Today I’m coming at ya to chat about analytics… which isn’t the most fun topic ever, but we are going to MAKE IT FUN. Because the truth is your analytics REALLY matter.
Keep reading because this can really change your business.
You’ve got a website, you’re definitely marketing your online business, but HOW are you tracking the results? Do you know what pages your customers are leaving your website on? Do you know where in the world your audience is and where they are finding you? It’s time to start paying attention. By actually watching your analytics, you can identify and solve problems in your business and get to know your customers better.
For analytics in my own business and for my clients, I use the totally free and amazing, Google Analytics. There’s A LOT of data inside Google Analytics. It can be pretty overwhelming, so to get started, here are 3 key factors in your Google Analytics to look at!
1. Where are people finding your website?
How the heck are people even getting TO your website? What are your traffic sources? This is important because it can show you where you need to focus more and what isn’t working. For example, if you’re getting a lot of views from Pinterest, then it’s time to start pinning more. Maybe Instagram isn’t bringing as much traffic as you would’ve thought, and it’s time to figure out a new strategy.
To view this information in your Google Analytics account, in your left navigation column, click on “acquisition” > “all traffic” > “sources/medium”. Be sure to adjust the date range for even more details.
2. Where are people clicking on your website and where are they exiting?
Behavior Flow in Google Analytics tells you 2 big things:
- What pages are people entering your website on and where do they go next
- What pages are people exiting your website on
When you know what website pages people are typically wanting to view first, you know what pages need to be the easiest to find. By knowing where you typically are “losing” the viewer, you can figure out how to make that page better to keep them on board!
Look at these analytics and ask yourself:
How can I make the process of navigating my website even easier for the viewer?
How can I get people to click to another page instead of exiting?
To find these analytics, in your left navigation column, click on “behavior” > “behavior flow”. Adjust your date range as needed.
[A quick note: Sometimes a website drop off isn’t bad if that page has met the needs of the viewer. For example, it’s common for the contact page to have a high drop off rate because the viewer is likely completing their experience with you, for now.]
3. WHO is on your website.
Last, but certainly not least, it’s helpful to look at who is viewing your website. Where do they live? What’s their gender? Are they on a phone or computer? What other types of websites are they visiting? ALL of this super stalker info is inside your Google Analytics account. To explore your audience, in your left navigation column, click on “audience”, and then explore all the sub-categories such as demographics, interests, and geo.
Get to know your audience. If you like what you see, then think about how you can create even more content with those people in mind. If it looks like you’re attracting the wrong tribe, then look for ways to fix it.
There you have it! If you don’t have Google Analytics, then GO and set it up! It’s totally free to use. You’ll want to wait a couple weeks to get some data, and then go back to this email and start learning!
If you’re already a Google Analytics user, then I hope this list is helpful to you. I know the platform can be super overwhelming. If you don’t know where to focus, this is a great start!
