There’s no denying the importance of monitoring the data of a website’s visitors to a digital marketing campaign. After all, having a clear understanding of what happens on a web page will give insight on areas that work and don’t, enabling you to make quick adjustments and changes when the need arises. While there’s a multitude of tools available, one of the most widely used is Google Analytics, as it offers many different features designed primarily for analyzing and exceptionally tracking information. And it makes sense since it’s from the most popular search engine in the world.
However, many fail to recognize that the software presents users with many advanced options. Thus, they cannot maximize the tool’s use in dissecting and viewing data. To help you out, we’ll cover some of the most useful hacks and tips business owners need to be aware of for the more effective usage of Google Analytics correctly.
- Utilize the segments
If you’re looking to get down to the information and find out where your web traffic is coming from, you’ll need to use segments. These are essentially the subsets of users who can meet specific criteria that you establish. For example, it’s possible to set segments for people who use Android or IOS mobile devices or those from California. It’s also possible to keep abreast of returning visitors based on the IP address and browser history. Because the level of precision and detail you can set is nearly limitless, it’s important that you make use of it.
- Monitor the site’s speed
Website speed matters to Google. Additionally, users are far less likely to trust a brand or business if it takes more than a couple of seconds to load up. For this reason, you must make sure that your site speed is within an acceptable margin, and Google Analytics Services can help you with this task. The details shown in its reporting tool will give you a good idea of whether or not your web pages are loading quickly or require some improvement.
- Make use of annotations
It’s incredibly vital to notate the context behind your website’s traffic dips, spikes, and other significant changes. Through the annotations of Google Analytics, you can do just that. For instance, if you encounter drops in inbound traffic on specific days, you could leave annotations that explain the reasons for the dip if you’re aware of the reasons for them. It can be instrumental when running a specific digital marketing campaign, so the effects aren’t confused with other factors.
- Compare the historical trends in traffic
Google Analytics is also beneficial because the tool enables users to compare historical trends in traffic. If you’re in the eCommerce industry, it’s a powerful way of seeing how well or poorly you campaigned in the previous years. In doing so, you’ll know whether or not your efforts are generating the desired results.
Conclusion
While Google Analytics is a tool commonly used for the basic reporting of website traffic, its use extends to many other marketing strategies. Not only can the software track the source of your traffic, but it also offers robust features to understand better how users are engaging with the site and improve their experience.