Case Study: 88% increase in conversion campaigns for Farmasave e-commerce through server-side tracking

Farmasave is among the most widely appreciated online shops in the pharmaceutical field in Italy, with an average of 2,500 daily purchases. Farmasave decided to turn to Tag Manager Italia, one of the top partners of Stape, and asked for help: they wanted to track the actions taken by people on their e-commerce site safely and precisely. 

To meet this need, the main goal was to configure Google Analytics 4 and e-commerce tracking to analyze the data necessary to accurately respond to Farmasave customers' preferences and needs. In addition, to optimize the quality and quantity of tracked data, a series of specific implementations were carried out, including:

• Trackings to make them more compliant with GDPR regulations.
• Google Ads tracking tags.
• Tracking for Facebook Ads campaigns.
• TikTok tracking.
• BigQuery configuration to create dashboards in Looker Studio and Tableau.

The processCopy link to this section

As a first step, a detailed analysis of the tracking system implemented on Farmasave's digital assets was carried out. This step is essential to understand what can be improved and what is missing and should be configured. 

From the results of the analysis, TagManagerItalia found a 20% discrepancy between the actual number of transactions recorded in the backend and the numbers in Google Analytics. Then they made corrections and optimized the existing standard and advanced tracking configurations, thus obtaining a significant improvement in the accuracy of the tracked data. 

However, due to the limitations of the Magento 1 platform used by Farmasave, the migration and implementation of e-commerce tracking in GA4 were carried out using a proprietary Google Tag Manager template, using the Google Universal Analytics (GA3) structure. Subsequently, based on Farmasave's business objectives and the results of the analysis, TagManagerItalia developed specific activities for e-commerce:

• Enrichment of the dataLayer, passing more information and tracked data from e-commerce to Google Tag Manager.
• Implementation of GTM Server-Side with Custom Loader (stape’s power-up), a feature that prevents ad blockers and browsers from blocking specific data tracking.
• Configuration of Facebook's Conversion API, passing user data for the Advanced Matching feature.
• Configuration of advanced Google Ads.
• Configuration of the Consent Mode for recovering Google Ads conversions, also recording conversions from those who refuse cookies, in compliance with regulations and privacy.
• Implementation of Tik-Tok Server-Side tracking, reusing the GA4 e-commerce tracking structure, achieving 100% data accuracy.
• Creation of reports focused on data related to Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads campaigns.

The Results AchievedCopy link to this section

Farmasave drastically reduced the discrepancy between backend data and Google Analytics 4 data from 20% to 6%, bringing the accuracy of the corrected data displayed and analyzed in GA4 to 94%. 

Thanks to the new data tracking system, Farmasave was able to precisely analyze and understand the items most frequently purchased by users, thus implementing cross-selling and up-selling strategies that have helped (and will help) e-commerce increase its turnover. 

With the implementation of the Conversion API and the use of Facebook's Advanced Matching, Farmasave's Facebook Ads campaigns recorded 88% more conversions than using just the tracking Pixel. 

Configuring advanced Google Ads conversions via Server-Side tracking allowed Farmasave to obtain more accurate tracking, recording 3.13% more conversions measured from its Google campaigns. Furthermore, traffic sessions tracked with GA4 increased by 82% compared to what was tracked in GA3, going from 2.9 million to 3.5 million per month, resulting in a consequent increase in returning users and customer retention rate.

ConclusionCopy link to this section

Farmasave's journey with Tag Manager Italia illustrates the profound impact that meticulous data tracking and optimized analytics can have on an e-commerce business. By addressing discrepancies, leveraging advanced tracking techniques, and harnessing the power of Google Analytics 4, Farmasave not only achieved greater data accuracy but also gained insights that directly influenced their business strategies. 

This case underscores the importance of ensuring precision in digital tracking systems, especially in today's digital era where data-driven decisions are paramount. So if you would like a setup or need help, don’t hesitate to contact Stape’s team of experts. We will be more than happy to help you!