Google website analytics is one of the most popular tools around. Marketing Land published an article which shows research that 52.9% of websites in the world use analytics. In this short guide, we’re going to discuss how to get started with analytics.
Why Use Google Website Analytics?
Google Analytics is a free to use tool that enables you to monitor your website metrics. In simple terms, it offers a complete picture of the performance of your site.
There are lots of helpful reports, including your audience demographics, which pages perform the best, your top posts, click-through and bounce rates, and much more.
You can also discover which marketing methods work best for your website traffic, so using the platform offers a lot of advantages.
There are way too many reports that analytics offers to mention in this brief guide, but you can click here to learn more about them.
Getting Started With Analytics
If you want to get started with Google Analytics, then you’ll need to register for an account. You also need to embed the application into your website so it can track and monitor the performance.
When you sign-up, Google will generate a tracking code and take you through the steps of how to install it.
The best thing about analytics is it offers a set of instructions depending on the platform you use. Wix, WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace and GoDaddy users will have no problem installing the code, as long as they follow the instructions.
If you’re not using one of those platforms, you can still use analytics. All you need to do is install the tracking code into the header of your site’s HTML editor.
Setting Up Site Search & Goals
Every business should take advantage of the site search feature and goals features. Site search enables you to view how your visitors use the search function within your website.
Which pages do they look for the most? What queries do they use? There is so much you can accomplish by setting the site search feature, and it can give you an in-depth look at how you can improve the navigational aspects of your website.
Goals are also easy to set up, and most of the time, you’ll find a suitable template. Setting and tracking your goals can make it easier to look at where your website is failing and how you can make changes.
Learning Google Website Analytics
We’re not going to lie; when it comes to analytics, there’s a lot to learn. But once you know what you’re doing, the results can be incredible. If you don’t know where you’re going wrong with your site, Google Analytics will remove any ambiguity and help you improve the performance.
Luckily there are simple – and free- options to learn about the platform. You can join Google Analytics training courses and once you complete them, take an exam to gain a Google Analytics Certification.
Hopefully, you’ve found this brief guide informative. If you’d like some support to set up analytics, don’t hesitate to contact Zapp. As a UK website management platform, we can help you get online and be noticed.