D381: E-Commerce and Marketing Analytics

D381 appears in both specializations of WGU's Master of Science in Marketing (3 competency units): in the fourth term for Digital Marketing and the third term for Marketing Analytics. WGU describes it as how to sell online, reach customers online and measure campaign and website performance.

Learners build and optimize a Shopify website designed to promote and sell products, and work with Google applications, with the opportunity to complete the Google Search Ads certification.

The competencies cover web analytics for campaign goals, e-commerce strategy through design, development and optimization of a store, and tools to reach and retain customers.

What D381 Covers

Key Concepts Explained

The E-Commerce Funnel

Visitors arrive, view products, add to cart and complete checkout. Each step loses some people, and optimization means finding the biggest drop.

Key E-Commerce Metrics

Conversion rate, average order value, cart abandonment, customer acquisition cost and return on ad spend each show a different side of performance.

Reaching and Retaining

Search ads capture existing demand, email and retargeting bring people back, and loyalty offers raise repeat purchase. Explain how each supports a stage of the customer relationship.

Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them

Designing a Store That Converts

The second competency is about implementing an e-commerce strategy through design, development and optimization. Evaluators look for evidence that each design choice serves the customer and the business.

• Clear navigation and search so shoppers find products quickly.
• Informative product pages with quality images, specifications and honest descriptions.
• Trust signals such as reviews, return policy and secure checkout.
• Simple checkout with few fields, clear costs and several payment options.
• Mobile-first layout because many shoppers browse on phones.

Document each change with its reason and the metric you expect it to move. A before-and-after description, even a simple one, makes the evidence for your optimization clear.

Search Ads and Retention

The third competency covers digital marketing tools that reach and retain customers, with Google tools emphasized in the course description. Know the basics of how search advertising works.

For retention, explain tools such as email follow-up, abandoned cart reminders and loyalty offers. Tie each to a metric, for instance repeat purchase rate, and note that acquiring a new customer typically costs more than keeping an existing one.

Self-Check Questions

Does your store design explain how it serves the customer at each funnel step? Are analytics goals defined before you interpret results? Have you linked every recommendation to a metric? Finally, check that any screenshots or data you include are clearly labeled and relevant, because evaluators need to see how the evidence supports each claim.

Where Students Get Stuck

• Design without data. Support choices with analytics or customer evidence.
• Many metrics, no priority. Anchor on goals.
• Ignoring mobile. Check the experience on small screens.
• Weak documentation. Record what you changed and why.

Study Tips for D381

• Practice explaining a funnel with real figures from any small example.
• Take screenshots while building to evidence your design choices.
• Learn the metrics list by heart with one-line definitions.
• Check that each recommendation names the metric it should improve.

How We Help with D381

Send the brief, rubric and any data. A digital marketing writer can explain e-commerce and analytics concepts, review your documentation and recommendations or prepare a custom analysis.

GradeEssays is independent of WGU. Support is for study and reference; the store, analysis and write-up you submit must be your own under WGU's academic integrity policy. We do not take certification exams and cannot promise a competent result.