Confession: I had no idea what Google Analytics was when I started working at Astek.  And I have a feeling some of you fellow blog-readers might be in the same boat as I was. But after learning all about them and why they are so important, I feel like you all deserve to know it too!  So here’s a little who-what-why… for you.

WHAT IS GOOGLE ANALYTICS?

Google Analytics is a system for tracking information about your website. This information includes:

• Number of Visits – How many people visited your site
• Number of Pageviews – How many pages were viewed by your visitors
• Average Time on Site – How much time on average visitors spend on your website
• Traffic Sources – How people found your website (e.g. Google, Facebook, etc…)
• World Map – A breakdown of where in the world your visitors are from
• Page Breakdown – How many visits on each page
• And Much Much More!

WHY IS THIS INFORMATION IMPORTANT?

This information can help you in many ways, but I think some of the most important things Google Analytics can help you do include:

• Finding out more about your customers – e.g. Where they are from & what they like on your site
• Finding out how people use and don’t use your website – e.g. Which pages are the most/least popular
• How people are finding your site – e.g. Is the advertising you paid for actually resulting in customers?
• How your activities effect website traffic – e.g. – Traffic spikes the day after you send an eBlast to your customers
• Which company activities generate the most interest – e.g. – There is a spike in traffic around the annual company picnic
• What time of month/year do you have the most visits – e.g. – You have increased traffic leading throughout the winter holiday season
• And so much more!

Ultimately, using Google Analytics gives you a full 360º view of your business through the eyes of the internet user.

HOW DO I GET GOOGLE ANALYTICS? IS IT EXPENSIVE?

NOPE! Google Analytics is free! All you need to use Google Analytics is a Google Account (also free). To start using Google Analytics you just have to login to the site, add your domain, upload the little piece of code Google gives you onto your homepage, and then you are set!

CODE? I DON’T KNOW ANY CODE!

It’s not as hard as you think.  If you have access to your own homepage you can add the code in yourself- Google gives you very concise directions about where it has to go, then you just copy and paste it in.  If your website is run by another vendor you can give them the code and they’ll insert if for you.

You won’t regret setting it up, if even for the fact that you’ll never have to look at the time and money you spent on creating your website and wonder, “Is it worth it?”.  Google Analytics: Shedding a little light onto the dark and mysterious internet.

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Sara Gorsky Categories: General