Hey everyone!
This week I want to talk about how to effectively use website analytics. Here’s what we will cover.
- Why track analytics in the first place?
- What metrics to track
- Tools to get started
Most people feel this is too daunting and don’t track anything at all. But once you understand how simple this can be, then you will see how the benefits are worth it.
Let’s dive in!
Why are website analytics important?
The internet is one big feedback loop.
Shifting your mindset to let user responses inform your decisions puts you ahead of the game.
Your website is the center of this feedback loop.
- Create
- Test
- Iterate
This cycle should be on auto-pilot when it comes to your website.
Your website is not a static piece of your marketing
When you approach your website like this, you unlock the ability to double down on what’s working and eliminate what’s not.
Your focus becomes creating something that resonates with your ideal customer—in such a way that they see you as the only choice.
That’s when you’re winning!
What metrics to start tracking
The first step in doing this, is knowing which metrics to track.
I’m going to stay broad here, as I believe most people don’t check their analytics at all.
Here are 3 important metrics to keep an eye on.
- Sources. Where are people coming from to land on your website?
- Top Pages. What pages are people visiting the most.
- Time on Page. How long people have spent on that specific page
Next, I will dive into each one with more detail and how it’s helpful. I’ve also provided screenshots of my metrics so you know what to look for.
Sources
Knowing where people come from is key to learning more about your lead generation strategy.
- Are you driving people from social media?
- Are most of your visits referral based?
These questions help you determine what the data says, and not make poor assumptions. You might think you are driving traffic from a social media account, but upon checking, you realize it’s not as much as you thought.
This might be an indicator to spend less effort there and lean into what’s working.
Top Pages
This helps you determine what content resonates the most with people.
Typically, this will be your homepage. If there is a large drop-off between this page and every other page, this indicates a potential problem.
That means people don’t know where to go next and your homepage needs work.
Note: I created a website funnel framework, that includes the exact template I use to create homepages that convert visitors into leads. Grab it for FREE here!
Time on Page
Having an understanding of how much time people spend on your page matters.
It allows you to see what pages are keeping people reading and which ones are losing readers.
You might see high bounce rate on some pages. That isn’t always a bad thing. If your website is targeted to your ideal customer (and it should be) then if the visitor knows your service isn’t for them, they leave.
This ensures you only keep people who are qualified.
When looking at this metric, be aware of the intent of that page. This plays a role in whether or not people are staying on it long.
Tools to get started
Now that you know what you are looking for, the next question is…how do I get started?
I recommend you stay away from Google Analytics. It’s complex and confusing for most people to use.
Here are my top 2 recommendations:
- Plausible (this is what I use and is in the screenshots above)
- Fathom Analytics
Both are great platforms and will provide more than enough data for you to make informed decisions.
That’s it!
As always, thanks for reading.
Luke
