The 9 Must-Ask Questions Before Trusting Someone With Your Store’s Data

Trust is hard to come by these days, especially when it comes to data. Every time we shop online, we share pieces of ourselves (our preferences, habits, and choices) with stores and brands. These businesses use data analytics tools that connect to their online stores, websites, social media, and advertising platforms to gather information for analysis and decision-making.

As more ecommerce businesses outsource expert data analysts, the challenge becomes finding trustworthy professionals while managing numerous other responsibilities. So, how can you be sure you’re entrusting your store’s data to the right person?

We understand this dilemma. That’s why we’ve created this blog, to help you ask the essential nine questions and identify the right data expert who can take full ownership of your store’s data, so you don’t have to worry.

When it comes to managing your store’s data, experience matters more than you might think. Data is technical, complex, and closely tied to the platform your store runs on. At a basic level, a data analytics expert should know how to track sales, customer behavior, and marketing performance on Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, or any other ecommerce platform. Having platform-specific experience is essential because each ecommerce system handles data differently. Understanding these quirks and features helps ensure your data is accurate, reliable, and actionable.

The best professionals can also assist with integrations, custom tracking, and migrations between platforms without losing valuable data. The best way to gauge this expertise is to ask for real examples. Look for their experience with tracking setups, complex migrations, or integrations they’ve completed. This will give you a clear picture of their hands-on skills and how well they can support your store’s growth.

Data isn’t always as reliable as it should be, and several factors can lead to inaccuracies. Misconfigured tracking, duplicate customer records, inconsistent entries, and errors during platform migrations all contribute to dirty data. Sometimes, technical glitches or manual mistakes cause information to become fragmented or outdated. Over time, these flaws can seriously distort your insights and misguide key business decisions. Studies show that nearly 90% of companies face losses due to poor data quality, with average revenue losses exceeding 10%. This fact underscores why data quality management is vital for ecommerce success.

When interviewing the data experts, ask about their data audit process and quality control measures. Practical approaches include regular error detection, automated validation workflows, and swift correction of inconsistencies. For ecommerce stores, these safeguards are essential and cannot be overlooked, as accurate data underpins every aspect of growth and customer trust.

Data analytics tools and technologies are the backbone for gathering, processing, and making sense of your ecommerce store’s data. These tools help turn raw information into insights your business can act on. Some widely used tools include Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google Tag Manager (GTM), Looker Studio, Power BI, and BigQuery. Each serves a unique purpose, from tracking visitor behavior to building comprehensive dashboards and running complex queries. If you want to understand what these tools have in common, their differences, or how to use them effectively, be sure to check out our latest blog. Click here to learn more.

In addition to these platforms, marketing channels generate a ton of data through integrations with tools like Google Ads, Meta (Facebook) advertising, Klaviyo, and others. Marketing analytics involves using this data to understand which campaigns work and where improvements are needed.

Marketing analytics metrics like:

• Page views
• Bounce rates
• Conversion rates
• Email open
• Click-through rates
• Social media engagement
• Mobile app usage
• Lead generation

Helps businesses optimize their marketing strategies using three main models:

• Descriptive models that analyze past campaigns to guide future decisions.
• Predictive models that forecast customer behavior based on previous data.
• Prescriptive models that use all interaction data to create improved customer experiences.

To know more about these models, read our blog on “Descriptive vs. Diagnostic Analytics: Key Differences Explained”.

Because this kind of analysis depends heavily on software to collect and organize data, your data expert needs to be well-versed in various marketing analytics tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, Sprout Social, Semrush, Brandwatch, and Salesforce. Familiarity with these platforms ensures your marketing efforts are tracked comprehensively and optimized intelligently.

Tracking and analysis go hand in hand, but they serve different purposes. Tracking refers to the technical setup of collecting data—ensuring that every click, sale, and visitor action is recorded accurately. Analysis, on the other hand, is about interpreting that data to uncover meaningful insights that drive business decisions.

To help clarify, here’s a brief comparison:

For an ecommerce store, having both technical tracking skills and analytical expertise in one provider is essential. Here’s why:

• Seamless Data Flow: The same person or team setting up tracking also understands how the data will be used, reducing gaps or errors.

• Faster Problem Solving: If data looks off, a dual-skilled expert can quickly diagnose whether it’s a tracking issue or a misinterpretation.

• Better Insights: Technical know-how supports deeper analysis, making insights more accurate and relevant.

• Cost and Time Efficiency: You avoid the challenges of coordinating separate teams for tracking and analysis.

In short, the ideal data expert is both a skilled technician and a sharp analyst, capable of turning complex data into clear, actionable strategies that grow your store.

Surprisingly, a large portion of the data businesses collect remains unused. Studies show that nearly 70% of available data is left untapped, which means companies are missing out on valuable insights that could set them apart from the competition. Even though data is widely recognized as essential for success, over half of it often stays “dark,” hidden from decision-makers.

That’s why it’s important to avoid working with “report factories”. Report factories are the providers who simply prepare dashboards and charts without delivering meaningful insights or guidance.

Your data expert should go beyond surface-level reporting, helping you translate raw data into actionable strategies. Look out for the relevant examples where their analysis led to fundamental changes, like optimizing marketing campaigns, improving inventory management, or boosting customer retention. The right expert will help you apply those insights to make impactful, fundamental improvements to your store’s performance.

Data security is a business imperative. Laws like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), and other platform-specific rules have made it clear: mishandling customer data can lead to serious legal trouble and loss of trust. In fact, recent surveys reveal that the average cost of a data breach, according to IBM’s 2024 data, was $4.88 million, with breaches causing both financial penalties and damage to reputation.

With that said, strong data security means focusing on:

• Access Control: Who gets to see or change your data? Managing permissions tightly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

• Encryption: Protecting data both while it’s stored and when it’s moving helps prevent leaks and cyberattacks.

Ecommerce customers’ trust is on the line—and any slip-up can cost you dearly in lost revenue and credibility. When talking to potential data experts, watch out for these clear red flags:

• They can’t clearly explain their security measures.
• They say, “We just follow general best practices” without specifics.
• They claim, “Security is the platform’s problem,” and wash their hands of responsibility.

These answers show a dangerous lack of accountability. Remember, safeguarding your store’s data should never be an afterthought—and a data expert who’s unclear or evasive about security is a risk you can’t afford.

When you’re entrusting someone to manage your store’s data, ownership is a critical issue. Simply put, you need to have complete control over your data and tracking setup, especially if you ever decide to change providers or bring the work in-house. Without clear ownership, you risk losing access to vital information, dashboards, or tracking configurations, which can create costly delays and disrupt your business operations.

Here are two common scenarios you may face when it comes to data ownership:

To avoid any surprises, always ensure that contracts specify your ownership rights clearly. Make sure every dashboard, tracking ID, and account is owned by your business, not the service provider. This protects your investment and keeps your ecommerce store’s data secure and accessible, no matter what changes lie ahead.

When discussing ownership with potential data experts, don’t hesitate to ask direct questions like:

• Who will have access to the data and accounts?
• Will all dashboards and tracking setups be transferred to me if I stop working together?
• Can I independently access and export my data at any time?

These questions help confirm that your data assets remain under your control, giving you peace of mind and flexibility to manage your store’s analytics on your terms.

Reports are detailed summaries of your store’s data that help you understand how your business is performing. For ecommerce stores, regular reporting is essential because it provides clear visibility into sales, marketing effectiveness, customer behavior, and overall return on investment (ROI). Tracking these metrics consistently allows you to make informed decisions, adjust strategies, and maximize growth.

The frequency of reports varies based on your needs, but typically, ecommerce businesses benefit from weekly and monthly reports. Weekly reports help you catch short-term trends and quickly respond to changes, while monthly reports offer a broader view of performance and long-term patterns.

Data experts typically provide two types of reports:

Both types serve an essential purpose, but custom reports are more valuable for understanding complex data and guiding major business decisions.

A complete performance report should always include key elements like:

• ROI metrics to measure profitability
• Attribution models to understand which marketing efforts drive sales
• And actionable recommendations to optimize future campaigns.

These pointers help translate raw data into strategies that advance your store’s growth effectively.

As your ecommerce store grows, your data needs evolve too. That’s why it’s crucial to work with a data expert who can scale alongside your business. Scaling matters because as you add products, expand to new markets, or increase customer volume, your data becomes more complex—and your analytics should keep pace to continue providing accurate, actionable insights.

Data analytics isn’t just about tracking what’s happening now; it’s a powerful tool to predict future trends. Predictive analytics uses historical data to forecast upcoming changes in customer behavior, market demand, and sales patterns, helping you stay ahead of the curve. At the basic level, reporting shows you what has happened (sales numbers, traffic stats, and campaign performance).

For ecommerce businesses aiming for long-term success, focusing on predictive analytics is vital. It transforms data from a retrospective tool into a forward-looking guide. Furthermore, experienced data experts can help manage more complex setups as your business grows, ensuring your analytics infrastructure scales smoothly with your expansion.

To learn more about “What Is Predictive Analytics and How It Helps Scale Business”, read our exclusive blog.

The top 9 questions are essential to finding the right data expert. But to give you an extra edge, here are a few bonus questions we’ve curated especially for you. These help cover essential details that ensure your data partner truly fits your ecommerce store’s unique needs.

• Do you offer white-label reporting for agencies?

If you work with marketing agencies or plan to resell analytics services, white-label reporting ensures consistent branding and a seamless client experience. ZealousWeb offers white-label analytics solutions for agencies, enabling them to offer powerful, customized data insights under their brand.

• How do you handle data discrepancies between platforms?

Data from different tools often doesn’t match perfectly. Knowing how your expert resolves discrepancies ensures you get accurate and trustworthy insights.

• Can you train my internal team to read and use the reports?

Building internal data literacy helps your team make informed decisions independently, saving time and improving efficiency.

• How do you ensure data privacy when working with multiple clients?

Protecting sensitive data is paramount, especially if your data expert manages multiple accounts or agencies that handle client data.

• What’s your approach to ongoing support and updates?

Ecommerce environments evolve quickly, so having a partner who offers continuous support helps keep your analytics accurate and relevant.

• Can you integrate third-party marketing tools or CRMs with analytics?

Integrating your analytics with platforms like Google Ads, Facebook, Klaviyo, and popular CRMs. This provides a fuller picture of customer journeys and marketing impact, enabling smarter decisions.