From the moment you press “publish” on your website, you are capable of collecting and tracking information about your audience and website visitors—from metrics as simple as “How many people visited my website today?” to answering more complex questions such as “Is Facebook or Instagram providing a better Return On Investment (ROI)?” These valuable pieces of information are easily accessible through Google Analytics and are just a couple of examples of the many forms of data it gathers that can lead your business to success.

I believe in data-driven marketing decisions, but how do I get this data for clients?

Our best, most powerful tool for website insight is Google Analytics and surprisingly, it is extremely underutilized amongst small business owners. Google Analytics is a free software (you guessed it, owned by Google!) that tracks all of your website’s traffic metrics. All that getting started requires is a small piece of JavaScript code to be added on every page of your website. Once placed correctly, it begins collecting information about how your audience uses your website in a comprehensive reporting platform. Google Analytics’ capabilities are remarkable and can help you determine if your digital marketing strategies are effective and more importantly, profitable.

Your Content Management System (CMS) such as Squarespace or Wix may provide some basic tracking, but it doesn’t compare to the capabilities of Google Analytics. I’ll admit that at first, Google Analytics can be confusing and not entirely user-friendly. From installation to data comprehension, there is a slight learning curve to understanding how certain metrics impact your bottom line. However, I don’t want that to stop you from getting started for one very important reason—Google Analytics cannot collect data retroactively!

Creating your account and placing Google Analytics’ code on your website three years after it launches means you will be missing website data from those first three years of business in your reporting dashboard. Ideally, Google Analytics would be set up prior to the launch of your website; however, if that wasn’t the case for your site, don’t fret, but make sure to get it installed as soon as you can!

We often hear from business owners who don’t have the time to manage or update their site. If this is the case for you, I can ensure you that installing Google Analytics on your website will be well worth the time investment.

Once you dive in and learn to embrace digital marketing for your business, you will be glad you have Google Analytics in place, collecting data, and helping you validate your marketing decisions.

Ready to take the next step with Google Analytics? If you are looking for help on placing the code on your website or need a little guidance interpreting exactly what the info in your Google Analytics account means, let’s chat! We are so passionate about Google Analytics and website reporting and can help find a solution that works for you.

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