1/26/2025

Shopify Analytics: Fixing Session Tracking for European Customers

In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, understanding your customers is CRUCIAL. With the increase in regulations such as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe, Shopify merchants have faced challenges in accurately tracking sessions and gathering customer data. This blog post will dive into the solutions available for fixing session tracking issues specifically for European customers. Here’s what you can expect to learn:

The importance of session tracking in e-commerce.
How GDPR impacts Shopify analytics.
Effective strategies to fix session tracking issues.
Tools you can utilize for a seamless analytics experience.
How Arsturn can supercharge your Shopify store.

The Importance of Session Tracking in E-commerce

Session tracking captures user interactions on your Shopify store. This information allows you to:

Analyze customer behavior.
Enhance user experience.
Improve your marketing strategies.
Boost CONVERSION rates.

Without proper session tracking, you lose invaluable insights, making it difficult to tailor your offerings according to customer preferences. Unfortunately, GDPR compliance has presented unique challenges for many Shopify merchants aiming to provide an optimal shopping experience.

GDPR was implemented to protect the personal data of European citizens. Among other things, it requires explicit consent from individuals before collecting their data. This has direct implications for Shopify analytics because:

Cookies used for tracking sessions may need user consent.
You might find discrepancies in traffic data due to the restrictions placed on tracking methods.

Many merchants have noticed a considerable DRAMATIC DROP in the number of tracked sessions after the implementation of GDPR. For instance, merchants reported drops of up to 93% in their site traffic, raising concerns about the analytics' accuracy (Shopify Community). With such incidents, your marketing and user engagement strategies can get severely affected.

Effective Strategies to Fix Session Tracking Issues

Here are some effective strategies to help fix session tracking for European customers:

Install a cookie consent banner on your Shopify store that allows users to accept or reject cookies. Ensure you clearly convey the benefits of cookie acceptance and how it enhances the shopping experience. Several apps like GDPR Cookie Consent can help with this.

2. Optimize Your Analytics Settings

Double-check your analytics settings to ensure they comply with GDPR. You can set up filters to respect any consent given by users, meaning non-consenters won’t be tracked. Regularly review Shopify’s analytics dashboard and data collection methods to align with current best practices.

3. Retain Flexibility with IP Tracking

Although capturing specific personal data may be hindered, you can still collect anonymized session data. For instance, maintain a log of interaction events without retaining the users' IP addresses. This method allows you to gather useful data without breaching GDPR guidelines.

4. Initial Data Gathering Niche Handling

To get around session tracking challenges, focus on niche markets and tailor your data-gathering processes accordingly. Collecting feedback directly from customers through surveys can provide insights without infringing upon regulations. That way, merchants have feedback directly from consumers, boosting analytics accuracy.

5. Utilize External Analytics Tools

In addition to Shopify's built-in analytics, consider using external tools like Google Analytics or Mixpanel. These platforms often provide more granular control over data collection and privacy settings. Always ensure these tools comply with GDPR during implementation.

Tools for Seamless Analytics Experience

There are numerous tools available to help you optimize your Shopify analytics:

Propel Replay & Session Record: A great Shopify app from Propel Commerce that records sessions and provides heatmaps (Propel Replay & Session Record). This helps identify user behavior while respecting cookie consent.
Lucky Orange: This app offers heatmaps and session recordings too, allowing you to analyze visitor behavior to improve conversion rates (Lucky Orange Heatmaps & Replay).
Customer Privacy API: With Shopify's Customer Privacy API, complying with GDPR while tracking customer preferences can be managed efficiently (Shopify Community). Integrating this API allows a streamlined method to collect consent from customers.

How Arsturn Can Supercharge Your Shopify Store

A great way to enhance engagement on your website is by using Arsturn! With Arsturn, you can instantly create custom AI chatbots for your Shopify store. Here's what makes Arsturn your best bet:

Engage Your Audience: Enhance customer interaction and engagement by having an AI chatbot available 24/7.
No Coding Required: You don’t need to be tech-savvy to create a bot that resonates with your brand!
Insightful Analytics: Gain insights from conversations to improve your engagement strategies, which ties directly into improving your session tracking.

With plans starting from FREE, you can start elevating your store’s customer experience without any risk. Claim your chatbot today at Arsturn.

Conclusion

Patching up session tracking issues for European customers doesn’t have to be a monumental task. By implementing smart strategies, utilizing effective tools, & engaging solutions like Arsturn’s chatbot, merchants can navigate GDPR regulations while maximizing customer insights.

So, gear up to take your Shopify analytics to the next level without losing valuable tracking capabilities!