Google Analytics – Understanding Website Performance
Google Analytics is a free tool from Google and it’s a feature that should be included in every website as standard. Google analytics lets you know how your website is performing because a website that has no visitors is unlikely to generate much business. Nor is a website that performs well in search engines and receives lots of visitors but they leave the website after only a few seconds.
At a very basic level Google Analytics can tell you how much web traffic your website received, which pages were viewed and how long each visit lasted.
Visitor Acquisition
It can also tell you how those visitors found your website. Was it a direct visit, in other words they knew you web address and typed it directly into the browser? Did they find the website by typing a phrase relevant to your business into a search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo or, are people arriving at your website as a result of your social media activity?
Visitor Information
Google Analytics can also provide information about your visitor such as their geographic location and the type of device they are using to view you website which is highly relevant in this age of desktop, tablets and smartphones.
Site Interaction
Google analytics provides invaluable information into how visitors are interacting with your site. How many pages do they view and which ones? What path do they follow to reach those pages? Which pages are the entry route to your site and where do they exit? If they can’t find what they are looking for what do they search for in your site search function (assuming you have one)? Most importantly, are website visitors turning into clients?
The Technical Stuff
Site speed is crucial for good search engine optimisation and a great visitor experience and Google Analytics will let you know if your site as a whole is underperforming or if just certain pages need attention. It also lets you know which browsers people are using to view your site e.g. Google Chrome, Firefox and this is important because your website can perform differently in each browser type.
Reports
Google Analytics is simple to read however not all business leaders will want to take the time to log-in and digest the information but that’s OK. Google Analytics can be set up to create ‘easy to understand’ custom reports which can be automatically created in pdf format and circulated to colleagues and other interested parties.
Just a Snapshot
This is merely a snapshot of the capabilities of Google Analytics but even a snapshot of information can help you understand your website and your visitors. This can help you improve site performance, identify missed opportunities and generate more business.
Installation
Google Analytics is free. To implement this amazing tool into your website you need to create a Google Account which is a simple process which requires an email address. You will then need to use the dashboard to generate some code which will need to be inserted into the back-end of your website. Your web designer should be able to help with this process – if not please feel free to contact Ad Idem Marketing.
To sign up for Google Analytics and for more information on Google Analytics and its full functionality please visit: