The most prominent of the new features from a Screen Pages/e-commerce perspective is a new part of the system, called "Analytics Intelligence" which will automatically scan through your data and spot changes which it calculates as being beyond the limits of normal variations for that data. This function will be applied retrospectively, so you will be able to look back through your existing data to see if it spots anything which you should have noticed. This will also allow you to get a feel for how it works. You can adjust the 'sensitivity' of the reporting (in effect, the threshold cutoff on the standard deviations of the changed data). We'll all need to play with this. Our feeling is that it will be most powerful for spotting things which you would not normally have noticed because they are buried in the data -- NOT for noticing that the overall conversion rate has changed. This will be for the things your KPIs would not tell you.

On a closely related subject: GA can now send you email alerts if something changes dramatically. Try setting these up for 'checkout funnel abandon rate' 'bounce rate' 'conversion rate' and 'pageviews of the "page not found" error page' as a start! I'm sure you can think of others.

There are some very useful improvements in the reporting interface itself. You can now cut and dice the data on screen in many, many more ways. This should be great for looking into things on the fly -- deep dive forensics / "wonder why" enquiries and fishing for new ideas.

We also see huge potential in 'Multiple Custom Variables'. This a new powerful feature set which will require extra custom coding from Screen Pages. You will now be able to track more custom information (but never personally identifiable information) about visits and visitors. The first example which comes to my mind would be which type of checkout route customers used and whether they used any special functions on your site. No doubt other ideas will emerge as people start to get to grips with the potential of this new function. But working with extra new data will involve doing the work to send it to Google in the first place, so there will be choices to be made and costs involved.

Finally, here's a link to Google's own summary on its Analytics Blog.

Online spending growth dropped to a record low in September as etailers were hit by heavy high street discounting and localised postal stikes.

Retailers are jumping on the free-shipping bandwagon because it is a proven way to catch shoppers' attention. The strategy is also an attempt to cut down on the huge number of virtual shopping carts that are abandoned at check-out. Indeed, a May survey by eBay Inc.'s Paypal found that 46% of shoppers claimed high shipping charges—more than any other reason—was why they ditched potential purchases in online shopping carts.

But free shipping can mean huge costs—and headaches—for merchants: Shipping cost Amazon.com $630 million last year. Amazon offers free "Super Saver" shipping to all customers for many purchases of more than $25.

We have made a page as an easy reference for access to the Magento video and demonstration.

Users can try the features by running a Google search and clicking “Show options” below the logo.

"Traditionally, luxury brands built relationships with customers through flagship stores, traditional public relations and advertising. Now they’re building relationships through Facebook, user reviews and consummating the transaction [online]. Of course, the product remains paramount."

"The 10th anniversary of the dotcom bubble spectacularly bursting may be nearing, but ecommerce is now thriving. Etailers have achieved spectacular growth even as recessionary trading conditions have caused their high street peers to stall.....However, many traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers still seem very reluctant to go down the online route, and many retailers that do have online offers are still struggling in some cases to make the model work."

Brent is quoted: "Retailers not offering or working hard on creating an online offer are missing a huge opportunity because the internet is not only a sales channel but a driver of traffic to stores."

There are some interesting points regarding fulfilment, service, measurement.

The bottom line: "Many retailers generate more sales online than from their biggest stores"

Follow the link for the questions & answers.

* Video Solutions - use video to support & sell
* Customer Service - think through & communicate your proposition
* Real-World Guided Selling - recommendation/guiding tools
* Multi-Store Retailing - micro-sites & virtual storefronts
* User-Interface Design - hover, zoom, usability etc
* Navigation Tools - better navigation, links, site organisation
* Effective Merchandising - design, pricing, promotions and display
* Social Shopping - Web 2.0 & social media/networking
* Customer Loyalty - techniques for rewarding

But, as in all things, test & measure.