How to Calculate Revenue in Shopify

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If you have an e-commerce business, tracking revenue is critical to ensuring its success. Shopify is one of the best e-commerce platforms available, and knowing how to calculate revenue in Shopify is necessary to make crucial business decisions. In this article, we will delve into the different aspects of revenue calculation in Shopify, the importance of tracking revenue, revenue versus profit, setting up your Shopify store for revenue calculation, calculating revenue from sales, and tracking revenue from different sales channels.

Understanding Revenue in Shopify

Revenue is the amount of money generated from sales before any costs or expenses are deducted. It is different from profit, which is the money left after all deductions. Tracking revenue is essential for understanding the financial health of your Shopify store. It can help you determine your business’s growth rate, profitability, and cash flow.

Definition of Revenue

Revenue is the amount you receive for sales, including shipping and handling charges. It is calculated as the total amount of money earned from the sale of your products or services, minus any returns, discounts, and taxes.

For example, if you sell a product for $50 and charge $5 for shipping, your revenue would be $55. If a customer returns the product and receives a refund of $10, your revenue would be reduced to $45.

Importance of Tracking Revenue

Tracking revenue is crucial to understanding your business's performance. It helps you identify which products are selling well, which marketing strategies are working, and which sales channels are profitable.

By tracking revenue, you can also identify trends in your business. For example, you may notice that sales are higher during certain times of the year or that certain products sell better in certain regions. This information can help you make informed decisions about inventory management, marketing, and expansion.

Revenue vs. Profit

Revenue and profit are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Profit is the amount of money you have left over after deducting expenses from revenue.

For example, if your revenue is $10,000 and your expenses are $8,000, your profit would be $2,000. Profit is an essential metric because it gives you a more accurate view of your business's financial performance.

However, revenue is still an important metric because it provides insight into your business's growth potential. If your revenue is increasing over time, it may be an indication that your business is growing and expanding.

Ultimately, both revenue and profit are important metrics that should be tracked regularly to ensure the financial health of your Shopify store.

Setting Up Your Shopify Store for Revenue Calculation

Before you can calculate revenue in Shopify, you need to set up your Shopify store correctly. Setting up your Shopify store for revenue calculation involves choosing the right Shopify plan, integrating payment gateways, and setting up taxes and shipping rates.

Having a well-structured Shopify store is essential to your business's success. When setting up your store, it's crucial to consider the following factors:

  • The size of your business
  • The number of products you sell
  • Your budget

These factors will help you determine the right Shopify plan to choose. Shopify offers different plans, each with its own set of features. The higher the plan, the more features you get, such as abandoned cart recovery, gift cards, and professional reports.

Choosing the right Shopify plan is a critical decision that can have a significant impact on your business's success. It's essential to assess your business needs and budget carefully before making a decision.

Integrating Payment Gateways

Payment gateways are the connectors between your Shopify store and the payment provider. Integrating payment gateways is an essential step in setting up your Shopify store for revenue calculation. Shopify offers multiple payment gateways, such as PayPal and credit cards. Choose the payment gateway that best suits your business needs.

When selecting a payment gateway, consider the following factors:

  • Transaction fees
  • Accepted payment methods
  • Security features

It's essential to choose a payment gateway that is secure, reliable, and cost-effective.

Setting Up Taxes and Shipping Rates

Setting up taxes and shipping rates is another crucial step in setting up your Shopify store for revenue calculation. Shopify offers built-in tax calculation based on location and rules, including shipping. Inputting the correct information about your business location and policies will ensure accurate tax and shipping calculations for your customers' purchases.

When setting up taxes and shipping rates, consider the following factors:

  • Your business location
  • Your shipping policies
  • Your tax policies

It's essential to input accurate information about your business location and policies to ensure that your customers are charged the correct tax and shipping rates. This will help you avoid any issues with customers and ensure that your revenue calculations are accurate.

Calculating Revenue from Sales

Calculating revenue from sales in your Shopify store requires analyzing order data, including discounts, refunds, and abandoned cart values.

One important factor to consider when calculating revenue from sales is the cost of goods sold (COGS). COGS is the direct cost of producing or purchasing the products you sell. It includes the cost of materials, labor, and any other expenses directly related to the production or purchase of the product. Subtracting COGS from your total revenue will give you your gross profit.

Analyzing Order Data

Shopify tracks and records all orders made in your store. Analyzing this data can help you identify which products are popular with your customers and which marketing strategies are working. Take note of your best-performing products, and focus on those to increase revenue.

Another important metric to consider when analyzing order data is customer lifetime value (CLV). CLV is the total amount of money a customer is expected to spend in your store over their lifetime. By increasing CLV, you can increase revenue without having to acquire new customers.

Including Discounts and Refunds

Discounts and refunds are necessary and must be part of your revenue calculations. Keep track of the value of discounts given to customers, as well as refunds given in the sales period.

It's important to note that while discounts can increase sales, they can also decrease profit margins. Make sure to carefully consider the impact of discounts on your revenue and profit before implementing them.

Accounting for Abandoned Carts

The value of abandoned carts must be factored into the total revenue calculation. Although the products have not been purchased yet, the value of the abandoned carts still forms part of total revenue. Having abandoned cart recovery tools can help improve revenue loss, and should be considered a key revenue strategy.

Abandoned cart recovery tools can include email reminders, retargeting ads, and personalized offers. By implementing these tools, you can increase the chances of customers returning to complete their purchase, thereby increasing your revenue.

Tracking Revenue from Different Sales Channels

Shopify allows you to sell your goods on various sales channels, including online stores, social media, and in-person sales. Tracking revenue from these channels is essential in defining target audiences, analyzing marketing, and decision-making.

Online Store Revenue

Online store revenue comes from customers who purchase from your Shopify store's website. Keep track of online store revenue by monitoring orders, refunds, taxes, and shipping costs.

Social Media Sales

Social media sales come from customers who purchase your products through social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. Consider using Shopify's social media integration to track social media sales, and monitor the revenue source and strategy for comparison analysis.

In-person Sales

In-person sales come from purchasing your product at a physical store or event location. Use Shopify’s point-of-sale (POS) system to accept in-person sales and track the total revenue received during the sales period.

Conclusion

Calculating revenue is critical to the success of any e-commerce business. Understanding Shopify’s various revenue features and sales channels is just as important. By setting up your Shopify store for optimal revenue tracking, staying on top of order data, and monitoring sales channels, you can make informed decisions when expanding and growing your business.

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