Four Tips to Help You Get the Most Out of Google Analytics
Anyone can collect data these days. As a business owner, you have more access to more information than ever before. The question is, do you know what to do with it once you have it? When it comes to Google Analytics, it’s important to cut through the noise and find what you need.
The Power of Google Analytics
Because Google Analytics is a free tool, there’s a temptation to view it as less valuable. And while we should be thankful that it’s free, the price tag seems to discount the value that it truly offers. (If it cost $1,000 per month – which would still be a steal of a price – we would probably attach more intrinsic value to it.)
If you can look past your initial impressions and past experiences with Google Analytics, you’ll discover that there’s so much more than what meets the eye. In fact, it’s an incredibly powerful resource for understanding your customers, your business, and the effectiveness of your marketing and lead generation efforts.
Yes, Google Analytics allows you to see how many people are visiting your website on a regular basis. However, it goes far beyond traffic. It helps you understand your audience, who they are, and how you’re resonating with them. It tells you where your traffic is coming from, how people are using your site, and which types of visitors will most likely convert into customers.
A failure to fully leverage Google Analytics is a major mistake that will haunt you for several years to come. You need to do more than sign up for an account and occasionally glance at traffic numbers.
4 Tips for Maximizing Google Analytics for Your Biz
No two businesses are going to use Google Analytics in the same way. There are thousands of applications, metrics, and insights that can be gleaned from the platform. The goal is not to understand or use them all. The purpose is to understand what options exist to use the right measurements and capabilities to drive results.
With all of that said, here are a few tips you can use to maximize your results with Google Analytics:
Learn the Platform Inside and Out
There’s no excuse to not understand how Google Analytics, what the basic features are, and how you can find the information you’re looking for. There are so many good resources online, including blogs, websites, social media groups, forums, and YouTube channels. (Even Google itself has good resources available.) Spend a few hours learning how the platform works, and you’ll see an entirely new world of opportunity emerge.
Embrace Updates
Like any other platform, Google Analytics gets updates and new version releases from time to time. Take these iterations seriously and learn what’s new.
For example, Google Analytics 4 was recently released, and there are some new integrations with Google tools, ML capability, and scalable cross-platform analytics to be aware of. Understanding these changes will help you use the platform with more purpose.
Log In With a Purpose
Never log into your Google Analytics account just to browse and see what’s happening. If you aren’t careful, you’ll end up wasting time and getting an inaccurate picture of your data.
Only log in when you have a very specific reason to check analytics. Everything else can be automated through email reporting. This prevents wasted time searching for insights and keeps you abreast of what’s happening at all times.
Assign Monetary Value to Goals
The “goals” feature of Google Analytics is one of the most important yet underutilized options on the platform. If you haven’t already, you need to set up goals so that you understand what’s happening. More specifically, you should assign a monetary value to all goals. Until you do this, it’s impossible to measure how much money you’re generating or losing on users who visit your site.
Adding it All Up
There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to use Google Analytics. There are, however, plenty of missed opportunities. If you don’t have a plan to utilize it well, you’ll miss out on the chance to maximize growth. Put these suggestions into action and begin improving your Google Analytics “game.”
