The most effective way to fix an underperforming eCommerce/digital channel follows the same investigative logic that has been used in forensic science for decades.
To understand why this matters, first let's look at how a serious car crash is investigated.
When police investigate a car crash, they follow a rigorous process designed to understand what happened, why it happened, and how to prevent it.
First, they establish what happened. Where did the cars end up? Where was the point of impact?
They then move on to establish why the accident happened.
Why is the “why” question so important?
Forensic science is designed to uncover the sequence of events (what happened) and the root causes (why it happened). This compilation of evidence (data) builds the accurate picture.
The “what” explains the events that occurred. The “why” explains the reasons or causes behind those events.
Only by understanding why the accident happened can the forensic specialist determine what must change to prevent it from happening again.
Examples of how the “why” question is answered come from eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage.
In summary the process is…
What happened → Why it happened → Defining Root Causes → Solution Creation.
Investigating the Digital/eCommerce Channel
The same investigative methodology applies to repairing an underperforming eCommerce/digital channel.
A “forensic” specialist undertakes the same steps:
Step 1: Identify what is happening using behavioural data from tools such as GA4.
Step 2: Use the insights from Step 1 to guide the investigation and analyse customer-centric data to understand why those behaviours are occurring: live chat logs, incoming customer complaints etc…
Step 3: Bring the behavioural and customer-centric data together to diagnose the root causes of the performance issues.
Step 4: Create solutions for the purpose of ensuring the same problems do not continue to affect future customers.
If your digital channel is “crashing”, taking a superficial look at what is happening is not enough.
Work with a forensic specialist who knows how to analyse “eyewitness” data to diagnose root causes and plan the right change to prevent future consumer crashes.
Applying this methodology to eCommerce/Digital channel
This forensic analogy explains the investigative logic. The next step is applying it to a real digital channel.
The process of analysing customer data, diagnosing the root causes and defining the changes needed is explored in detail here:
Fixing Poor eCommerce Performance: From Customer Data to Diagnosis to Solution →
About Greg Randall
Greg Randall is an eCommerce consultant and the founder of Comma Consulting. He has spent more than 25 years working with retailers and B2B's, helping them understand what is getting in the way of better digital performance.
His work combines eCommerce strategy, customer experience design, data and commercial pattern recognition to identify the issues that matter and what businesses should do about them.
This article was as tagged as Data Driven Decision Making , Digital Strategy , eCommerce Consulting , UX Design