23 essential e-commerce reports for small businesses in 2023

E-commerce reports reveal information about your sales and customer purchasing behavior—and there are many types of reports. While one may provide great insight into your sales, others will help you with inventory management strategies and marketing campaigns. 

Here, we explore 23 various e-commerce reports that can offer an in-depth view of your customers, products, sales, and more. Then we break down these 23 reports that every e-commerce business should create or use into seven key categories:

• Sales reports
• Store traffic reports
• Product and inventory reports
• Marketing reports
• Customer reports
• Operations reports
• Financial reports

Taking advantage of these 23 reports can provide insights to boost sales and better serve your customers. Ultimately, giving you a competitive advantage in a fast-growing market.

1. Total sales report

• What it tells you: The money your store generates 
• What it includes: Total sales and revenue 

A total sales report will lay out all the money you made from selling your products. You can pick the time period, whether it's total sales since starting the business or over the last month.

Comparing sales from the most recent month to the same month of the previous year is a great way to see if sales are growing. The total sales report is also a great report to use to gauge the seasonality of your business. With that, you can then strategize on how to navigate your peak season and post-holiday sales. 

2. Sales vs. cost per channel report

• What it tells you: Revenue and cost based on sales channel 
• What it includes: Total sales and expenses  

The sales vs. cost per channel report is a high-level overview of your sales and costs for each channel. Sales channels can vary by store but may include sales from: 

• Email
• Search
• Social media
• Ads 

With this report, you can identify your best and worst performing channels. It’ll also show what your spending is for each channel. For example, the amount of money spent on ad spend and your email efforts. From there, you can allocate money and spending to the channels where you see the most success.  

3. Sales breakdown report 

• What it tells you: Where your sales come from 
• What it includes: Sales by category, product, and customer 

A sales breakdown report will take your total sales and show you all the different places they’re coming from. This report shows total sales divided into categories, such as: 

• Geography 
• Product
• Customer 
• Timeframe 

Here you can see from which region of the world or country most of your sales come from or which customer base spends the most on your products. Most analyses of an e-commerce store will start with one of these three sales reports. From there, it’s time to look at your actual store traffic.

4. Overall store traffic report

• What it tells you: How many visitors your store receives 
• What it includes: Visit duration 

An overall store traffic report will show you how many visitors your website receives in a given period of time. It’s great for website analysis and can help answer: Is your store traffic increasing or declining? 

Key metrics you’ll want to assess include the amount of time a visitor stays on your site and the number of products ‌they view. This can help you optimize your website design and flow. 

You can also use this report in conjunction with your marketing budget to see how successful campaigns are doing as well. 

5. Traffic by device report 

• What it tells you: Breakdown of your store visits by device  
• What it includes: Sessions, bounce rate, sales conversions by device 

One of the most important e-commerce reports to track is traffic by device. This report shows you how many visitors access your website from different types of devices, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. 

Key metrics a traffic-by-device report should have are: 

• Sessions by device: Here you’ll discover what percentage of your customers are viewing on mobile vs. desktop.  
• Sales by device: This can tell you what percentage of your sales come from mobile users vs. desktop users. 

Knowing how your customers browse your site can help you optimize your website design, layout, and functionality for each device. For example, you may want to use responsive design to ensure that your site adapts to different screen sizes and orientations. 

You may also want to test different elements of your site, such as navigation menus, buttons, images, and forms, to see how they perform on different devices. 

6. Cart checkout analysis report

• What it tells you: If visitors are following through on purchases 
• What it includes: Shopping card abandonment rate 

Cart checkout analysis helps you understand how your customers move through the checkout process and where they might drop off. This report is a great tool for website analysis and can help you identify potential issues or barriers that prevent customers from completing their purchases, such as your e-commerce shipping costs and speeds, and:

• Confusing checkout process
• Unexpected fees
• Slow page loading times 
• Lack of payment options

By analyzing ‌cart checkout data, you can optimize your checkout flow and increase your sales. You can also use the info to tailor your checkout experience to suit different customer needs and preferences.

7. Product and inventory report

• What it tells you: How much product you have in stock 
• What it includes: Inventory turnover, lost sales ratio

An inventory report summarizes a business's inventory levels at a given time.

It helps e-commerce companies conduct inventory analysis to track products, optimize inventory, and avoid excess or inadequate quantities. 

A new product performance report will use two key features: 

• Inventory valuation: This can show you the value of inventory you have on hand for cash flow reporting. 
• Low stock level alerts: You can set reorder points so they can easily see what you need to reorder. 

Inventory reports track products from purchase to sale. They are instrumental in maintaining optimal inventory levels and avoiding having too much or too little in stock. 

8. Best-selling products report 

• What it tells you: Your best-selling products
• What it includes: Revenue, reviews 

Best-selling products reports for an e-commerce store identify your most popular and profitable items. It shows which products have the highest sales, quantities, or revenue over a period. This is useful for optimizing inventory and marketing spend. 

For example, a best-selling products report may reveal that a store's customers have a strong preference for a particular brand or type of product. You can use that information to choose to stock more inventory from a certain brand or highlight those products in your marketing. 

You can also assess whether a product you thought would be a hot seller is performing well. The best-selling products report will highlight the revenue of these products and showcase customer reviews. 

9. New product performance report 

• What it tells you: How newer products are performing 
• What it includes: Revenue, order values, reviews 

A new product performance report analyzes how well your latest products are selling. It measures metrics like sales and quantity sold for recently launched products. 

This report should include:

• Total sales from new products: Compare them to the forecast and existing product sales to gauge market interest.
• Units sold: Track how many units of each new product you sell to determine popularity and inventory needs.
• Average order value: Calculate how much customers spend on new products per order to set effective pricing and bundling strategies.
• Customer reviews and ratings: Monitor feedback to resolve any complaints or quality issues and build on your strengths.

The new product performance report will help you make data-driven decisions about your product portfolio, marketing plans, and pricing. 

10. ABC analysis report 

• What it tells you: Grades products by earning potential 
• What it includes: Revenues and profits by product 

An ABC analysis is an inventory categorization technique to help you find your most and least valuable products. An ABC analysis grades your products as either: 

• A grade: These are your top-selling products and account for 80% of your revenue. They’re in high demand and generate higher profits. You should prioritize these products when managing inventory. 
• B grade: These products account for 15% of your revenue and have moderate demand. They may move into the A-grade or the C-grade depending on market trends and customer preferences. You should monitor these products closely and adjust your strategies accordingly.
• C grade: These products account for 5% of your revenue and have low demand and profitability. They may be seasonal, niche, or obsolete products that take up space and resources. Consider reducing or eliminating these products from your inventory. 

Managing inventory is critical but can be expensive, so an ABC analysis helps you allocate resources to items that bring the most sales and profit.

11. Marketing campaigns report 

• What it tells you: How well your marketing is working 
• What it includes: Cost per conversion, return on investment

A marketing campaigns report shows you how your visitors find your store and how much sales revenue gets generated by your marketing efforts. It can help you gauge the effectiveness of a marketing campaign or find a new avenue for advertising. 

Some of the key metrics that a marketing campaigns report may include: 

• Return on investment: This is the amount of profit your campaign generates relative to the cost of running it. You calculate the return on investment by dividing the profit by the cost:

Return on investment = profit / cost  

• Cost per conversion: The cost per conversion is the average amount you spend to acquire one sale. You can calculate it by dividing your campaign's total cost by the number of conversions. 

Cost per conversion = total cost of campaign / conversions 

It can also help you make better decisions about how to grow your business by learning more about your customers, products, sales goals, and inventory management. 

12. A/B testing report 

• What it tells you: Which marketing campaigns perform best 
• What it includes: Revenue per product 

An A/B testing report shows you the results of testing two different marketing campaigns. It is a way of testing and comparing a variety of product designs, price points, or product images for your e-commerce site. 

For example, you may be trying to decide between two product variations. One would be product A and the other product B. You can then test each product to see which sells better. 

13. Conversion rates report 

• What it tells you: How effective your campaigns are 
• What it includes: Conversion rate 

A conversion rate report shows how many visitors complete a purchase after visiting your store. Your sales conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors that make a purchase. This metric can tell you how well your website or marketing efforts convert visitors into purchasers. 

The conversion rate is the number of purchases divided by store visits. 

Conversion rate = purchases / store visits

A conversion rate report helps measure how effective your store is at persuading your audience to act. This rate is useful when ‌A/B testing, as it allows you to see which version of a product sells better.

14. Customer demographics report

• What it tells you: Statistical data about your customers
• What it includes: Customer behaviors and stats 

A customer demographics report provides statistical data about your customers, including age and education, income, interests, and purchase behavior.

You could break down your customer base in terms of: 

• Customer demographics: Such as age, gender, marital status, income, and education. 
• Customer interests and behaviors: Such as buying activity and preferences. 

This report helps you understand your customers—who they are, what they want, how they behave, and how they respond to your products. From there you can tailor your product development, pricing, customer service, and marketing campaigns to better suit them. 

You can also segment your customers by different attributes, such as device type, location, traffic source, or product category to see how different groups behave  during the checkout process. 

15. New vs. returning customers report

• What it tells you: Breakdown of sales from customers 
• What it includes: New and returning sessions 

A new vs. returning customers report shows you the number of first-time buyers and repeat buyers in a certain period.  It also shows the percentage of each group and the revenue they generate.

The new vs. returning customer report should break down two metrics: 

• The number and percentage of new sessions and new users indicate your traffic generation effectiveness.
• The number and percentage of returning sessions and returning users indicate visitor loyalty and engagement.

Knowing your new vs. returning customer breakdown will enable you to compare how well different marketing strategies, promotions, products, or services perform in bringing in new customers and retaining existing ones. 

16. Customer lifetime value report 

• What it tells you: The value of your customers 
• What it includes: Customer lifetime value, customer acquisition cost 

A customer lifetime value report shows how much money a customer will likely spend with your business over their entire relationship with you. This can help you improve your marketing, products, pricing, and customer service by focusing on your most valuable and loyal customers.  

Key metrics for a customer lifetime value report ‌include: 

• Customer acquisition cost: This is the average amount of money spent to acquire a new customer for your business. Calculate it by dividing marketing expenses by new customers acquired. 
• Customer lifetime value: This is the money you can expect from a single customer. Customer lifetime value accounts for customer acquisition cost to give you an idea of how much money you make after costs per customer. 

This report helps you measure the return on investment of your efforts to acquire and retain customers.

17. Supplier performance report 

• What it tells you: How well your suppliers perform 
• What it includes: On-time delivery rate, quality defect rate 

A supplier performance report evaluates your suppliers and helps you make better sourcing decisions. It monitors suppliers' performance across criteria like quality, delivery, cost, and service. The report helps you track suppliers' performance over time, identify issues, and compare suppliers. 

Some key metrics for evaluating supplier performance include:

• On-time delivery rate: The percentage of orders the supplier delivers on schedule. 
• Quality defect rate: The percentage of orders rejected or returned due to issues like defects or damage. 
• Compliance score: A rating of how well a supplier follows your terms, relevant laws, regulations, and policies. Audits, inspections, or certifications determine this score. 

18. Fulfillment speed report

• What it tells you: How many visitors your store receives 
• What it includes: Delivery time and speed, order cycle time 

A fulfillment speed report shows how quickly you can deliver orders to your customers after they place them online. It measures your ability to meet customer expectations and demands for convenient delivery options. 

Some of the key metrics for a fulfillment speed report include: 

• Delivery time: The average time from shipping to delivery. Includes transit time and any delays or issues during delivery. Measures how reliable and consistent your shipping partners are.
• Delivery speed options: The percentage of orders delivered within options like same-day, next-day, two-day, or standard delivery. Shows how well you offer various delivery options based on customer preferences and needs.
• Order cycle time: The average time from order placement to delivery. Includes processing, picking, packing, shipping, and transit time. Measures how fast you fulfill orders from start to finish.

Fulfillment speed reports can help identify problems, inefficiencies, and ways to improve your order fulfillment process.

19. Shipping and returns report

• What it tells you: How efficient your shipping process is
• What it includes: Shipping margin, return rate, perfect order rate 

A shipping and returns report analyzes how much you spend and earn on shipping and returns for your online orders. It helps you track and improve your shipping and returns policies to boost customer satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability. It can also help you compare your performance to industry standards and best practices.

Some key metrics in a shipping and returns report are:

• Shipping costs: The total amount you pay to ship orders to customers. This includes carrier fees, packaging, insurance, taxes, and duties.
• Shipping margin: This is the difference between your shipping revenue and shipping cost.  It shows how profitable or unprofitable your shipping operations are.
• Return rate: Your return rate is the percentage of orders returned by customers for reasons like dissatisfaction, damage, defect, or change of mind.  It measures how well you meet customer expectations and needs with your products and services.
• Perfect order rate: This metric is the percentage of orders that you ship without any issues, such as delays, damages, errors, or returns. 

Overall, the shipping and returns report measures the efficiency and affordability of your shipping process.

20. Profit and loss report

• What it tells you: Your net income or loss 
• What it includes: Revenue, expenses, net income 

The profit and loss report, also known as an income statement, shows how much money your business earns or loses over a specific time. It displays the difference between your total income and total expenses. The profit and loss statement will help you evaluate your business's performance, profitability, and financial health.

What you can find on the profit and loss report: 

• Revenue: The money you earn from selling products or services to customers.  
• Expenses: The money you spend producing or delivering products to customers. Includes materials, labor, overhead costs, and other costs.
• Net income: Revenue minus all other expenses and taxes. 

A profit and loss report shows your business's overall profitability. It helps you evaluate your business's financial performance and health.  

Accounting software like QuickBooks can help you gather insights across multiple channels for accurate financial reporting. 

21. Accounts payable report 

• What it tells you: How much you owe suppliers 
• What it includes: Accounts payable turnover and aging 

An accounts payable report shows you the money your business owes suppliers for goods and services purchased on credit. It helps track coming cash outflows, liabilities, and payment obligations. Managing payables can improve cash flow, supplier relationships, and credit.

Key components of accounts payable reports are:

• Accounts payable aging: This part of the report will show unpaid bills by due dates. It also shows how long bills have been outstanding and amounts overdue. 
• Accounts payable turnover: Measures how fast you are paying your bills. It also shows how often you pay accounts payable in a period. 

The accounts payable report can help you prioritize payments to avoid fees, penalties, or reputational damage.

22. Cash flow report 

• What it tells you: Your net cash flow 
• What it includes: Cash in and outflows 

A cash flow report shows how much money your business has at any time. It lists the cash coming in and going out during a period like a month or a year. It will help you manage your business's liquidity.

Some of the key parts of a cash flow report are: 

• Operating activities: Shows cash from core operations like sales and paying suppliers and employees. 
• Investing activities: Shows cash spent or received for investing, like buying or selling assets. 
• Financing activities: Shows cash from debt or equity. 

Tracking cash over time shows potential shortages or surpluses, future needs, and ways to optimize cash flow projections.

23. Expense tracker report 

• What it tells you: How much your spending in key areas 
• What it includes: Expenses by category and time period 

An expense tracker report shows you how much money you spend on various categories and items for your e-commerce store. For example, you can group marketing or supplies expenses. Some of the key features of an expense tracker report include: 

• Dividing expenses into different categories based on their purpose
• Tracking expenses over a certain time period, such as peak season
• Viewing record keeping for expenses, such as receipts or invoices 

An expense tracker report helps you gain insight into your spending patterns and behaviors. By analyzing your expenses over time, you can identify areas where you can save money or spend more wisely.

Tips for putting your e-commerce reports to work 

The e-commerce world is booming, and with effective data analysis, companies can make informed choices to stay ahead of competitors. These e-commerce reports provide valuable insights into what's working and what isn't, allowing you to fine-tune strategies for success. Here are some tips for analyzing your e-commerce reports: 

Tap into user-driven tools

You can utilize user-driven tools and methods to understand how visitors to your e-commerce website interact with the website and what motivates or prevents them from making a purchase.

Some common user-driven tools to analyze:

• Heat maps and session recordings: These can show you how users navigate your store and where they click. 
• Surveys: These provide direct feedback from your users about what they like or dislike and what is confusing or frustrating. 

You may discover that users can't find certain products or abandon their carts at a particular point in the checkout process. Or, you may learn that you need to relabel content or change image sizes.

Don’t be afraid to experiment

Experiment with different parts of your e-commerce store, such as product descriptions, images, prices, discounts, and reviews to see increases in conversions.

A/B testing is a great way to experiment with different elements on your e-commerce site. You can test multiple versions of product pages, category pages, the checkout process, and emails to see which options resonate most with your users. 

Some things you may want to A/B test include:

• Prices
• Product descriptions
• Checkout process
• Shipping methods and costs
• Product images
• Follow-up emails

Continuously experimenting and optimizing your e-commerce site based on data insights is key to improving the user experience and driving more conversions. A/B testing different elements at scale can lead to significant revenue gains over time.

Leverage data

You can use data you get from the reports above, such as purchase history and search requests, to predict what customers want or what inventory you need more of. 

Using historical sales to make predictions can help you ‌optimize inventory levels and avoid overstocking. This allows you to forecast future needs and adjust inventory to meet demand. 

Analyzing metrics like traffic and sales can give you a look into the life cycle of your products and seasonality. Key metrics that provide insight here are monthly and yearly traffic and revenue trends, as well as trends in conversions and average order value. 

Analyze everything that matters

You’ll want to start by analyzing your e-commerce store's sales and traffic sources to determine which channels drive the most revenue and conversions. Then allocate your marketing budget accordingly.

However, while analyzing sales by channel and traffic source is critical, don't rely solely on sales and traffic. Look at customer demographics and behavioral insights to gain a deeper understanding of your audience. 

See what products and content they engage with most and their preferred shopping channels. This extends to assessing your social media performance by tracking metrics such as reach, engagement, and return on ad spend. And lastly, stay up-to-date on e-commerce trends, as they change quickly. 

Run your business with confidence

Have one accounting and e-commerce platform to manage it all—manage orders, inventory, and bookkeeping conveniently in one place by syncing sales data from your sales channels to QuickBooks Online.