Coursework - Google Merchandise Store

Google

MERCHANDISE STORE

Project Context
This marketing analytics case study was completed as part of my Bachelors of Science in Digital Audiences at Arizona State University. I analyzed the Google Merchandise Store using Google Analytics 4 to evaluate user behavior, identify conversion opportunities, and develop data-driven recommendations based on real ecommerce data.

This project strengthened my ability to transform raw analytics into strategic marketing recommendations. Rather than simply reporting metrics, I identified customer behavior patterns, evaluated conversion barriers, and proposed actionable solutions designed to improve the overall ecommerce experience. The experience reinforced the value of data-driven decision making in modern digital marketing.

Project Snapshot

84,040 US Active Users

70.63% Engagement Rate

98.8% Checkout Abandonment

50% Traffic from Direct Visitors

Client Background

Google Merchandise Store is Google's official ecommerce store, offering branded apparel, accessories, office supplies, and lifestyle products to consumers worldwide. This project focused on analyzing website performance using Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to identify opportunities for improving user experience and increasing conversions.

The Problem

Although the website attracted a high volume of visitors and maintained strong engagement across multiple traffic channels, there was a significant drop-off during the purchase process, particularly among mobile users. The objective was to identify friction points in the customer journey and recommend strategies to improve conversion performance.

Research

Audience Analysis

• Analyzed user demographics across the United States, Canada, India, China, and Taiwan

• Identified the primary audience as users between the ages of 25–34

• Compared engagement by country, age group, and gender

• Evaluated user behavior across different markets to understand engagement patterns

Key Findings
• 84,040 active users in the United States
• Primary audience: Ages 25–34
• 70.63% engagement rate
• India achieved a 71.69% engagement rate
• US audience was approximately 60% male

Website Performance Analysis

• Evaluated page performance using Google Analytics 4

• Identified the homepage as the highest-performing landing page

• Measured engagement time and active users

• Examined traffic behavior throughout the customer journey

To p Performing Page
Homepage
6,990 views
4,702 active users
1m 56s average engagement

Traffic Source AnAlysis

• Compared Direct, Organic Search, Email, Referral, and Cross-Network traffic

• Evaluated user acquisition channels

• Measured engagement across each source

• Identified opportunities to improve organic search performance

Traffic Breakdown

Direct
8,217 users

Organic Search
3,909 users

Opportunity
Improve SEO landing pages to increase conversion rates.

Conversion Funnel Analysis

• Analyzed checkout abandonment

• Compared mobile and desktop conversion performance

• Identified the largest drop-off between product views and completed purchases

Checkout Performance
98.8% Checkout Abandonment
0.4% Mobile Conversion
2.5% Desktop Conversion

Strategy

The strategy focused on improving ecommerce conversions by reducing friction throughout the customer journey while using behavioral data to guide optimization efforts.

Primary objectives included:

• Improve the mobile checkout experience

• Reduce cart abandonment

• Increase completed purchases

• Improve conversion rates

• Strengthen organic search performance

• Develop data-driven optimization recommendations

ExecutioN

Google Analytics 4 Analysis

• Audience segmentation

• Demographic analysis

• Geographic reporting

• Device analysis

• Traffic source evaluation

• User behavior analysis

Customer Journey Mapping

Evaluated every stage of the purchase funnel to identify where users abandoned the shopping experience.

Conversion Rate Optimization

Developed recommendations to improve:

• Mobile checkout usability

• Checkout navigation

• Purchase flow

• Calls-to-action

• Customer retention

Marketing Recommendations

Created strategic recommendations including:

• Mobile checkout optimization

• Cart abandonment email campaigns

• Retargeting advertising

• A/B testing checkout pages

• Continuous conversion monitoring

Key Insights

Audience

• United States represented the largest audience

• Users aged 25–34 demonstrated the strongest engagement

• Direct traffic generated the highest volume of visitors

84,040 Active Users

25–34 Primary Audience

70.63% Engagement

Website Performance

• Homepage generated the highest engagement

• Strong user retention on high-performing pages

• Direct traffic accounted for approximately half of total users

Homepage
6,990 Views
4,702 Users

Conversion Challenges

• Extremely high 98.8% checkout abandonment

• Mobile users converted at significantly lower rates than desktop users

• Purchase funnel represented the greatest opportunity for optimization

Results

Using Google Analytics 4, I identified several high-impact opportunities to improve website performance.

Highlights included:

• Strong homepage engagement

• Clear understanding of audience demographics

• Identification of the highest-performing acquisition channels

• Discovery of major checkout abandonment issues

• Strategic recommendations focused on increasing conversions

• Data-driven roadmap for future optimization efforts

The analysis demonstrated how marketing analytics can be used to uncover user behavior patterns and guide business decisions rather than relying on assumptions.

Deliverables

• Google Analytics 4 Performance Audit

• Customer Journey Analysis

• Audience Segmentation

• Traffic Source Analysis

• Device Performance Report

• Conversion Funnel Analysis

• Product Performance Analysis

• Revenue Insights

• Conversion Optimization Strategy

• Executive Recommendation Presentation

MY ROLE

• Marketing Analytics

• Google Analytics 4