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Glossary

What is digital analytics? Definition, components and metrics

Digital analytics analyzes data from all digital channels (site, app, ads, email, chat) to understand customers. How it differs from web and product analytics, components and metrics.

Oliver Reed Reviewed by Chloe Morgan Also called digital data analytics Last updated Nov 6, 2026 Glossary

Quick answer

Digital analytics is the collection and analysis of data from all of an organization’s digital touchpoints (websites, apps, ads, email, social and support) to understand customer behavior across channels and improve business results.

What is digital analytics?

Digital analytics is the collection and analysis of data from all of an organization's digital touchpoints (websites, mobile apps, mini programs, email, ads, social media, support chat and connected products) to understand customer behavior and improve business results. It is broader than web analytics, which covers websites only, and joins channels so a customer's journey can be seen across them.

Where web analytics asks "what happened on our site?", digital analytics asks "how do people move between our ads, site, app and support, and which combination leads to revenue and loyalty?"

Digital analytics vs web analytics vs product analytics

Web analyticsProduct analyticsDigital analytics
ScopeWebsitesInside a product (web or app)All digital channels
UnitSessions, pageviewsUsers, accounts, eventsCustomers across channels
Typical questionsTraffic, sources, pages, conversionsActivation, feature use, retentionCross-channel journeys, attribution, lifetime value
IdentityMostly anonymousIdentified usersJoined identity across channels

Components of digital analytics

  1. Data collection from websites, apps, servers, ad platforms, email and CRM.
  2. Identity resolution that links devices and channels to one person or account where consent and policy allow.
  3. Measurement framework: goals, KPIs and a tracking plan shared across teams.
  4. Analysis: funnels, attribution, cohorts, segmentation and journey analysis.
  5. Activation: using insights in campaigns, personalization, product changes and support.
  6. Governance: privacy, consent, data quality and access control.

Key digital analytics metrics

AreaMetrics
AcquisitionSessions and users by channel, cost per acquisition, return on ad spend
EngagementEngaged sessions, active users across web and app, content consumption
ConversionConversion rate by channel and device, cross-device conversions
RetentionRepeat visits, app retention, repeat purchase rate
ValueRevenue per user, customer lifetime value
ExperiencePage and app speed, errors, support contacts

Example

A retailer (sample data) sees that 38% of its app purchasers first visited the website from a search ad, and that customers who used both web and app spend 1.8× more per year than web-only customers. Digital analytics, by joining web, app and order data, changes the budget question from "which ad converts on the website?" to "which ad brings customers who later adopt the app?".

Digital analytics in TapCub

TapCub collects from websites, iOS and Android apps, Flutter, React Native, HarmonyOS, mini programs and your servers into one project, with identity that joins anonymous visits to signed-in users and cross-device merging. Live chat runs on the same visitor ID. See platforms overview.

Related terms: web analytics, identity resolution, attribution, customer data platform.

Sources

  • Kaushik, A. (2009). Web Analytics 2.0. Wiley.

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Oliver Reed

Product Experience Specialist

Explores usability, user journeys, and feature adoption through practical examples of onboarding and everyday product use.

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What is the difference between digital analytics and web analytics?

Web analytics covers websites; digital analytics covers all digital channels and joins them into cross-channel journeys.

What does a digital analyst do?

Defines KPIs and tracking, analyzes funnels, attribution and journeys across channels, and turns findings into marketing and product decisions.

Why is identity important in digital analytics?

Without linking devices and channels to one customer, cross-channel journeys and lifetime value cannot be measured.

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