One of the main benefits of digital marketing is how easy it is to track your progress compared to traditional marketing methods. In this blog, we’re looking at why you need to track your website’s analytics.
What are website analytics?
Website analytics allow you to access valuable data regarding your website visitors. Analytics can show you how your website is performing, allowing you to identify areas for improvement. Website analytics tools provide quantitative data so you can gain insight into user interactions.
Initially, it’s best to focus on a few metrics, as it takes time to understand. We provide all clients with monthly analytical data reports so that you can see how your website is performing. The digital industry can often use some complex terminology, so we ensure that all clients understand the report and have the opportunity to ask questions.
What metrics might you see on a data report?
- Time spent on site
- Page views
- New sessions/multiple sessions
- How many visitors you have (existing and new users)
- Traffic sources
- Engaged sessions (previously bounce rate)
- Conversion rate
These are just some of the metrics that you can track on your website, and they all provide valuable insights. For example, time spent on site. If users are coming to your site and visiting many pages, it could be a sign that they cannot find the information they are looking for. In this case, you may need to refine your website content or alter the layout of your site.
Why you need to track your website’s analytics
There are so many benefits to tracking your website analytics. We’re going to let you know some of the best reasons why you should.
Website performance
Having access to your analytics means that you can easily track your website’s performance. You can see what is working and what isn’t, so you can continuously improve your website. If you’re attracting site visitors but not converting them into online customers, you may need to work on your user experience.
Your website’s user experience is very important. It can involve many elements, such as your website navigation, how images are displayed, how fast your site is and many other things. A poor user experience will lead to visitors leaving your website.
Improves SEO
An SEO strategy is essential if you want your website to rank well on the search engines. Your analytics can help you spot poor content, which you can then improve. To write high-quality SEO content, you need to conduct keyword research and ensure that it engages your audience. Blogging is a fantastic way to increase web traffic and answer the questions of your users.
Identify your audience
You’ve probably got a good idea of your target audience, but how do you know if your website’s content engages them? Your analytics! Delving into analytics allows you to understand user behaviour and demographics. This can help you to identify new audiences that you can target effectively.
You can also identify the device users interact with your site on. Are they using a mobile device or desktop setup? Either way, it’s very important to have a responsive website. Our web developers create responsive, user-friendly websites.
Identify success off-site
Your website traffic is an important metric, and it can also help you to see what’s working off-site. Some analytics tools allow you to see your traffic source, for example, social media, email marketing or through the search engine. This helps you to understand the successes of your marketing efforts on a wider scale.
Knowing how well your marketing communications are performing allows you to create more high-value content that engages your audience.
Tracking your goals and conversions
Before you start a new marketing strategy, you should outline your goals. Increased sales or website traffic are just some of the marketing goals you might consider for your business.
Google has recently released ‘conversion goals’, which allow you to optimise campaigns to meet your goals. Conversion tracking will enable you to monitor the quality of your advertisements and determine where changes can be implemented.
Conversions can be many actions, such as website sign-ups, purchases, app installs and calls made directly from your website. Having various options allows you to select specific metrics to monitor that will help you to reach your goals.
What tools can you use to track your website analytics?
Google Analytics is the most popular web analytics tool that gives you access to a wide range of metrics. Earlier this year, Universal Analytics changed to GA4. This change saw a huge overhaul of many metrics and introduced events.
We can assist you with setting up Google Analytics 4 on your website. We’ll help you understand the various data points and answer any questions you have. You could consider other web analytics tools, but Google Analytics has some great features. You can also use Google Search Console to identify ranking positions.
Do you need support with your web analytics? Get in touch with us, and we can support you with all aspects of your digital marketing, from website analytics to lead generation. Tracking your web analytics allows you to make data-driven decisions to meet your business objectives.