What is Google Analytics?

Everyone uses Google, but not everyone uses it to analyze the effectiveness of their marketing. Our strategic decisions at Red Orange are rooted in data because we believe it takes more than creativity and hard work to achieve the most effective solutions. That mindset plays into running a successful website; every business owner should use data to make the most informed decisions to support their company’s web presence. This is why we recommend using Google Analytics: the most popular free analytics service that provides users with tools for measuring the success of their website or blog and help direct their marketing, content and design.

Why would a website owner need Google Analytics?

You might have a great looking website, but how are you making your decisions about content? Or what features will ensure the best user experience?  With Google Analytics you can discover valuable insights like:

• which pages on my website are the most visited?
• who is my audience?
• what type of content is resonating most with visitors?
• are any particular marketing tactics performing better than others?

When implemented, this tool can offer you answers to these questions, and more that you’ll need to make wiser decisions. Using data in your decision-making can give you the peace of mind that your website is not only optimized for your benefit, but more effective at converting a visitor into a new customer. And, it’s free — so there isn’t anything to lose, but much to gain.

How do I get started?

If you do not already have a Google account for email, calendar, YouTube, etc. then you’ll need to create one. During your initial sign up, you’ll be asked for information such as your website URL and options for setting data sharing services (you will want these checked if you want to use the tools to their maximum potential). If you have multiple websites, you can track all the metrics under one Google Analytics account. To connect your website to Google Analytics, you’ll need to copy the website tracking code after setting up your account. There are different ways you can integrate this tracking code into your website, depending on the type of website you have. We build our client’s websites in WordPress, and we use the Google Analytics by Yoast plugin to start recording metrics.

Where can I learn more?

If you are interested in learning more about how Google Analytics can help your website strategy, feel free to reach out to us.