10 Common Data Issues E-Commerce Brands Face (And How to Fix Them)

Data is everything. It informs strategy, optimizes marketing spend, and drives growth. Yet, many brands struggle with common data issues that lead to wasted budgets, poor decision-making, and inefficiencies. 

The good news? Most of these challenges are fixable with the right combination of technical adjustments and process improvements.

Here are the top 10 data issues we frequently encounter—and how to address them.

1. Attribution Missteps

Many brands still rely on outdated multi-touch attribution (MTA) tools or last/first-touch models. This often results in skewed data that misallocates ad spend. Instead, brands should shift towards contribution and incrementality models. Simple geo-lift (MMT) and hold-out tests can help measure the true impact of marketing efforts. 

Additionally, understanding that not all channels can be tracked using click-based tools is essential. For example, top-of-funnel, display, CTV and out-of-home. Brands should invest in a blended measurement framework that provides a holistic view of performance.

2. Pixel Problems

Your ad platforms can only optimize and target based on the data you feed them. Tracking pixels and conversion events are essential for collecting accurate performance data. However, incorrect implementation, duplicate tags, or missing pixels can distort analytics and lead to misguided optimizations. 

Brands should conduct monthly audits of their pixels across platforms such as Google Analytics, Meta, Google Ads, TikTok, and affiliate networks. Implementing tag management solutions like Google Tag Manager as well as a tag governance process, can ensure consistency.

3. Lack of Server-Side Tracking

With increasing privacy restrictions and tracking limitations, relying solely on client-side tracking is no longer sufficient. Server-side tracking allows brands to regain lost conversion data, improving signal to your ad platforms, and ultimately making them more intelligent. 

With proper server-side setup, brands can regain 20-30% of lost conversions. Investing in a robust server-side tracking infrastructure ensures data integrity and enhances marketing performance.

4. Excel Hell & Reporting Inefficiencies

Many e-commerce teams are stuck in a cycle of manual data entry and spreadsheet-based reporting. This leads to inefficiencies, data inconsistencies, and delayed insights. 

Automating reporting through dashboards, business intelligence tools, and real-time data integrations can save time and reduce errors. Even basic KPIs updated daily in a centralized dashboard can provide significant efficiency gains and ensure teams have access to the latest insights, all in one place.

5. Stale Product Catalogs

A poorly maintained product feed can cause significant issues, including incorrect pricing, missing inventory data, and mismatched pixel tracking. This can negatively impact ad performance and shopping experiences. 

Regularly auditing product catalogs, segmenting product feeds, and setting up real-time alerts for discrepancies can help maintain data accuracy. Brands should consider using a centralized product feed management tool to streamline feed changes across channels.

6. UTM Inconsistencies

A lack of standardized (Google Analytics) UTM naming conventions leads to campaign tracking challenges and fragmented performance data. To ensure consistency, brands should develop and enforce a universal UTM structure. 

Documenting campaign naming conventions and training internal teams and agency partners on proper tagging can significantly improve data integrity. Brands can also leverage UTM generators and automated tracking systems to reduce human error.

7. Customer Data Fragmentation

Customer data is often scattered across multiple platforms, making it difficult to get a unified view of customer behavior. Without a centralized data source, brands struggle to leverage first-party (1P) data effectively. 

Ingesting customer data into a data warehouse or a customer data platform (CDP) allows brands to consolidate insights, enhance personalization, and drive better decision-making. Proper data governance and regular data hygiene practices also help ensure data accuracy.

8. KPI Blindness

Many e-commerce teams either track the wrong metrics or lack clarity on which KPIs truly drive business growth. Understanding key performance indicators like new customer acquisition, lifetime value (LTV), marketing efficiency ratio (MER), contribution margin, and customer acquisition cost (CAC) is critical. 

Ensuring team alignment on key metrics helps brands make informed, data-driven decisions. Regular performance reviews and training sessions can further improve metric comprehension.

9. Inaccurate Forecasting

Poorly constructed forecasts—or a complete lack of forecasting—lead to resource misallocation and missed growth opportunities. Even a simple forecasting model, shared across teams and updated regularly, can greatly improve decision-making. 

Brands should leverage historical data, industry benchmarks, and machine learning models to enhance forecast accuracy. Aligning forecasts with inventory planning, marketing spend, and revenue goals ensures proactive strategy execution.

10. Data Silos

When different teams operate with isolated datasets and reporting structures, cross-functional collaboration suffers. Siloed data prevents teams from making data-driven decisions and creates inefficiencies. 

Centralizing key datasets, KPIs, and reports in a unified dashboard enhances transparency and ensures all stakeholders have access to critical insights. Implementing data integration tools and cross-team collaboration practices can further break down silos and improve organizational efficiency.

The Fix: A Mix of Tech & Process Improvements

The reality is that fixing these issues is 25% technical cleanup and 75% education and process improvement. By implementing proper tracking, centralizing data, and improving team alignment, brands can unlock better insights, maximize efficiency, and drive revenue growth.

Need Help Optimizing Your Data?

At fusepoint, we specialize in helping brands clean up their data, optimize measurement strategies, and unlock scalable growth. If your team is struggling with any of the challenges listed above, we’d love to help.

Book a consultation with fusepoint today to take control of your data and accelerate your e-commerce success.