Google Analytics is the most widely used web analysis service on the Internet. With the ability to create detailed reports on how visitors interact with your data, it’s little wonder. The highly comprehensive tool has proven itself to be invaluable for Internet marketing, allowing site owners to leverage information and create more effective user interactions.
How it Works
After registering an analytics account through Google, the site generates a code that can be placed into your site. After a few days, the statistics begin to populate, allowing reports to generate on individual users, average time spent on the site, and the bounce rate (percentage of viewers who don’t continue on after the initial page load). These statistics can then be arranged into reports and are able to target data by hour, day, month, or year.
Other Features
Outbound link tracking – Knowing where your visitors are going after exiting your site allows better organization of information. When utilizing ad space it’s essential to know what draws the attention of your visitors, and where to place ads based on priority.
Continuously updating statistics – Google updates site statistics roughly every hour, allowing for fresh information. This is extremely important when launching new site features and marketing campaigns, as quick adjustments to the site could lead to better user interactions.
Social media tracking – Google recently added the ability to track clickable events, such as clicking a Facebook “like” or Twitter “retweet” button. This information is extremely valuable in discerning target audiences and user patterns in general.
IP exclusion – When dealing with marketing data, it’s important to have data reflecting information inside a defined audience. Google allows for this with a feature that targets the identity of visiting users and excludes those specified from the site statistics — ensuring site information can be utilized to its highest level without interference.
For more information on integrating Google Analytics into your site and marketing campaigns, give us a call.