Did you know that, on average, 70% of online shoppers abandon their carts? Yep, seven out of ten people leave without making a purchase. That's according to the Baymard Institute, which analyzed data from 49 different sources. Crazy, right?

Table of Contents:

Understanding Complex User Transactions
What is E-commerce Transaction Tracking
Technical Issues That Can Take an E-Commerce Store Offline
How to Use Transactional Data to Drive E-commerce Success
Best Practices for E-commerce Tracking
Conclusion

We've been following e-commerce trends for a while, but even we were surprised by this number. Why are so many people walking away at the last second? What's stopping them from hitting that buy now button?

The answer lies in tracking complex user transactions. By understanding where and why customers drop off, you can pinpoint the exact moment they hesitate — and fix it. In this article, we'll show you how to do just that. Let's dive in!

Understanding Complex User Transactions

A "complex" user web transaction goes beyond the one-click purchase. It involves multiple customer interactions and layers of decision-making before the final purchase. These transactions could also include data from across multiple devices.

These transactions often happen across multiple devices — someone might browse on their phone, compare products on a laptop, and finally buy on a tablet. Sounds familiar, right? The following examples will give you a better idea of what is involved in complex user transactions.

• Multi-step checkouts — When buying isn't instant and involves multiple stages.
• Subscriptions — Customers signing up for recurring payments.
• Product configurations — Customizing products before purchasing (think custom-built PCs or personalized gifts).
• Cross-device journeys — Starting on one device and completing the purchase on another.

While complex user transaction tracking applies to all eCommerce businesses, it is especially vital in dropshipping niches, where orders are not directly handled by the seller. This requires seamless integration between the store, supplier, and tracking tools.

What is E-commerce Transaction Tracking

Tracking the complex transactions mentioned above requires advanced tools and strategies. That is where e-commerce transaction tracking comes into the picture.

It is a process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting customer data collected from multiple sources. It involves tracking the customer's entire journey, from when they viewed the product to post-purchase interactions. This allows you to see where customers are dropping off, what's making them hesitate, and how to improve their experience.

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Here are some of the most vital metrics that you should track:

Revenue

Revenue in e-commerce is the total amount of money earned via online sales. If you have a physical store and an e-commerce platform, you can compare the money earned from both stores. This will give you a chance to decide where you should focus more.

Conversion Rate

The conversion rate is the percentage of your visitors who complete a purchase. A high conversion rate indicates that your business strategies are working well, and a low one indicates it's time to rethink your sales funnel. 

Cart Abandonment Rate

Cart abandonment rate is the percentage of customers who add product(s) to their cart but leave without completing the purchase. Tracking this can help you identify the pain points in your checkout process.

A high abandonment rate suggests two things:

• Your checkout process is too complicated.
• High unexpected costs are above the product value, such as shipping charges.

You can pinpoint the reason and devise a strategy to tackle it.

Average Order Value (AOV)

AOV is the average amount a customer spends per order. Knowing this is essential to determining which product recommendations they should receive that can help your e-commerce store boost its sales.

If your platform recommends products well above the customer's AOV, they are less likely to make a purchase. For instance, if customers usually spend $50 per order, suggesting a $500 item won't work.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

CAC is the cost of acquiring a new customer. By tracking this, you can identify how much you have to spend on advertising and marketing to acquire sales for your business. If CAC is higher than the average revenue per sale, you need to reconsider your strategy.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

CLV is the total revenue a customer generates over their lifetime with your business, including projected revenue for the future. You should aim to increase CLV for sustainable growth by building long-term relationships with repeat buyers.

Product Performance

Product performance measures how high or low sales are generated from each product. If a particular product has very high product performance, you could plan and restock it for the projected sales.

Inversely, if the product performance of a product is low, you should not stock any more quantity until you push out the existing stock.

Refund and Return Rates

Refund and return rates are calculated based on the amount of product returned by a customer after receiving it. This usually indicates product or service dissatisfaction.

If you find your particular product has high return rates, you could remove it altogether or modify it to improve it. This will maintain the quality standards of your e-commerce business.

Revenue by Channel

Most businesses set up digital marketing channels such as:

• Website
• Social Media
• Email
• Blogs

E-commerce transaction tracking can keep a record of revenue generated from each channel. If a particular channel isn't giving the right Return on Investment (RoI), you could reconsider its strategy or pull the plug on it. This way, you will avoid wasting unnecessary resources.

Bounce Rate

The bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave the website after viewing a single page. A high bounce rate usually means they did not find what they were looking for, or the website is difficult to navigate.

You can do A/B testing to find and fix the exact issue to decrease this website metric.

Exit Rate

Exit rate is the percentage of visitors who leave the website after viewing a specific page. It is similar to the bounce rate, but the only difference is that these visitors have navigated a few pages on the website before exiting.

If metrics show that a particular page has the highest exit rate, it's safe to say that page is problematic. Here are some possible issues:

• Bad content copy
• Irrelevant information
• Difficult page navigation
• Too many ads
• Malicious links
• Suspicious-looking layout

You could identify the issue, fix it, and observe the change in exit rate over the next few weeks.

Technical Issues That Can Take an E-Commerce Store Offline

Server Downtime and Hosting Problems

Server downtime, hosting problems, and incorrect DNS settings are among the most common reasons an e-commerce store goes offline. These issues can arise from server failures, maintenance activities, or inadequate hosting resources. When a server goes down, customers cannot access the website, leading to potential revenue loss and damage to brand reputation. Poor hosting services can also contribute to slow loading times, negatively impacting the user experience and search engine rankings.

Uptime monitoring is an effective solution to mitigate these risks. It continuously checks the website's availability and alerts administrators the moment downtime occurs. By receiving real-time notifications, businesses can take immediate action to resolve server issues and minimize disruption. Additionally, uptime monitoring provides valuable insights into server performance, helping to identify recurring problems and optimize hosting solutions. Implementing reliable uptime monitoring ensures consistent website availability and enhances customer trust.

SSL Certificate Expiration or Misconfiguration

SSL certificate expiration or misconfiguration can prevent users from accessing an e-commerce site securely. An expired SSL certificate triggers browser security warnings, making customers hesitant to proceed due to potential security risks. Misconfigured SSL certificates can also cause issues like mixed content errors, compromising the secure connection and disrupting the user experience. In both cases, users may abandon the site, leading to lost sales and damaged brand credibility.

SSL certificate monitoring prevents these issues by tracking certificate validity and configuration. It alerts administrators before expiration, ensuring timely renewal and secure connections. It also verifies proper configuration, reducing security warnings and access problems. This helps e-commerce stores maintain secure transactions and build user trust.

Database Connection Failures

Database connection failures can cripple an e-commerce store. When the database server is down, or connection settings are incorrect, users can't access product information, add items to their cart, or complete purchases. This leads to lost sales and creates a negative user experience. Common causes of database failures include server overload, misconfigurations, or software bugs.

Database availability and connectivity monitoring checks the database server's status and connection health in real time. It alerts administrators to issues, allowing quick action to restore access. This helps e-commerce stores maintain consistent availability and a smooth shopping experience.

Website Code and Application Errors

Website code and application errors can cause an e-commerce store to crash or malfunction, leading to lost sales and frustrated customers. Bugs, broken scripts, or outdated plugins can disrupt crucial features like the checkout process, product displays, or user authentication. Even minor errors can significantly impact user experience and overall site performance.

Web transaction monitoring helps identify these issues by simulating user interactions, such as adding items to the cart or completing a purchase. It tracks each step of the transaction process, pinpointing where errors occur. This enables quick fixes and ensures a seamless shopping experience. By using web transaction monitoring, e-commerce stores can proactively resolve issues before they affect customers.

How to Use Transactional Data to Drive E-commerce Success

You may be inclined to think that all of this is too much of a hustle and whether it is really going to help you. To clear your doubts, let's see how tracking complex transactions can aid the success of your e-commerce business.

1. Leverage Real-time Data

While tracking transactions, you can access real-time information literally by the minute. That means you can spot trends as they happen and act fast.

For instance, the latest Harry Potter version of Kinder Joy in 2025 gained so much popularity that many retailers worldwide noted a stock shortage. If any business tracks the product performance of this Kinder Joy, they could account for the surge and adjust stock levels instead of losing sales to competitors.

2. Track Customer Journey

Customers don't just buy things randomly. They follow patterns and preferences. Mapping a customer's entire journey gives you deep insights into their preferences and shopping patterns.

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For example, say a customer buys a new coat every winter. If you've been tracking their purchase history, you can send them a personalized email with coat recommendations right before the season starts. Even if they've been shopping in-store, a well-timed email could nudge them to buy online this time.

3. Customer Segmentation

Applying customer segmentation can increase conversions by up to 50%. This highlights the staggering need for every business to segment its customers.

Customer segmentation can be done based on the:

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• Age
• Demographics
• Gender
• Job roles
• Income
• Preferred shopping channel
• Shopping preferences

With this kind of segmentation, you can send targeted ads for each type of customer. For instance, if you're selling sanitary products, targeting women rather than men makes sense. Similarly, someone who frequently buys gym gear would likely engage with ads for protein supplements or fitness trackers — the more personalized your approach, the better your results.

4. Identification of High-Performing Products

Metrics such as product performance and conversion rates can give you insights into which of your products are best sellers and which aren't. Based on cart abandonment rates and return and refund rates, you can even identify why a particular product isn't the best seller.

This way, you can clearly classify high-performing products. From here, you have two options:

• Advertise more of your best-selling products.
• Focus on the least-selling products and try to drive their sales via marketing efforts.

E-commerce tracking empowers you with all the information required to make a decision. The final business decision remains in your hands.

Best Practices for E-commerce Tracking

Here are some best practices you can implement to get the best out of complex transaction tracking.

1. Set Clear Goals: Define specific business goals such as improving CLV, decreasing cart abandonment rates, increasing conversion rates, etc., and design systems that will meet your specific goals.
2. Integrate Multiple Data Sources: Combine data from various channels, such as social media, CRMs, web analytics, apps, etc., to get the most accurate view of user transactions.
3. Include Cross-Device Tracking: Set up systems that can track user interactions across multiple devices. For instance, a customer may add a product to a cart on their laptop and place the order from their mobile. Your system should follow this complete transaction.
4. Conduct Regular Audits: Setting a tracking system is not sufficient. You must audit it every few months to ensure it captures accurate and complete data.
5. Ensure Privacy Compliance: Ensure your tracking system is in sync with all necessary privacy regulations, including but not limited to GDPR and CCPA.
6. Invest in Employee Training: Handling a new system can be daunting for employees. So, make sure you conduct timely sessions to train your employees.
7. Test and Optimize: Continuously test analysis tools to ensure you get the most accurate interpretations of the collected data. Employ techniques such as A/B testing to achieve this.
8. Keep Your Side Hustles Separate: If you run multiple businesses or side hustles, don't mix up their data with your main e-commerce metrics. Track them separately to see what's working without clutter.

Data is Your E-commerce Superpower

E-commerce success isn't just about selling — it's about understanding your customers. By tracking complex transactions, you can uncover what's working and what's not and how to turn more visitors into loyal buyers.

Data gives you the edge in everything from reducing cart abandonment to boosting conversion rates. The key? Set clear goals, track the right metrics, and optimize continuously.

Start leveraging transactional data today, and watch your e-commerce business thrive. The insights are there — you just need to act on them!