In this digital age, every organisation, no matter how big or small is embracing data-driven marketing strategies to get measurable results and deliver high value to the customers. It is not without a reason that 76% of marketers now believe in data-based decision-making instead of simply indulging into guesswork (gartner.com). Thus, to thrive in this data-centric marketing landscape, you too must turn towards data and analytics before it gets too late. And when talking about data-based marketing, what could be a better tool than Google Analytics for you to start with?
Of course, Google Analytics is the go-to tool for every digital marketer today, but that being said, we also understand how confusing it can be for a non-professional to use such a tool. With a plethora of data right at your fingertips, it might get overwhelming to derive the right benefit out of it.
But, worry not! In this blog, we cover the key metrics of Google Analytics that you can use to optimize your current marketing strategy.
Traffic Analysis
In Google Analytics, traffic can be divided into two distinct categories – Sessions and Users. While a session means every time a person visits your website irrespective of the fact whether they are the first-time visitors or not, users are the unique visitors who only get counted once, no matter how many times they visit your website in a particular time frame. See, there’s no ideal traffic amount that you have to achieve, but your aim should be to increase traffic steadily over time with the help of quality content, social media presence, mobile responsive and properly structured website, and so on.
Traffic Source
When you market your business on various channels, you certainly want to know which sources are driving the maximum traffic to your website. This is where Google Analytics comes into play! Want to know the number of visits from organic search result? Let your go-to tool find it for you. Or do you want to know the separate traffic coming from each channel like referrals, email messages, paid campaigns or social media platforms? To understand how and through which platforms your customers are finding you, checking the traffic source becomes essential.
Average Time Spent
Do you find these technical jargons little intimidating? Relax, we can break them down for you. Here, the ‘average time spent’ metric tells you how much time a user is spending on your website on an average. Remember, the higher the duration, the better it is in terms of audience retention and user engagement. But, a lower duration underlines the loophole in your website which you’ll have to review and revise to meet the interests of the audience. Is it about the lack of intuitiveness? Clumsy content distribution? Poor user interface with slow loading speed? There can be various issues. To go about it cautiously, you better consult a reputed website development company. They can analyse the UI/UX flaws in your website and fix these.
Average Pages Per Session
Simply put, pages per session gives you a glimpse of the average number of webpages a user views in a particular visit. An increase in average pages per visit or session is a positive indicator of overall user engagement. After all, when you grab eyeballs, you automatically get a step closer to achieving more conversions. But, if you see a drop for this metric, you must hire a professional who can implement strategies like conducting audience research, targeting the right keywords, inserting redirect links and so on to bring the number up to your expectations.
Exist Rate
The ‘Exit Rate’ metric tells you from which pages your users are leaving your website. But there is more! Look, a high exit rate isn’t always bad, for it is natural for the users to leave your website at some point or the other. If you see a high exit rate from a ‘thank you’ page, that’s not something you need to worry about because the conversion is already achieved. But, high exit rates from either the checkout page or product page mean there is a problem that you need to investigate into. Easy to understand? Great to know that you’re still on the track with us!
Bounce Rate
Now, do not confuse the exit rate with the bounce rate because they are not the same. The exit rate shows how often the users have exited after visiting different other pages on the website, while bounces tell you the percentage of users who land on a page but leave without navigating any further. Slow loading speed, misleading title tags, subpar content, and complex UI contribute to a high bounce rate. According to a study, maximum websites experience bounce rates anywhere from 26% to 70% (searchenginejournal.com). Recommendation from optimization professionals Conversionrate.
Returning Visitors
Do you know the 80/20 marketing principle? In the business parlance, this means 80% of your profits are supposed to come from 20% of your customers (hubspot.com). Highlights the importance of returning customers much? Using Google Analytics, you can not only check the percentage of returning visitors, but you will also get a count of first-time visitors. We suggest you diversify your marketing efforts to both acquire and retain customers. For example, use emails to bring in returning visitors because these users subscribe for updates and offers. Also, leverage social media channels and shares to fetch both types of visitors. So, try and see for yourself!
Location and Device Usage
Need to know if you are getting enough traffic from your target location? With Google Analytics, you can get the right data and understand how widely distributed your customer base is. Can see an increased number of interested customers from locations other than your target regions? Dedicate your budget to market your business in those locations as well from now on. Further, you can track devices, screen resolutions, and browsers your customers are using to visit your website. Yes, that’s a lot! But utilising these data points is crucial because it helps to improve the accessibility of your website, which in turns determines your marketing strategy.
Goal Conversion Rate
Whether it is about filling in the contact form, signing up for newsletters or completing purchases, you want to achieve some goals on your website, right? Google Analytics precisely tells you how many people are helping to accomplish these goals of yours. Although you can check Goal Conversion Rate, which is the total of the conversion rate of your overall goals, we suggest monitoring individual goals to analyse performance against each parameter. If you feel the need, you can hire an expert on digital marketing services to take the right actions, remove the barriers to conversions, and beat the current goal conversion rate.
Way Forward
When you are adopting a digital marketing strategy, Google Analytics is a must-have tool in your arsenal. Right from tracking the metrics and collecting data to offering reports, this analytics tool doesn’t only help you meet your marketing goals, but it keeps your business on the right track. And guess what, this brilliant tool comes for free of cost! So, what’s stopping you from taking its advantage? Measure the right metrics and optimize the account settings to leverage customer data for an effective digital marketing strategy from today onwards. We wish you the best!
