Track Revenue and Costs
1 hourCalculate gross revenue, platform fees, shipping costs, and COGS to determine gross profit per product.
Intermediate2-4 hours monthly
E-Commerce Analytics Guide
E-commerce analytics workflow to track revenue and COGS, analyze profit margins, calculate marketing ROAS, compare platform fees, and review monthly KPIs.
e-commerce sellersAmazon FBA sellersDTC brand owners
Workflow
Analyze Profit Margins
30 minutesCalculate net and gross margins by product, channel, and time period to identify most and least profitable lines.
Calculate Marketing ROI
30 minutesMeasure return on ad spend (ROAS) and overall marketing ROI to optimize budget allocation across channels.
Optimize Platform Commissions
30 minutesCalculate commission impact across sales channels and identify opportunities to shift volume to higher-margin platforms.
Monthly Performance Review
1-2 hoursCompile monthly P&L, compare margins and ROI trends, and adjust pricing, ad spend, or product mix accordingly.
Tools Used
- Profit CalculatorPrimarySupporting
Calculate gross and net profit per product after all fees. · Attribute profit to marketing channels for ROI calculation. · Compile monthly P&L summary.
- Commission CalculatorPrimary
Calculate platform commission fees by sales channel. · Compare commission rates across Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and DTC.
- Margin CalculatorPrimarySupporting
Determine gross and net margins by product and channel. · Monitor margin compression or expansion trends.
- Percentage CalculatorSupporting
Calculate margin changes month-over-month. · Calculate savings from shifting volume to lower-commission channels.
- ROI CalculatorPrimarySupporting
Calculate ROAS and marketing ROI by channel. · Track ROI trends over time.
Checklist
0 / 6 completedLoading your checklist…
Analysis
Marketing
Reporting
Operations
Strategy
Reference Materials
E-Commerce Platform Fee ComparisonTable
Typical fee structures across major selling platforms.
| Platform | Referral Fee | Fulfillment | Monthly Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon FBA | 8–15% | $3–6/unit | $0 (Individual: $0.99/item) |
| Shopify | 0% (2.9% payment) | Self-fulfill | $29–299/mo |
| Etsy | 6.5% | Self-fulfill | $0.20/listing |
| eBay | 12–15% | Varies | $0 (Store: $4.95+/mo) |
Break-Even ROAS FormulaFormula
Break-even ROAS = 1 ÷ Net Profit Margin. Example: 25% margin → 4× ROAS to break even on ad spend.
E-Commerce KPI BenchmarksTable
Industry benchmark metrics for healthy e-commerce operations.
| Metric | Good | Excellent | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Margin | 15–20% | 25%+ | <10% |
| Conversion Rate | 2–3% | 4%+ | <1% |
| Return Rate | <5% | <3% | >10% |
| Customer Acquisition Cost | <30% of LTV | <20% of LTV | >50% of LTV |
Know Your True COGS
Include inbound shipping, packaging, labeling, and return processing in COGS — not just product cost. Most sellers underestimate by 15–25%.
Kill Unprofitable SKUs Ruthlessly
Products that sell well but lose money are worse than products that do not sell — they consume cash flow and storage space.
Build Email List from Day One
Email marketing ROI averages $36–42 per $1 spent — the highest ROI channel in e-commerce. Capture emails on every order.
Automate Reporting
Connect your store to a dashboard (Shopify Analytics, Triple Whale) to avoid manual spreadsheet work every month.
Safety Notes
- Ensure compliance with sales tax collection (nexus laws) in all states where you have customers — use automated tax software.
- Product liability insurance is essential when selling physical products — marketplace platforms do not cover product defect claims against you.