How can I read where my store visitors come from?

You opened your analytics and saw words like direct, organic, referral and social. Not much of it makes sense yet. This is a beginner's guide to reading that one report without panic and without drawing big conclusions.

First, you need a tool that records visits

A store builder does not automatically tell you where each visitor came from. You connect an analytics tool, and that tool records visits. Varchas has a place in settings to connect Google Analytics, which is covered in connecting Google Analytics to your store. Until something is connected, there is no report to read.

The usual labels

Different tools use slightly different names, but most sort visits into a few groups:

• Direct. The visitor typed your address, used a bookmark, or came from a source the tool could not identify. Many links opened inside chat apps land here because the app does not pass on where the click came from. So "direct" is partly a bucket for "unknown".
• Organic search. The visitor found you through a search engine result you did not pay for.
• Social. The visitor clicked from a social platform, such as a link in your Instagram bio or a post.
• Referral. The visitor clicked a link on another website, such as a blog or a creator's page.
• Email. The visitor clicked a link in an email you sent.
• Paid. The visitor clicked an ad you paid for.

If you tag your links, as in what a UTM link is, your own labels appear here too, which is why tagging is worth the effort.

A simple way to read it

Pick a time period, say the last thirty days. Then look at three things:

1. Which source brought the most visits?
2. Which source brought visits that turned into orders, if your tool shows that?
3. Did a source change a lot compared to the month before?

Write the answers in a notebook. That is the whole analysis. You are not trying to find a secret, just to see what changes.

Visits are not orders

A source can send many visitors who look and leave. Another can send few who buy. Do not give all your effort to the one with the biggest number. Compare visits with orders where you can.

Limits you must remember

• With a small store, numbers are tiny. A jump from five to ten visits looks like a doubling but is just five people. Wait for patterns across weeks.
• Many WhatsApp and Instagram clicks appear as direct or are mislabelled.
• Someone may see your reel, search your name later, and be credited to search.
• Privacy settings and blockers can hide some visits, so counts may be lower than the real number.
• Your own visits count, unless you filter them out. Opening your own store a lot can distort a small number.

So use the report to notice direction, not to prove a theory.

Questions to ask yourself

• Am I sending traffic from places I can influence, like my bio link, broadcasts and creators?
• Do I know what each link I share is called?
• Is there a source I expected that is missing, which may mean a broken link?

If a source shows nothing at all, click your own link on your phone and check that the visit appears.

Pair numbers with conversation

Numbers tell you where, not why. Ask customers how they found you and compare it with the report, as described in how to tell which Instagram post brought an order. Between the two, you will have a decent picture. Then take it into your month-end review, using the routine in reviewing your marketing at month end.