Why understanding Google Analytics is so important
In this blog I hope to explain why I feel understanding How Google Analytics works is so important.
So to start with you probably think you have enough to deal with without being told you need to learn something new?
I get that, and this is not what I mean. I am not talking about becoming certified as to be honest it is a hugely powerful tool that requires a certain amount of technical understanding to implement and manage all of the advanced features.
However what I do mean is to understand the very basics of what it is and how it can assist you in making better business decisions.
So very quickly what is Google Analytics? It is a free tool that enables you to understand what, where and why  is happening  on your digital assets such as your website or mobile app.
In a nutshell, a small piece of code is inserted into you app or website that tracks visitors with all kinds of information about where they have come from, how they found you, and what they did while on your site.
It does not give you the name of the person, although there are other tools (paid for) that can tell you with some accuracy.
Why would you want to know this information? Well depending on your site or app it is often the case or at least should be that you are trying to give them a great experience and asking them to do something, for example, download something, purchase something or sign up to a newsletter. Some of these are micro conversions such as joining the newsletter list and some are what we call macro conversions i.e. purchase something or create an account.
What Google Analytics will do is help you understand if this is happening, how often and why. My setting up Google Analytics correctly you are able to measure how successful your marketing activities are and if they are driving revenue generating actions.
So why should you care about this when the web team deal with it? Its quite simple really, having all this data is useless unless you actually make decisions as a result of it. By understanding the right questions to ask you will be able to determine what's working and what's not.
All the data is available and there is some amazing reports that can be generated. Where are visitors coming from? Do they return? How long do they stay? What device do they use? What browser are the using? The list goes on and on and on.
My point is by taking the time to understand the basics and what can be done you can then ask the right questions and get so much more information and ensure you get the very best ROI from your digital assets.
So dont let all that fantastic and free information go to waste, understand the Google Analytics are there to assist you in meeting you business goals and not just a fancy tool for techies.
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Author- Speaker - Consultant. Passionate about all things digital.