Sales by Channel Report Analysis for eCommerce Brands

Ever tried herding cats? That's your revenue without tracking sales by channel.

Would you treat your Amazon customers the same way you treat your wholesale partners? Of course not. 

So why would you lump all their numbers together?

When you're selling through multiple channels, each one is basically its own mini-business. 

They all have their own quirks, their own patterns, and yeah - their own headaches. 

One might be crushing it while another's having a bad month, and if you're not tracking them separately, you'll miss these patterns completely.

We're going to dig into what you should actually expect from each one, because spoiler alert: those expectations should be different for every channel.

Core Sales Channels: The Big Three

Most ecommerce brands are juggling three main channels, and each one's got its own vibe.

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC): Your Home Base

This is usually your Shopify store - your home turf where you call all the shots. 

It's where you have the most control, the best margins, and honestly? The most headaches too. 

But here's why it matters:

When you own the platform, you own the relationship with your customer. 

No middleman, no marketplace rules, just your brand and your buyer.

Amazon: The 800-Pound Gorilla

Let's not kid ourselves - Amazon is its own beast. It doesn't play by your rules; you play by its rules. 

But here's the kicker:

A lot of your Facebook ad viewers? They're going to see your ad and hop straight over to Amazon to buy. 

You might not love it, but you need to track it separately because it behaves completely differently from your DTC channel.

Wholesale: The Wild Card

This is where things get spicy. Wholesale can mean anything from:

• Massive retail chains
• Boutique stores
• Mom-and-pop shops
• Department store contracts

Here's what nobody tells you about wholesale: It's lumpy as hell. 

One month you're riding high on a massive order, the next month... crickets. That's normal, and that's exactly why you need to track it separately.

Don't just lump all wholesale together if you've got drastically different types of accounts. 

A Walmart order behaves nothing like a boutique store order.

What is “Good” Channel Performance?

Let's talk expectations, because this is where most brands get it twisted. 

First off, forget about what you think "should" happen. Every brand's journey is different:

• Some start with Shopify and grow into Amazon
• Others crush it on Amazon first
• Some brands are wholesale champions from day one

The truth? There's no "right" way. 

But there are patterns you need to watch for:

DTC (Shopify) typically looks fairly stable with big spikes during sales events. 

If you're spending on ads, those spikes should get bigger over time. If they're not... we need to talk about your ad strategy.

Amazon tends to be steadier - it's like the tortoise to your DTC hare. 

Search-based traffic means more consistent daily sales, but watch those correlations with your ad spend. 

When your Facebook ads are running hot, Amazon often reaps the benefits.

The key isn't trying to smooth everything out - it's understanding why these patterns exist and planning accordingly.

How to Actually Track Sales by Channel

Check this out - this is what useful channel tracking actually looks like.

Here's why this view matters:

Let's say you're looking at November to December. Total revenue looks stable - cool, right? 

But wait. Dig deeper and you'll see:

• Wholesale revenue shot through the roof
• DTC sales took a nosedive
• They basically cancelled each other out

Without this breakdown, you'd think everything was business as usual. But it wasn't - and that's exactly the kind of insight you need to make smart moves.

Putting It All Together

You're not just seeing numbers - you're seeing stories. When wholesale spikes while DTC dips, that might tell you:

• Your retail partners are killing it with their holiday promos
• Your direct marketing needs a refresh
• Your inventory allocation needs adjustment

The point isn't to freak out over every fluctuation. 

It's about understanding what's normal for YOUR business and spotting opportunities when they show up.

Making Channel Performance Part of Your Success Story

Look, tracking your sales channels separately isn't just about pretty charts and fancy spreadsheets. It's about understanding the actual rhythm of your business.

This is just one dial on your ecommerce dashboard. Important? Hell yes. But it's part of a bigger picture.

You also need to keep your eyes on:

• Customer acquisition costs by channel
• Inventory efficiency
• Customer lifetime value
• Return rates
• Ad performance
• And a whole bunch of other metrics that tell your complete story

But here's the thing - if you can't see how your channels are performing individually, you're missing critical insights about where your business is headed and why.

Want the complete playbook?

This is just scratching the surface. If you're ready to master ALL the metrics that matter for your ecommerce business, grab our Ultimate Ecommerce Metrics Playbook.

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Inside you'll find:

• The exact dashboards we use with 7-figure brands
• Channel-specific KPI targets
• Custom tracking templates
• And way more than we could fit in this post

Stop guessing. Start knowing. Get the playbook and take control of your numbers.