I thought success would come from great products and a good-looking website. Turns out, those are just the basics.
The real wins came when I started tracking my performance. Suddenly I could see what pages were converting, what emails were driving sales, and where people were getting stuck. Data took the guesswork out of everything.
If you’re still running your store on instinct instead of insight, these are the 7 best tools for store performance tracking that changed the game for me — and can do the same for you.
1. Google Analytics
What it does: Tracks where your visitors come from, what they do on your site, and how they convert.
I resisted using this for way too long, I thought it was too “techy.” But once I installed it, I started seeing patterns I never noticed. Like how most of my traffic was coming from Instagram, but sales were coming from my email list. Game-changer.
Why it’s great:
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It’s free
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You can track conversion goals
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UTM links let you see exactly which post or ad drove traffic
If you’re new to it, follow this step-by-step guide on setting up Google Analytics for Payhip to track every click effortlessly.
Best for: Beginners and pros alike. It’s a must-have for every store.
2. Shopify Analytics (or Your Platform’s Built-In Dashboard)
If you’re using Shopify, Payhip, or WooCommerce, they all come with built-in analytics. Don’t skip these.
What I love: It shows revenue, top-selling products, conversion rates, and traffic by source — all in one place. I check it every Monday morning like clockwork.
Why it’s great:
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No setup needed
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Quick snapshots of what’s working
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Filters by product, location, or date
Best for: Getting a daily pulse on your store’s performance without diving deep.
3. Hotjar
This tool blew my mind the first time I watched a session recording. It’s like watching over your visitor’s shoulder as they browse your site.
Features I use the most:
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Heatmaps (shows where people click)
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Scroll depth (tells you if your product descriptions are too long)
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Session recordings (reveals confusion or hesitation)
For a full walkthrough, check out this guide on how to use heatmaps to improve conversions.
Best for: Improving product pages and checkout flow.
4. Klaviyo (or Your Email Platform)
Email marketing is my highest-ROI channel — but only because I track what’s working.
With Klaviyo, I can see:
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Which emails drive the most sales
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How automated flows perform over time
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What segments convert best
Why it’s great:
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Direct connection to your revenue
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Tracks behavior like abandoned carts or product views
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Helps fine-tune your sequences
If you’re diving deep into this, pair it with A/B testing strategies for e-commerce to get even better results.
Best for: Anyone serious about email automation and revenue tracking.
5. Looker Studio (Google Data Studio)
Once you’ve got a few data sources — Google Analytics, Shopify, Klaviyo — things can get messy. That’s where Looker Studio saves the day.
I use it to build one simple dashboard that pulls all my store performance data into one place.
Why it’s great:
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Real-time dashboards
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Custom views (daily sales, week-over-week traffic, etc.)
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Shareable links for your team or clients
Best for: Visual thinkers and growing teams.
6. Lucky Orange
This one’s like Hotjar with extra firepower.
It shows:
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Live visitors on your site
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Conversion funnels so you can spot drop-offs
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Form analytics to see where people quit filling out info
Why I use it: To troubleshoot launch weeks and promo pages. If conversions dip, I check Lucky Orange for clues.
And if you’re noticing drop-offs in the funnel, here’s a step-by-step guide to identifying and fixing sales drop-off points.
Best for: Anyone looking to optimize the customer journey.
7. Triple Whale or Glew.io
These are advanced tools that combine your store data, ad data, and email performance into one slick dashboard.
What makes them different:
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Connects your Shopify, Meta Ads, Klaviyo, and more
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Tracks LTV, CAC, ROAS, and cohort behavior
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Helps with scaling and ad optimization
And if you’re scaling, don’t overlook the power of analytics for boosting upsells and average order value.
Best for: 6-figure+ stores or anyone managing multiple marketing channels.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be a data analyst to grow a store, you just need the right tools.
Start with one or two from this list. Set a reminder to check your dashboard weekly. Look for patterns, test small changes, and let the numbers guide you.
The more you know, the faster you grow.







