Website Analytics. Just what are they and why do you need them? Put simply, analytics are a way to track your website’s traffic and are an essential component in any online marketing campaign. Before you start marketing your company online, you’ll want to start with a baseline, so you can see just how effective (or ineffective) your efforts are.
Here’s a great example. I write a professional blog which I started in early 2007. We installed an analytics program from the get go, which allowed me to see just how little traffic we were getting! Then, I took some steps to improve that traffic. I partnered with other blogs to exchange links. Amazing - my traffic quickly tripled! But it wasn’t until I examined our analytics that I realized 90% of my new traffic was coming directly from one blog. So we invested a few more dollars on advertising on that particular blog. The results were great, and we had the stats to show for it!
Don’t over analyze it! Analytics programs range from basic to highly complex and it’s important to choose a program that works best for you. For one, the more complex programs usually come at a cost and many of the basic programs are free. Make sure the program you choose provides enough statistical information to guide you in your marketing campaign. But remember, if you aren’t going to use those thousands of reports and charts offered in the more complex programs, don’t waste your time or money! One comprehensive, user-friendly and FREE program to check out is Google Analytics.
Okay, you’ve got the analytics but what does it all mean? There’s a lot to be dissected when it comes to analytics, which we’ll examine in further detail in future blog posts. You’ll want to start by looking at the number of unique visitors to your site and where these visitors are coming from. This is especially crucial to do BEFORE you begin any online marketing efforts. Otherwise, how will you know what’s working and what’s not?
Help! I’m an Analytics Addict! Once you install an analytics program, checking your “stats” can get addictive. Some programs offer live feed, allowing you to see who’s on your site at any particular moment. Try not to get obsessed with the numbers. A good plan would be to set aside a specific time to look at your analytics. Whether that’s once a day or once a week, just as long as it’s not once every 5 minutes!
Website Analytics are a fun and useful tool. They are imperative to any successful marketing campaign, offering the best of all feedback – cold, hard numbers. SearchMarketMe offers analytics management as part of our client services. If you’re interested in working with experts to make the most of your online marketing efforts, we’d love to hear from you!