What Every Business Owner Should Know About Using Google Analytics
If you run a business, you know that you’ll gladly use just about any advantageous tool at your disposal. As such, the use of Google Analytics proves to be less than surprising considering that we live in a day and age where technology is king. Everyone uses a device of some kind to connect to the internet. Google Analytics proves to be the ideal tool to reach these folks.
Staff Meetings…But Is Anything Getting Done?
Think about your last meeting with staff in your operation. Different teams brought information to the table, but how did this info make you feel? Were you confused? Upset? Angry? Elated? In all honestly, it’s likely that you didn’t feel any of these for one reason — you had no idea what the info meant. Sure, team/department leaders could give you a rundown to get a feel for the data, good or bad. But for the most part, it was just numbers on a page.
At the end of the meeting, everyone looks at graphs or line items on a financial spreadsheet to know if money went up or down. There’s a collective “Good job, folks” or a “We can do better team” at the end, and everyone goes about their business. Did anything actually get done? For all of the ‘data collection’ that supposedly happened, were any of those numbers of actual worth? Here’s the ice-water-to-the-face answer — NO.
Google Analytics is VERY Different
This is why Google Analytics has become the ultimate SEO and analytical tool anywhere. The tools provided by this platform allow businesses a chance to see how well their online presence is doing. Make note: not just website but WEB PRESENCE. Everything from user traffic, tracking purchases, demographics, and how many page views take place within a certain timeframe are all data points that can be quantified by Google Analytics. Forget the idea that you now have your own proverbial ‘crystal ball’ — you’ve got a stadium-sized warehouse of crystal balls at your fingertips.
But as with anything new and intrinsically “side-eye” worthy, some business owners have been less-than-welcoming when it comes to using Google Analytics. For what it’s worth, here are SOME of what it offers:
Keep Your “Enemies” Closer
Every business owner knows that getting a leg-up on the competition is key to doing well. The analytical tools provided by Google grant the user multi-faceted way to see how competitors in the industry (especially those that are nearby) are doing. More importantly, it gives some insight as to how they’re doing it.
Knowing About Your Audience
Remember the whole ‘crystal ball’ thing from earlier? This is THE thing that makes Google Analytics really stand out. The level of metrics within your reach is astounding. You can see how folks interact with your website, how they got to your website, and other key behaviors that work in your favor. These are great bits of info as they can help you make your web presence better and easier to use, as well as help formulate better marketing materials.
The Good AND the Bad
Even though businesses like to focus on good things like profits, stellar CTR, and awesome web traffic, it’s just as (if not more) important to look at where things aren’t doing so well. Having cold, hard data telling you there is a problem means that you can’t hide from it. What’s more, you now have a collection of tools helping you spot where an issue is so that you and your team can work to fixing it.
Marketing KPIs
If there is one area where Google Analytics shines, it’s with respect to key performance indicators, KPIs. They may vary from company to company. However, they serve a specific purpose — understanding the best way to optimize user/client/customer behavior while interacting with your business online.
Knowing What’s Up While It’s Happening
Still not convinced that Google Analytics is worth checking out? If so, there’s on area where this tool really earns its worth — real-time reports. You can actively see how well things are going as they’re happening. It’s an amazing tool for trying out campaigns via social media, seeing where those interacting with you are located, and even testing out features on your website.
If there’s one other thing to know about Google Analytics, it’s that much of what it provides in terms of features is free (shout-out to the budget-minded folks out there). Considering all that you get for no cost, as a business owner, you owe it to yourself & your business to see what Google Analytics can do for you.
You can also get some help on Google Analytics from an Austin advertising agency who knows a thing or two about data crunching. Contact us at MindEcology today.