When you're running your own small business, it is easy to simply forego tracking any data associated with your website. This is always a mistake. Having data not only about your own site but competitive intelligence about your competitors is vital if you wish to spot opportunities to profit.
The first and sometimes only reason this doesn't happen is that it's a technical area, and most of us aren't up to speed on what it takes to make this happen. Is it a software you have to buy, or who's going to make it work the way it needs to? Let's check out the answers you need to these questions, and get you started out collecting your data today.
Tools to begin collecting and analyzing data
There are lots of tools available out there for tracking and collecting website data, but for those just starting the best option is definitely Google Analytics.
Google Analytics is a free tool provided for you that provides you a glimpse into how visitors are using your pages. Not only that, it cuts down on customer acquisition costs by enabling you to target your marketing, organic search and advertising campaigns far more effectively. This tool has more in it than you'll probably ever use!
What sort of data do you need to track?
There is a wealth of items you may want to track your website data, but at the start here are 5 important ones that everyone should look at.
- Traffic sources – Knowing where your traffic is coming from is crucial to understanding and implementing your marketing campaigns. Oftentimes you may be surprised at what you see!
- Conversions – This metric provides invaluable data regarding conversions, allowing you to make any necessary changes to increase your conversion rates.
- Keywords – Understanding the keywords people are using to find your pages is important, and can lead to more and better traffic.
- Top pages – Which pages are performing the best? This data shows you how many visits each page gets, and helps you understand how people are viewing your site overall.
- Time on page – The more time people spend on your page, the better it will do in the search results.
The ability to track and understand your website data is key to making good and profitable decisions in your small business. Get stated tracking today!