If you are just getting started, then it helps to know as much as you can about Google Analytics and how it helps in online marketing. Google Analytics is very common with website owners and it helps to have it installed. Millions of websites use Google Analytics today and it is for a good reason. Google Analytics accounts are often numbered in a sequence, meaning that there are millions of accounts that have been created so far. Some of these accounts are inactive though.
Why you should use Google analytics
If you have Google Analytics installed on your site, then you probably know that it is collecting a lot of data from your website. That data can be used in a positive way to help you grow your brand to greater heights.
Google Analytics helps you measure how many visitors your site is receiving. Most of the people using Google Analytics do it because:
1. The user interface is nice and clean
2. They desire to make the best business decision based on the data available
3. The cloud infrastructure offered by Google helps them to go through large sets of data faster
4. You can use the standard version which is free of charge which is helpful if you are working on a tight budget
5. It is a powerful software
To be sincere, data is the most important thing but when it stands alone, and then it loses its strength. You need to understand the data and then use it properly to improve your site. Evaluating the data allows you to know what is working to your advantage and what is not. This helps you to make your next move.
Where to start
The greatest challenge that most people face when they are using Google Analytics is that they may not know what to do. Too much data can be intimidating and it can look like an impossible mountain to climb. Getting started seems to be the most challenging thing for most people.
The most important thing to do is not to start with the data provided. It always makes more sense to begin with the important questions. Data should answer questions, but if you do not know the questions, then it will not make any sense.
You also have to know how to use the interface and navigate. You should know what kind of data is usually collected as well. It is important to have some level of tactical skills that allow you to dig in and find all the essential things. Knowing the basics of Google Analytics helps largely and when you are equipped with the necessary skills, you will understand web traffic in a better way.
The ABCs
Google has created a framework that allows users to understand analytics much better. The ABCs are acquisition, behavior, and conversion. Many reports found in Google Analytics are able to break the metrics into the three categories.
A: Acquisition- how exactly can you get new users? How many can you acquire? In addition, where do you source them from?
B: Behavior- how are the users behaving on your site? Is the bounce rate high? Are they taking interest and staying longer? Are they reacting?
C: Conversion- do the users take the kind of action that is most desired once they are on the site? Are they converting?
Before anything else, you will need to take time and understand your business objectives. You have to create a plan. Be business minded to some extent. Data can be actionable if you use it to increase volume and profit. In most cases, the objectives of the website are almost always related to a bottom line. This is the reason why profitability is often related to the volume, especially where analytics are concerned.
You should know the number of sessions where a user takes positive action as this helps you to know where the efforts should really be. The best denominator that allows you to make a good measurement of the conversion rate is the users but not the sessions.
In the past, users were the denominator when optimizer tests were being conducted. However, this was not set as the default. You need to configure goals within Google Analytics as this will help you to know whether users are taking the most desirable action or not.
The Goals
The goal can be configured as a simple input like thank you page kind of page URL which is what the user will see once the goal has been completed. Other goals like tapping phone numbers into smartphones can be easily tracked using the events. You may need different resources to assist you in this area. For the eCommerce sites, you will need eCommerce reporting as it will track the revenue you get. You need to be creative when it comes to the objectives. Offline and online actions can be easily captured using Google Analytics today, which makes things very convenient.
Channels
One of the reasons as to why people make use of Google Analytics is to establish the source of traffic. This is then compared to other marketing channels’ performance. When you want to make decisions based on the data, the top channels should not be the only ones evaluated.
You need to look deeper into the reports. You should always get a full view of the performance of your site. The kind of decisions that you make regarding how and where energies are focused can be made according to this.
Google Analytics is capable of identifying where the traffic is coming from like search engines. If you want a better visibility regarding the performance of marketing, campaign tagging becomes a necessity. If you get traffic from Facebook, for example, you need to know where the link has been posted. Is it from someone else’s post or was it a paid ad?
You need to know how many visits you received from the email newsletter that you sent as well. This will help you to know whether your email marketing strategies are working to your advantage or not. Google Analytics also helps you know whether the affiliate program that you are taking part in is paying off or not. Campaign tagging is therefore very necessary.
Spend time on content and make it the best. This area should take much of your time perfecting. Once this is done, Google Analytics will help you identify the kind of content that users are viewing most, which in turn allows you to make it better.
Category: Google analytics
Keywords: analytics, acquisition, behavior, conversion
Tags: digital marketing, SEO, Google analytics
