Google Analytics In A Nutshell
Internet Has Shifted The Customer Process
It is no longer linear, the customer can enter and leave your process at anytime. You no longer control the process, the process and flow is controlled by the customer (or potential customer).
Desired Business Outcomes or Objectives:
eCommerce -> Sale of Goods
Lead Generation -> Sales Prospects
Content Site -> Income Via Advertising
Information / Help Site -> Assist Customers
Branding -> Increase Goods or Service Awareness
Analysis In A Nutshell
Depending upon your level of sophistication, any data can be segmented to the level of detail your require. However at a basic level Analysis will be usually current goal based or historical bench-marking.
Your Analysis measure is Micro (smaller step towards Macro) or Macro Conversion (the end Objective). All the Micro pieces add up to the End Goal.
The Measurement Plan
If You Cannot Measure It, You Cannot Move It
Your Measurement is likely driven by your marketing needs. However, with the wide breadth of the Internet, your measurement will be affecting your entire business.
Five Aspects of The Plan
- What are you wanting to control or understand
- How do you plan to influence your desired outcomes
- Choose your measurements (or KPIs – Key Performance Indicators)
- Choose your measurement segments (ie the marketing channel, customer groups, etc)
- Choose your goals (ie for eCommerce selling products)
Setting Up Your System
- Set up Google Analytics on your Website
- Set up Goals in Google Analytics
- Set up Filters in Google Analytics
- Set up Campaign Tracking (and possibly Adwords Tracking)
- Set up Summary Dashboards and Reporting
The Feedback Loop
The Internet is a Dynamic medium. Analysis abilities are changing and analysis feedback is constantly driving you to update and reconfigure your entire process.
The Measurements (Dimensions and Metrics)
Users
Visit Duration – Time on Pages
Number And Pages Viewed
Bounce Rate – Enter and leave site from one Page
Google Analytics Setup – A Bit More Detail
Properties – For Each Google Analytics setup you should have a couple properties (Desktop and Mobile)
Views – For Each Google Analytics Properties you should have at least three views. These could be an Regular Use View, Unfiltered view and a Test View.
Filters Applied to a View – You can exclude data which you do not want to consider. For example, removing employees (remove your company IP) or lower vs upper case being the same, etc. Remember that the filter works in the order in which you set it up.
Goals – Setting up what you want to control. Often items such as Destination, Duration, Page Count or Events. Note: eCommerce goals should not be set up here. Use the eCommerce tracking.
Goals can Also Be Funneled. Measure the pages leading up to the Goal. The funnel can be used to see how the users follow along to the goal.
Campaigns, Source and Mediums – Three mediums set up automatically. Organic search, referral, and none (directly to your site). More information comes from Campaign tags.
How About Some Reporting
Reporting Basics
NOTE – All reports can be “mixed” together. Such as Country and Browsers., etc. Reports can also be changed in how there are viewed, such as pie chart, etc. Reports that are customized can be saved for later use.
Date – The most basic setting to view data by a date range.
Built In Standard Reports – Browser, Country, Bounce Rate, etc.
Goal Reports – You can view reports as outlined by your goals.
Reports About Your Audience (Users) – There are standard reports like User Location, Behavior of users on the site, etc.
Reports About Acquisition – Where your Viewers are coming from, the effectiveness of your Adwords, etc.
eCommerce Reporting – Standard reports such as Product Performance, Sales Performance, Transactions Report, etc