The Shopify dashboard is the nerve center of your online store. This is where they are located all key data to manage your e-commerce activity. But you still need to know how to read them — and above all use them. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced e-retailer, this guide will help you understand each metric in your dashboard and make better decisions. The 5 essential metrics of the Shopify dashboard 1. Total Sales This is the gross turnover over the selected period. Watch out for the pitfalls: this figure includes orders not yet delivered, orders awaiting payment, and potentially refunds in progress. For a realistic view of your performance, always compare total sales with: The net figure after returns and refunds The same period of the previous year (seasonality) The previous week or month (short-term trend) Benchmark: A “healthy” Shopify store in France achieves on average between €5,000 and €50,000 in monthly turnover depending on its maturity and sector. 2. Number of orders (Orders) Order volume is an indicator of the health of your store. But you have to read it in context: Orders up + average basket stable = healthy growth, your acquisition is working Orders up + average basket down = you attract less qualified traffic, or your promotions cannibalize the margin Stable orders + increasing average basket = excellent upsell/cross-sell strategy Orders down = red alert, analyze your traffic sources immediately 3. Conversion Rate THE conversion rate is probably the most important metric in your entire dashboard. It represents the percentage of visitors who go on to purchase. E-commerce conversion rate benchmarks in France: Below 1% : serious problem — your site does not convince 1% to 2% : in the low average, optimizations are necessary 2% to 3.5% : good performance, you are in the high standard Above 3.5% : excellent, your store is very well optimized The factors that most influence the conversion rate: loading speed, quality of product sheets, trust (customer reviews, security badges), and fluidity of checkout. 4. Average order value — AOV (Average Order Value) AOV tells you how much each customer spends on average. It is an often underestimated metric, however increasing AOV by 10% has the same effect on your turnover as increasing your traffic by 10% — but it’s often much easier and less expensive. Proven Strategies to Increase AOV: Free delivery threshold — place it 20-30% above your current AOV Bundles / packs — offer discounted product bundles Upsell in cart page — “Customers who bought X also liked Y” Loyalty programs — reward larger purchases To understand how to present these metrics to your customers, check out our article on how to impress your customers with data . 5. Sessions / Visits (Sessions) The number of sessions represents the volume of incoming traffic. This is the fuel for your store — no traffic, no sales. But quantity alone is not enough, it is quality who counts. Analyze your sessions by source: Organic (SEO) — free traffic, often the most qualified Paid (Ads) — traffic controllable but costly Social — variable volume, often lower conversion Direct — sign of brand awareness E-mail — the channel with the best ROI in e-commerce Read the trends: green and red arrows Shopify displays trend indicators (green/red arrows with percentage) next to each metric. These indicators compare the current period to the previous period. Use them wisely: Don't panic over a one-off drop — analyze over 7-30 days minimum Correlate the variations with your marketing actions (ads campaign launched? Promotion in progress? Viral article?) Compare to good periods — a -10% vs Black Friday is not worrying Detect anomalies early — a drop in conversion of 2 consecutive days merits investigation Shopify dashboard graphics The main graph of the Shopify dashboard shows the evolution of sales over the selected period. Some reading tips: The peaks often correspond to events: start of the week, payday, marketing campaign The hollows are normal on weekends for B2B, midweek for B2C fashion/lifestyle The general trend (is the curve rising?) is more important than daily fluctuations How to simulate these metrics for your presentations Whether you're presenting your results to an investor, partner or client, a well-presented Shopify dashboard is your best asset. With a Shopify dashboard simulator like DashSim, you can configure each metric with your own values and get it to look identical to Shopify. This is particularly useful for e-commerce agencies who want to show their prospects the potential of their store.
The Shopify dashboard is the nerve center of your online store. This is where they are located all key data to manage your e-commerce activity. But you still need to know how to read them — and above all use them.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced e-retailer, this guide will help you understand each metric in your dashboard and make better decisions.
The 5 essential metrics of the Shopify dashboard
1. Total Sales
This is the gross turnover over the selected period. Watch out for the pitfalls: this figure includes orders not yet delivered, orders awaiting payment, and potentially refunds in progress.
For a realistic view of your performance, always compare total sales with:
- The net figure after returns and refunds
- The same period of the previous year (seasonality)
- The previous week or month (short-term trend)
Benchmark: A “healthy” Shopify store in France achieves on average between €5,000 and €50,000 in monthly turnover depending on its maturity and sector.
2. Number of orders (Orders)
Order volume is an indicator of the health of your store. But you have to read it in context:
- Orders up + average basket stable= healthy growth, your acquisition is working
- Orders up + average basket down= you attract less qualified traffic, or your promotions cannibalize the margin
- Stable orders + increasing average basket= excellent upsell/cross-sell strategy
- Orders down= red alert, analyze your traffic sources immediately
3. Conversion Rate
THE conversion rate is probably the most important metric in your entire dashboard. It represents the percentage of visitors who go on to purchase.
E-commerce conversion rate benchmarks in France:
- Below 1%: serious problem — your site does not convince
- 1% to 2%: in the low average, optimizations are necessary
- 2% to 3.5%: good performance, you are in the high standard
- Above 3.5%: excellent, your store is very well optimized
The factors that most influence the conversion rate: loading speed, quality of product sheets, trust (customer reviews, security badges), and fluidity of checkout.
4. Average order value — AOV (Average Order Value)
AOV tells you how much each customer spends on average. It is an often underestimated metric, however increasing AOV by 10% has the same effect on your turnover as increasing your traffic by 10%— but it’s often much easier and less expensive.
Proven Strategies to Increase AOV:
- Free delivery threshold— place it 20-30% above your current AOV
- Bundles / packs— offer discounted product bundles
- Upsell in cart page— “Customers who bought X also liked Y”
- Loyalty programs— reward larger purchases
To understand how to present these metrics to your customers, check out our article on how to impress your customers with data.
5. Sessions / Visits (Sessions)
The number of sessions represents the volume of incoming traffic. This is the fuel for your store — no traffic, no sales. But quantity alone is not enough, it is quality who counts.
Analyze your sessions by source:
- Organic (SEO)— free traffic, often the most qualified
- Paid (Ads)— traffic controllable but costly
- Social— variable volume, often lower conversion
- Direct— sign of brand awareness
- E-mail— the channel with the best ROI in e-commerce
Read the trends: green and red arrows
Shopify displays trend indicators (green/red arrows with percentage) next to each metric. These indicators compare the current period to the previous period.
Use them wisely:
- Don't panic over a one-off drop— analyze over 7-30 days minimum
- Correlate the variations with your marketing actions (ads campaign launched? Promotion in progress? Viral article?)
- Compare to good periods— a -10% vs Black Friday is not worrying
- Detect anomalies early— a drop in conversion of 2 consecutive days merits investigation
Shopify dashboard graphics
The main graph of the Shopify dashboard shows the evolution of sales over the selected period. Some reading tips:
- The peaks often correspond to events: start of the week, payday, marketing campaign
- The hollows are normal on weekends for B2B, midweek for B2C fashion/lifestyle
- The general trend (is the curve rising?) is more important than daily fluctuations
How to simulate these metrics for your presentations
Whether you're presenting your results to an investor, partner or client, a well-presented Shopify dashboard is your best asset. With a Shopify dashboard simulator like DashSim, you can configure each metric with your own values and get it to look identical to Shopify.
This is particularly useful for e-commerce agencies who want to show their prospects the potential of their store.