This project analyzes key performance metrics and user behavior on the Google Merchandise Store. By focusing on acquisition, engagement, funnel visualization, and path analysis, It aims to provide strategies to increase user retention and conversions.

• Acquisition: Identify which channels drive the most traffic and conversions
• Engagement: Understand how people behave on the site and which page visitors land on most.
• Funnel Visualization: Map out the stages of the customer journey to pinpoint where users drop off before completing purchases.
• Path Exploration: Explore common navigation paths to detect patterns and potential bottlenecks in the website's user experience.

The data used in this project comes from the Google Analytics demo account, covering the period from January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025. The data was accessed through the Google Analytics demo account.

• High Traffic and Revenue Contribution:
  Direct traffic and Google organic search generate the highest number of sessions and contribute the most revenue. However, other sources like Google paid search (google/cpc), referral traffic (art-analytics.appspot.com/referral, sites.google.com/referral), and the November 2024 email campaign show exceptionally high engagement rates ranging from 74.3% to 81.8%, indicating strong user interaction and engagement with these sources.
• Key Event Performance:
  The November 2024 email campaign and two referral sources (sites.google.com/referral, art-analytics.appspot.com/referral) rank in the top three for Session Key Event Rate, ranging from 35.3% to 55.1%. This suggests that users from these sources are more likely to trigger important events on the website (e.g., purchases, clicks). In contrast, referral traffic from Baidu exhibits a much lower Session Key Event Rate (only 1.3%), implying that user behavior varies significantly across different referral sources.
• Revenue Distribution:
  Besides direct and organic traffic, paid search, referral, and email campaigns collectively contribute 86.58% of the total revenue. This highlights their critical role in driving conversions and underscores the importance of optimizing these channels to maximize profitability.

• Homepage Performance:
  The homepage receives the most visits and generates the highest revenue ($78,823.60), accounting for a significant share of overall traffic and conversions. This highlights the critical importance of an effective homepage design. Improving user experience through better navigation, featured products, and personalized recommendations could further enhance engagement and conversions.
• Impact of Seasonal Events (Chinese New Year):
  The 2025 Chinese New Year (January 28) likely influenced customer behavior. Pages for the Year of the Snake Notebook (93.13% engagement rate) and Android Plushie (75.36% engagement rate) show exceptionally high interaction and strong revenue performance. This suggests that seasonal festivals and themed products significantly impact purchase decisions. Leveraging seasonal marketing strategies and promotions can further drive product interest and sales during these periods.
• High Engagement on Category and Brand Pages:
  Category pages, such as bags (66.15%), apparel (66.09%), and men’s apparel (63.66%), demonstrate consistent engagement rates. Additionally, brand-related pages (e.g., YouTube and Android) attract meaningful traffic and interaction. This indicates that customers browsing the online merchandise store tend to gravitate toward specific categories and well-known brand pages. Strategies like improving internal search, product filtering, and showcasing popular categories/brands on the homepage could enhance user journeys and sales.

• High Abandonment Rates:
  There is a significant drop-off at both the homepage (93% abandonment) and Add to Cart (66.3% abandonment) stages. This indicates the need to optimize product discovery on the homepage and improve the shopping cart experience by addressing potential friction points such as navigation, unexpected fees, and cart usability.
• Device-Specific Performance:
  Most operations, including purchases, are completed on desktop devices, which also have a higher completion rate compared to mobile and tablet users. This suggests that the desktop is the primary purchase platform for users. Therefore, efforts to improve the user experience on desktop should be prioritized, while mobile and tablet experiences can be enhanced to reduce abandonment and capture additional conversions.

• High Interest in the Super G Timbuk2 Spire Jet Backpack
  Due to the high abandonment rate at the "Add to Cart" stage, a path exploration was conducted to understand user behavior leading up to this event. The analysis revealed that the Super G Timbuk2 Spire Jet Backpack is a key product driving significant engagement, with many users viewing and adding it to their carts. This indicates a strong interest in the product.

1. Focus on High-Engagement Channels
   Allocate more resources to Google paid search, referral traffic, and email marketing, as these channels have demonstrated high engagement rates.
   • Optimize paid search campaigns by refining keywords, ad copy, and landing pages to improve click-through and conversion rates.
   • For referral traffic, strengthen partnerships with high-performing referrers (e.g., art-analytics.appspot.com and sites.google.com) by collaborating on promotions or exclusive offers.
   • Expand email marketing, particularly around high-interest events and products, using personalized promotions and retargeting campaigns for users who engaged but did not complete a purchase.

2. Capitalize on Seasonal Opportunities
   Seasonal events such as the Chinese Spring Festival (January), Valentine's Day (February), and Easter (April) can significantly influence customer behavior.
   • Feature seasonal-themed products, such as giftable items or limited-edition collections, on key landing pages and marketing campaigns.
   • Offer seasonal promotions (e.g., discounts, free shipping, or bundled offers) to boost sales.
   • Strengthen SEO efforts by creating seasonal landing pages and keyword-optimized content to improve search visibility, ensuring that seasonal products appear prominently in organic search results.

3. Optimize Homepage Design
   The homepage is the most visited page and contributes the most to total revenue, so optimizing its design is crucial.
   • Highlight popular products such as the Android mascot and Super G Timbuk2 Backpack in prominent areas of the homepage.
   • Implement personalized recommendations and featured product sections based on user behavior.
   • Use A/B testing to evaluate the effectiveness of different banners, calls-to-action (CTAs), and navigation elements.

4. Optimize the Add to Cart Experience
   A significant number of users abandon the process at the Add to Cart stage, highlighting the need to reduce friction.
   • Streamline the cart experience by simplifying navigation, reducing unnecessary steps, and clearly displaying product and pricing details.
   • Address potential barriers such as hidden fees, shipping costs, and complex checkout forms by being transparent and offering options like free shipping or guest checkout.
   • Implement cart abandonment strategies, including retargeting ads and follow-up emails offering promotions to re-engage users.