9 Key Indicators You Can Learn From Google Analytics
If you’ve got a little side-hustle you run out of your home or you head up a major corporation, it’s likely that you’ve heard of Google Analytics. Aside from the Google brand saturation we’ve seen in just the last few years, the aim of Google Analytics is to better understand your online traffic & how best to optimize customer experience. To that end, the tools provided to you offer a staggering amount of customization options & a wealth of data points from which to glean valuable, and useful, information about your customers.
The things is that Google Analytics can actually be too much for some, leading them to suffer from option paralysis. At some point, there are so many things you can look at that you end up doing nothing more than just looking at things. You’re not using any of the data you’ve got in front of you. Also, you don’t know where to start looking. As user-friendly as the Google Analytics set-up is, it’s also a place where the non-tech-minded person kinda shuts down.
Your first task is finding the kinds of data that may actually be useful to the layperson who is looking to tweak their online performance a bit. Places to start include:
Mobile vs Desktop
No one can deny that the presence, or rather the omnipresence, of mobile devices has changed the way business is done. As such, you want to know how prospective customers are interacting with you online. Is it through a desktop computer or mobile device? Knowing this allows you to help craft your online presence so as to optimize their experience with you.
Company Campaigns
You’re no doubt running multiple online campaigns with the hope of attracting a receptive audience. It’s also likely that at least one of these campaigns isn’t doing so great. That’s good. Finding a weak link means you can start fixing it sooner.
WHERE Visitors Are
Google Analytics lets you know where the top traffic is coming from. Depending on your product/service, you can really hone your ad & marketing work to reach folks where they’re at, literally.
Site Search Settings
By way of a search box on your website, you can tap into the terms visitors are searching for, as well as what pages they’re on when they choose to use a search box. This gives you insight as to where your content needs work.
In-Page Analytics
Since you’re trying to maximize how well your web presence is working, Google Analytics lets you find out what parts of your site are the most popular. This, of course, means you can craft your vital info toward these areas.
Identifying Best Content
Zero in on the content that keeps visitors engaged, and use this tool to help shape future content.
Goal Funnel Reports
Businesses aim to get a sale every time they have an online visitor to their website. Understanding the order of webpages needed to lead to a final purchase is particularly important, especially if it explains WHY someone chooses to NOT make a purchase.
Traffic Sources
Simply put, you’re glad a prospective customer found you, but you want to know how it happened. By knowing where the traffic is coming from, you can really target your marketing to get more folks coming your way.
One thing to remember when using Google Analytics — the data means nothing if it’s not actionable. Numbers are great to have & can reveal a lot of things if you know what you’re looking for. In all honesty, though, this isn’t always a forte for even the most savvy business mind. The solution? Work with an outside agency that specializes in data analysis, strategizing, and implementation. The right agency can help you craft succinct strategies aimed at maximizing your potential & realizing your short- & long-term business goals.
Make Google Analytics data even more potent with MindEcology, an Austin advertising agency. Contact us & we’ll show you how to make a good thing great.