Google Analytics for One and All!

I had the pleasure of presenting to roughly 100 attendees last night at the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau meeting held in the beautiful Lookout Pavilion at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina. The topic du jour was Google Analytics. With an audience comprised of Travel Council partners (local businesses invested in the CVB) that have widely varying backgrounds, we had to present content that was compelling to both beginners and experts alike. Here are some of the concepts sharing from the evening:

1. Qualitative data vs quantitative data: understand that Google Analytics is excellent at dealing with quantitative data, but if you are searching for the “why?” type of data (i.e. why do people leave my shopping cart), you need to look outside Analytics.
2. You will not break Google Analytics: for the new, intimidated users, don’t fear Analytics. It is not possible to influence, change or delete data within the interface.
3. Google Analytics is like a big city: approach Analytics like a vacation to a large city. Determine your particular area of interest before diving in, and spend your time in this one area until you have the understanding you are seeking. Don’t try to see everything at once.
4. Manager level employees are the “Mayor of the (Analytics) City”: individuals leading digital marketing teams should help guide the team with bigger data decisions. Start by defining 3-5 website goals, assigning team members to those goals, and monitoring their progress. Managers should avoid asking vague questions or questions dealing in very short periods of time, as they will not yield data trends and often aren’t statistically valid.
5. Websites are a process, not a project: your website isn’t finished once launched. You should always seek to improve your site. Use Analytics to determine the areas that need improvement, and focus on these areas. When evaluating changes on your website, use this process: State the Business Problem, Hypothesize the Cause, Validate the Hypothesis with Quantative Data, Confirm the “Why” with Qualitative Data, and Test Your Solution.

See the entire presentation deck below and share with us how Google Analytics improves your business!