Talking analytics can be scary. Analytics might seem complicated, but if you break them down into simple components, you have the chance to positively impact your business success by making changes based on customer behavior.
What are Analytics? – Analytics are the data gathered from users who are interacting with you and your brand online and usually include:
- Who visits your site
- Where they came from
- How long they stayed
- What they did while on your site
- Where they left
What Kinds of Information Do Analytics Provide? – Analytics will tell you quite a lot about the people who are visiting your site and can cover the following:
- Number of visitors
- Whether they are new visitors or repeat visitors
- Demographics, like country, and location
- Web browser information
- Where visitors landed on your website, and what page they left on (home page, services page, etc.)
- How long they spent on your site or page
- What keywords were searched in finding you
- Which domains or websites directed visitors (or traffic) your way
- Which marketing campaigns sent visitors to you
Why You Should Pay Attention
Analytics can help you understand your visitors, where they are coming from and why they stay. Analytics can help you track leads and prospects from that information so that you can use it to attract even more visitors and potential business your way. Analytics can tell you if customers click away when they get to certain pages on your site, or can tell you which pages they read for the longest time. You can fine tune your site so it’s answering questions to keep customers on your page, or directing them to specific page, like a contact form.
How Can You Track Analytics
There are many different tools you can use to track analytics, but the most widely used is Google Analytics. Some platforms like Facebook and Twitter have their own analytics tracking tools which provide an even deeper look into visitor activity and habits. Most of the time, the analytics tool you’ll use is related to the platform you’re on. So your site or blog might use Google Analytics. If you’re not sure if your site has analytics, contact your site or blog administrator. You can install tracking analytics on your site yourself, Google Analytics, for example, will walk you through the process.
The Bottom Line on Analytics
Think of analytics as a way to get to know your customers better by simply paying attention to the details. The more you know about what brings them to you, the better you are able to keep them there and encourage them return in the future. Information is king, and tracking analytics will help you determine which information you’re sharing is most valuable and relevant to you and your business.
For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert onLinkedIn and Twitter.