharge) and Facebook Conversions API (BETA). We’re seeing especially strong growth from BigCommerce merchants on enterprise plans, which now drive more than 70% of BC’s ARR. What’s driving that growth? A big part of it seems to be multi-storefront capabilities. This feature is super slick and makes it easy to run several different storefronts in sync, whether different country stores for different regions/locations or different microsites for unique customer segments, such as separating out men’s fashion from women’s fashion or just overall clothing from accessories. The best part is that Littledata tracks any number of BigCommerce storefronts, allowing you to have a global overview of your business while still being able to segment through each storefront's data in Google Analytics. So if you’re making data-based decisions and looking for an easy to implement solution for your BigCommerce store, reach out to us to learn more!