Products

Analytics on product popularity, views, and sales performance to optimize inventory and marketing

Introduction

Product Reports allow you to evaluate the performance of your inventory. By analyzing which products are being viewed and which are actually being purchased, you can identify your best-sellers as well as products that may need better promotion or price adjustments. This data helps in inventory management, seasonal planning, and optimizing your store's layout to highlight high-interest items.

Accessing Product Reports

1

Navigate to Reports

Go to Reports → Reports in your admin panel.

2

Select Report Type

From the Report Type dropdown menu, choose Products Viewed or Products Purchased.

3

Filter and Analyze

Filter by date ranges and order status to focus on valid sales data and specific time frames.

Product Report Types

1. Products Viewed Report

This report lists products based on the number of times they have been viewed on the storefront.

• Key Columns: Product Name, Model, Viewed, and Percent.

• Usage: Identifying "window shopping" trends. A high view count but low sale count might indicate a price that is too high or a poor product description.

2. Products Purchased Report

This report focuses on actual sales performance per product.

• Key Columns: Date Start, Date End, Product Name, Model, Quantity, and Total.

• Usage: Identifying your most profitable products and managing stock levels based on sales velocity.

Common Tasks

Identifying Underperforming Products

To find products that attract interest but don't sell:

1. Compare the Products Viewed Report with the Products Purchased Report.

2. Look for products with high views but low quantities sold.

3. Review these products' pricing, image quality, and descriptions.

Planning Seasonal Inventory

To prepare for upcoming seasons:

1. Run a Products Purchased Report for the same period last year.

2. Identify which models and quantities were most popular.

3. Use this data to inform your ordering and promotional schedule for the current year.

Best Practices

Inventory Optimization

• Reset View Counts: Periodically reset view counts (if your version allows or via database) after making major changes to product pages to see if interest improves.

• Focus on 'Total': When looking at sales, pay attention to the Total revenue column, not just the Quantity. A low-quantity item with high margins might be more valuable than a high-volume low-margin item.

• Monitor Models: Ensure your product models are unique and descriptive so they are easy to identify in reports.

Marketing Insight: High view counts in the "Products Viewed" report indicate that your SEO or external advertising is working well to bring traffic to those specific items.

Troubleshooting

Products viewed report shows zero or inaccurate view counts

View Tracking Issues

• Tracking Enabled: Verify that product view tracking is enabled in your store settings.

• Cache Issues: Clear OpenCart cache as view counts may be cached.

• Bot Traffic: Some views may be from bots that are not tracked.

• Time Delay: View counts may update periodically rather than in real-time.

Products purchased report missing certain products

Data Coverage Issues

• Order Status Filter: Ensure you're including completed orders in the report filter.

• Date Range: Verify the date range includes the period when purchases occurred.

• Product Status: Check that products are enabled and visible in the catalog.

• Inventory Settings: Products with zero stock may not appear if out-of-stock purchases are disabled.

Discrepancies between viewed and purchased reports

Analysis Issues

• Time Lag: Customers may view products and purchase days later; extend date ranges for correlation.

• Product Variations: Views may be for parent products while purchases are for specific variants.

• Price Displays: Ensure product prices are visible and accurate to encourage conversion.

• Mobile vs Desktop: View patterns may differ by device, affecting conversion rates.

Report data appears outdated

Data Refresh Issues

• Cache Clearing: Clear OpenCart cache to refresh report data.

• Database Indexing: Ensure database tables are properly indexed for timely updates.

• Scheduled Tasks: Some reports rely on scheduled tasks; check cron job configuration.

• Extension Conflicts: Disable recently installed extensions to check for conflicts with report updates.

"Products tell a story—views are the opening chapters, purchases are the climax. Product reports give you the narrative arc of your inventory, showing you which stories resonate and which need rewrites."