Plain-language questions
Ask for ecommerce conversion rate per month, customer or product in the SQL Explorer with AI. The AI writes the SQL, you see the query and run it yourself; the AI only receives metadata.
KPI · E-commerce
Ecommerce conversion rate: formula and example.
Ecommerce conversion rate is the number of orders divided by the number of sessions, expressed as a percentage. It shows how well your online store turns visitors into buyers. Because revenue equals sessions × conversion rate × average order value, it is one of the three levers you can pull.
Ecommerce conversion rate formula
Number of orders ÷ number of sessions × 100%
Worked example
Acme Groothandel's web shop records 64,000 sessions and 1,280 orders in September. Ecommerce conversion rate is 1,280 ÷ 64,000 × 100% = 2.0%.
Fictitious figures for Acme Groothandel, a sample wholesaler.
How to read this KPI
A higher conversion rate means a larger share of visitors buys something; a drop can point to a checkout problem, a price change or traffic that is a poorer fit. Compare it with your own figures from previous months and last year, and split it by device, traffic source and product category. Read it together with session volume: extra traffic from a broad campaign often lowers the rate while orders still go up.
Pitfalls with ecommerce conversion rate
- Sessions from web analytics and orders from the shop platform are counted differently, for example because of cookie consent; fix the source for each part.
- Counting orders from other channels, such as phone or a B2B portal, while those buyers are not in the session count.
- A single average hides large differences between mobile and desktop, or new and returning visitors.
SQL & DAX
Calculating ecommerce conversion rate in SQL and DAX
Two examples on a fictitious data warehouse for Acme Groothandel: a PostgreSQL query and a measure for a Power BI model. Adjust table and column names to your own model.
WITH visits AS (
SELECT date_trunc('month', session_date) AS month, SUM(sessions) AS sessions
FROM web_sessions
GROUP BY 1
),
webshop_orders AS (
SELECT date_trunc('month', order_date) AS month, COUNT(*) AS orders
FROM orders
WHERE channel = 'webshop' AND status <> 'cancelled'
GROUP BY 1
)
SELECT v.month, v.sessions, o.orders,
ROUND(100.0 * o.orders / NULLIF(v.sessions, 0), 2) AS conversion_rate_pct
FROM visits v
LEFT JOIN webshop_orders o ON o.month = v.month
ORDER BY v.month;Ecommerce Conversion Rate =
DIVIDE(
CALCULATE(DISTINCTCOUNT(Orders[order_id]), Orders[channel] = "webshop"),
SUM(WebSessions[sessions])
)In ENABLE
Tracking this KPI in ENABLE
In your Power BI dashboard
Define the KPI as a measure in your Power BI model and show it in the portal, with "Last refreshed" next to it. Access profiles and optional row-level security decide who sees which figures.
Custom dashboards (pilot)
Add the KPI as a tile to a custom dashboard, compared with last year. The Dashboard Builder is a pilot and can be switched on per client.
Monthly targets
With the built-in Targets app you set a target for the KPI per month, so you see actuals and target side by side.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate ecommerce conversion rate?
Divide the number of orders by the number of sessions in the same period and multiply by 100%. With 30,000 sessions and 450 orders, the conversion rate is 1.5%. Some teams calculate per user rather than per session; pick one method and stick to it.
What is a good ecommerce conversion rate?
There is no fixed number: conversion rate depends heavily on sector, price level, traffic source and whether you sell to consumers or businesses. Compare mainly with your own history and between segments within your store. A rising trend at stable traffic is a more reliable signal than a comparison with other shops.
Is ecommerce conversion rate the same as marketing conversion rate?
Not quite: ecommerce conversion rate measures orders against all sessions on the store. A marketing conversion rate can measure any desired action, such as a sign-up or enquiry, often per campaign or ad. State in your KPI definition which action counts as a conversion.
Further reading
- KPI libraryE-commerce KPIs: formulas and examplesE-commerce KPIs cover visitors, orders, returns and margin per channel. The data comes from your web shop, marketplaces and payment provider, alongside purchasing and stock from your ERP.Read more
- ResourcesHow to build a KPI dashboard: steps and examplesA KPI dashboard is an overview of the key figures you use to steer towards your goals, such as revenue, margin, on-time delivery or absenteeism. A good KPI dashboard does not start with the software, but with the decisions it needs to support. You then choose a limited number of KPIs, define them, sketch the dashboard and only then build it.Read more
- SolutionPower BI dashboard portal: share dashboards securelyShare your Power BI dashboards securely in your own portal, with role-based access.Read more
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