This is a guest post from Andrew Merrifield of Max-E-Biz Ltd.
If you are reading this line then that’s a major step in the right direction!
For many businesses, who own a website, terms like Google Analytics are an immediate turn-off.
So well done for reading this far.
What I am attempting to do with this article, is to give you a quick overview as to why you might want to take some time to understand the subject, or at least the basics of this.
There is a management saying that goes something like:
If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it
Personally I am a great believer in this mantra, maybe you are too?
Or maybe you wish that you were.
Either way, I guess if you invested in having a website built by StudioRav you had a reason to do it?
Maybe you wanted it:
- As an e-commerce website to trade online. In which case you definitely need to read on.
- As a Lead Generation tool to provide sales enquiries for your offline business. You too should read on.
- As a brochure website. Like an online brochure about your business with the main aim of it being an easy way for anyone to check out who you are and what you do.
Google Analytics
Some of you will recognise the term and have an superficial understanding of what it does, others may use it extensively and others may not have any real understanding of it.
In essence Google Analytics has been the ‘go-to’ solution to allow you to understand user interaction on your website.
Since 2012** the version that has been widely used by those who wish to ‘manage their website’ is called Universal Analytics.
By ‘manage their website’ I mean you could get detailed information on topics like:
- Real Time (Activity)
- Audience
- Acquisition
- Behaviour
- Conversions
So, most of the things you would want to know to manage your website.
This is particularly important if you have either of website types listed above.
It’s even more necessary if you are paying to get traffic to your website such as by Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, SEO or Social Media.
Why? Because it allows you to measure your Return On Investment (ROI).
So the good news, if you didn’t know it before, is that there is a free resource available from Google that is capable of providing you with the ability to measure and manage your website.
The bad news is that Universal Analytics is being ‘sunset’ this July 1st 2023.
Enter…
Google Analytics GA4
GA4 is Google’s new website activity measurement tool and still free.
Here you can read in detail how GA4 works.
Takeaway
If you have a website that requires you to measure user activity, and potentially your ROI, you really should be using some form of Analytics package.
As Google Analytics and its latest version, GA4, is widely used there is a lot of support available to help you with it.
To manage your website development you need to measure activity, so install GA4 now.
If you need help managing your website get in touch with StudioRav, and Google G4 Analytics and Pay Per Click Advertising support from Max-E-Biz Ltd.
Useful links
**Google Universal Analytics
How Google Analytics Works
Google Universal End of Life – On July 1, 2023