Using Free Website Analytics to Increase Traffic and Conversions
When working on client websites one of the most common issues I see is the neglect of tracking statistics and website analytics, and not exploiting the opportunities that such insights can bring.
Well, not necessarily an issue per se, but if you’re not making use of freely available analytics tools, you’ll never be able to fully unleash the hidden potential of your website.
What is Website Analytics?
Analytics, at its core principle, is all about data. In this instance, it’s all to do with collecting data from your website and using it to discover ways to improve and monitor your website going forward.
For example, every time somebody visits your website this can be tracked using website analytics software. You can monitor the growth of your website by viewing these traffic statistics.
You might notice patterns appearing in the data after time that you can then use to discover areas of your website that can be improved.
How to use Website Analytics
There are many ways to gather data about your website, primarily through third-party analytics software. Such software can be paid or free, but by far the most popular offering is something created by Google (everybody’s favourite search engine) called Google Analytics.
Google Analytics is the big name in free website analytics tools. Operating for over 10 years, Google Analytics frequently tops any lists of best free website analysis tools, and there’s no reason you can’t begin using the power of analytics on your own website today. Check out Google Analytics here: https://www.google.co.uk/analytics/
You’ll need to have some technical chops to properly get Google Analytics working on your website, so if you need any help at all we’ll be more than willing to get this all up and running for you – just give us a shout.
How can Website Analytics help?
Using analytics software helps you to gather data about the content on your website, how people found your website and how visitors use your website. After collecting and analysing this data, you can then formulate a plan or content strategy on how to drive more traffic (people) to the ‘best’ areas of your website (a product page, for example).
You’ll need to use a little initiative and common sense to exploit these metrics. It’s not an easy thing to do, but the data gathered through intelligent use of website analytics software is invaluable to the growth of your website.
Just as a very brief example – you may notice that referrals to your website from other websites aren’t doing too great? Create a blog and write useful, engaging content that other sites will be likely to link to. If you have insight into a particular industry/technology/product – write about it! Share your knowledge, and outreach to others in your industry to ensure your voice is heard. The referrals will naturally come.
Wrapping up
This is only the beginning. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the power of Google Analytics in this post. In fact, we’ve created a separate resource over in our knowledgebase called Google Analytics – A Beginners Guide. Check it out if you want to learn more.
Hopefully you now realise that if you’re not using a website analytics tool on your site you really are missing out on explosive growth potential. And it’s all free to use.
You’ll discover how people find and interact with your website, you can identify problems and then learn what you need to improve to engage your audience further.
Further reading
Check out the Official Google Analytics Documentation for more in depth tutorials and guides from Google themselves.