10 quick tips for better analytics
1. Don’t waste your time on Google Analytics if you aren’t a pro
If you are great at recognizing patterns and making sense of your data then Google Analytics can be a great tool! However, if you are like most people then you will drown in the endless amounts of data without being able to create real business value from it. You may just end up spending a lot of time to only understand basic traffic data.
2. Set goals
It is a good idea to set goals. Without any goals how will you know what to look for or which developments to keep track of? Having clear goals allows you to select which data is important for you. You may advantageously use the SMART methodic to ensure that you’re setting the right goals.
3. Identify trends
Analytics usually works best over time as time allows you to track the development of trends in your users’ behavior, preferences, and interaction with your marketing material. There are tools on the market, that can help you identify these trends and patterns easily.
4. Target pages and conversion goals
Whatever analytical tool you’re using you should tie it to specific target pages or conversion goals. Track the performance of important key pages on your website. If you’re selling a product this could be the ‘thank you’ page after a purchase or a special product page. It can also be conversions such as filling out a form, signing up for a newsletter or watching a video on your website.
5. Expand your horizon of what’s possible to analyze
Today, almost everything can be tracked so why just stick to the basic data? Obviously, you should only look at data, that makes sense for your individual business. Although, it might not hurt to look at what kinds of analytics is out there. If you’re mainly looking at traffic data then maybe try and discover other kinds of analytics such as marketing, social media, user journey, user experience or content analytics.
6. Use predictive analytics
Traditionally, data looks at the history and the analytics will try to find patterns but why not use the newest technologies to look ahead instead? Canecto has several features, that will give you very precise predictions of what you can expect from different actions and efforts.
7. Don’t be fooled by social media analytics
Let’s face it, the major social media networks or advertising platforms such as Google and
Facebook will tell you different things depending on what’s in their favor. It is nearly impossible to get a transparent picture of the outcome of your advertising (if you want to go beyond clicks and like counts) as each platform will present it in a way, that makes them look the best. Always analyze your social media (and other marketing efforts) on ROI and sales instead of likes and clicks.
8. Create new content based on your analytics
Look at what content your users are interested in. Which topics or keywords are popular amongst your target market? Create content based on your analytics to ensure that you create engaging content whether it’s a blog post, social media advertising or just a new web page. You might as well just use popular keywords and focus of topics that will make users convert.
9. Analyze your user journey
Analytics are not just for traffic data. In order, to create the best possible website you need to look at how your users behave on your website. Usually, you can gain more than expected from optimizing your user journeys. Find out where the improvement potential is to be found and how to make the journey better for your users. Usually, even small changes can make big differences.
10. Look beyond the conventional tools
The most popular tools may not be the best fit for your expertise, time or needs. There are many great analytical tools that poses as an alternative to Google analytics and which might be a better fit for you and your business. Research what’s out there and find out what works for you!
