…um, alliteration overkill?
We are entering a very vast field here, unchartered territory to some, so I can pretty much guarantee that this topic will not be covered in just one blog…aren’t you lucky. I think, to ease you in gently, we should break it down…
Analytics (an-a-lyt-ics)
Don’t be fooled by the last two syllables, this is nothing to do with bloodsucking critters…, plus there is a blatant spelling anomaly hence highlighting that there is in fact no correlation between analytics and ticks, but nevertheless is it an invasive way of gathering info?
Not at all, it is extremely useful, and, when used properly, can give you a wealth of information about the behind the scenes life of your website.
A wise man once said:
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” – Albert Einstein
So it is with this in mind that I embark on this topic and in the words of Julie Andrews “start at the very beginning”.
What is analytics? Quite simply, analytics is the collection, measurement and reporting of data. It measures web traffic (there’s that word again!) and can be used to gather results from campaigns and market research. Basically, the info obtained will give you a better understanding of web usage enabling you to improve the effectiveness of your website.
There are many analysis packages out there but the most commonly known and used is Google Analytics which, amongst other more complicated things which I will cover in the following weeks, will tell you the below:
The who
Your visitor demographic, i.e. their age range, language and location – useful for making campaigns targeted
The what
The search words they entered into their search engine – you then embed these words in your content to gain a higher ranking
(i) how long they spent on your site
(ii) how many pages they visited
(iii)how long they spent on each page
(iv)how many clicks they did on a page – these are all to do with engagement and navigation. It is all very well getting visits of ten minutes but are they enthralled or lost?
N.B. Google measure bounce rate by whether they enter and exit on the same page despite the length of time spent there. So if your website is only one page, I would consider adding another.
The where
Where your traffic has come from i.e. the links followed, from other sites and the search engine used.
The when
Besides the date, when exactly they visited – is there an optimum time to post info?
The why
Why did they visit you, what did they search for and more importantly, did they find it?
I hope I have whetted your appetite and urged you to buy* a return ticket for next week; the topic ‘Analytics, Your Website’s Best Friend’ promises great things…thank you and Goodnight!
*the exchange of real money is not necessary, I do however accept flowers and sweets.