Analytics Setup Checklist
A comprehensive guide to setting up a solid analytics foundation for conversion optimization. Ensure you're tracking the right data in the right way before you start testing.
Why Analytics Setup Matters
You can't optimize what you can't measure. A proper analytics foundation is the bedrock of any successful CRO program. Without accurate tracking, you're making decisions based on incomplete or incorrect data—a recipe for wasted time and missed opportunities.
This checklist covers everything from initial GA4 setup through advanced event tracking and custom dashboards. Whether you're starting from scratch or auditing an existing setup, follow these steps to ensure you have the data you need.
1. Google Analytics 4 Configuration
GA4 is fundamentally different from Universal Analytics. Proper initial configuration saves hours of headaches later and ensures your data is clean and actionable.
Initial Setup
- Create GA4 Property: Set up a new GA4 property (not Universal Analytics). Use a clear naming convention: "Company Name - Website - Production"
- Install Tracking Code: Add the GA4 tracking tag to every page via Google Tag Manager (recommended) or direct implementation.
- Verify Installation: Use Google Tag Assistant browser extension or GA4 DebugView to confirm events are firing correctly.
- Configure Data Streams: Set up separate data streams for web and mobile app if applicable. Configure enhanced measurement for basic interactions.
Enhanced Measurement Settings
GA4's enhanced measurement auto-tracks many interactions. Verify these are enabled:
- Page Views: Automatically tracked. Ensure it fires on all single-page app route changes if applicable.
- Scrolls: Enable to track when users reach 90% scroll depth—useful for content engagement analysis.
- Outbound Clicks: Track clicks to external domains. Essential for understanding where users go when they leave.
- Site Search: If you have an internal search feature, configure tracking to see what users search for.
- Video Engagement: Tracks YouTube embedded video interactions (play, progress, complete).
- File Downloads: Automatically tracks PDF, DOC, ZIP, and other file downloads.
Data Retention & Privacy
- Data Retention Period: Set to 14 months (maximum) to enable year-over-year comparisons and long-term trend analysis.
- IP Anonymization: Consider enabling for EU traffic to comply with GDPR. Note: GA4 doesn't log IP addresses by default.
- Cookie Consent Mode: Implement Google Consent Mode if you're in regions requiring cookie consent (EU, California).
- Internal Traffic Filter: Exclude your office IP addresses and development environments from production data.
2. Conversion Goals & Events
Conversions are the heart of your analytics. Set up comprehensive tracking for both macro-conversions (purchases, signups) and micro-conversions (email subscriptions, video views) that indicate progress toward your goals.
Macro-Conversion Tracking
- Purchase/Transaction: Track complete e-commerce transactions with revenue, products, and transaction IDs. Use GA4 e-commerce events.
- Lead Submissions: Track form completions (contact forms, demo requests, quote requests) with a "generate_lead" event.
- Account Creation: Track new user registrations or trial signups with a "sign_up" event. Include user type if relevant.
- Subscription/Upgrade: For SaaS, track when free users upgrade to paid plans. Include plan tier and MRR value.
Micro-Conversion Tracking
- Email Signups: Newsletter subscriptions, waitlist joins, content download opt-ins. These indicate interest and trust.
- CTA Clicks: Track clicks on primary CTAs (Start Free Trial, Request Demo, Get Quote) even if users don't complete conversion.
- Video Engagement: Track video plays and 25%/50%/75%/100% progress markers. Video engagement predicts conversion likelihood.
- Content Downloads: White papers, case studies, templates. Indicates high intent and engagement.
- Add to Cart: For e-commerce, track when products are added even if purchase isn't completed. Key funnel metric.
Event Naming Best Practice:
Use GA4's recommended event names (purchase, sign_up, generate_lead) when possible. For custom events, use lowercase with underscores: "pricing_cta_click", "calculator_submit". Create a naming convention document and stick to it across your entire team.
3. E-Commerce Tracking (If Applicable)
For e-commerce sites, detailed transaction and product tracking is essential. GA4's e-commerce events provide insights into the entire customer journey from product view to purchase.
Required E-Commerce Events
- view_item: Fires when a user views a product detail page. Include product ID, name, category, price, and currency.
- add_to_cart: Tracks when products are added to cart. Essential for cart abandonment analysis.
- begin_checkout: Fires when user starts the checkout process. Marks entry into the conversion funnel.
- add_payment_info: Tracks when payment method is entered. Useful for identifying friction at payment step.
- purchase: The final conversion event. Must include transaction_id, value, currency, tax, and shipping.
Product-Level Data
- Product Impressions: Track when products appear in search results, category pages, or recommendation widgets (view_item_list).
- Product Attributes: Send brand, category, variant (size/color), and position in list with each event for deeper analysis.
- Remove from Cart: Track when products are removed. High removal rate indicates issues with pricing or shipping costs.
4. Custom Reports & Dashboards
GA4's default reports are generic. Create custom dashboards tailored to your specific business goals and CRO needs so you can quickly spot issues and opportunities.
CRO Dashboard
Create a dedicated dashboard for conversion optimization tracking:
- Conversion Rate by Device: Line chart showing desktop vs mobile vs tablet conversion rates over time.
- Funnel Visualization: Drop-off rates at each stage of your conversion funnel (landing → product → cart → checkout → purchase).
- Top Exit Pages: Pages where users leave without converting. Prioritize these for optimization.
- Form Abandonment: Track form starts vs completions for each form on your site.
- Traffic Source Performance: Conversion rate and revenue by traffic source (paid, organic, direct, email, social).
Executive Summary Dashboard
- Revenue Trends: Daily/weekly/monthly revenue with comparisons to previous periods.
- Conversion Rate: Overall site conversion rate with goal completions and % change from baseline.
- Key Metrics Summary: Sessions, users, bounce rate, average session duration, pages/session.
- Top Converting Pages: Which landing pages, product pages, or blog posts drive the most conversions?
5. Testing & Quality Assurance
Never assume your tracking works—test it thoroughly before relying on the data for decisions.
QA Checklist
- Complete User Journeys: Walk through complete conversion paths (landing → browse → add to cart → checkout → purchase) and verify each event fires.
- Cross-Browser Testing: Test in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. Tracking can behave differently in each browser.
- Mobile Testing: Test on actual iOS and Android devices, not just browser emulators. Mobile tracking often has unique issues.
- Use DebugView: GA4's DebugView shows events in real-time as you interact with the site. Essential for troubleshooting.
- Compare to Source Data: If you have e-commerce, compare GA4 revenue to your payment processor. They should match within 1-2%.
- Document Edge Cases: Test failed transactions, form validation errors, and other edge cases to ensure tracking works in all scenarios.
Need Help Setting Up Analytics?
Wise Uplift handles the entire analytics foundation for you: from initial GA4 configuration through custom dashboards and ongoing monitoring. We ensure your data is accurate, complete, and actionable from day one.
Get Analytics Audit