Web analytics is the process of measuring and analyzing traffic statistics or traffic on a website. Generally, every business performs some data analysis, and it is used to determine sales, profits, loss rates and market interest. However, in terms of building a strong e-presence, you need tools that can be used to collect the data needed to promote your site.
We may use Web analytics to see how effective our marketing campaigns were, identify and fix flaws in our online services, and construct customer profiles to increase the profitability of our advertising and sales activities. The ability to interpret and use data offered by consumers, rivals, and partners is critical to every successful organization.
What Is Web Analytics and How Does It Work?
On the page, most web analytics solutions will add code, usually in JavaScript. The web analytics tool will use this code to track each page’s receiving or clicking on a link. Other information, such as the device, browser, and geographic location, may be collected by this code (via IP address). Online analytics websites commonly use cookies to track individual sessions and discern repeat visits from the same browser.
What Is the Importance of Web Analytics?
Web analytics delivers statistics in the form of information that may improve the user experience for visitors to a website. We can optimize our website to get the conversions we want by understanding user behaviour. Web analytics, for example, could show the most popular pages on your website, and you could then add shopping links to these sites.
Tools for Website Analytics
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a free Google service that displays statistics on website visitors. However, Google Analytics can track visitors using information from referring pages, such as search engines, advertising, pay-per-click networks, email marketing, and links in PDF documents.
Furthermore, when using AdWords, it can evaluate the success of AdWords ads on Google. The following are some of the features present in Google Analytics:
- Its purpose is to see visitor on the website in real time
- The function of the audience is to observe the audience in terms of demographics, interests, location, behavior, browser, operating system, and device, among other things.
- Acquisition’s job is to keep track of all website traffic, as well as Google advertisements, search console, social media, and campaigns.
- The purpose of behavior is to see how our website performs in terms of content, speed, search, event, and publisher.
- Website goals, e-commerce, and multi-channel funnels all fall under the category of conversion.
Crazy Egg
Crazy Egg makes use of Heatmap technology to show what site visitors are doing on a Web page. This tool displays where visitors move their mouse and click on the page. These tools are not free; instead, they come in a variety of price bundles.
Metrics
Spring Metrics is a straightforward online analytics program. You’ll get real-time analytics and conversion data using Spring Metrics. There are also services for determining the best conversion sources, keyword research, landing page research, and email performance reports.
Kissmetrics
Kissmetrics is a web analytics application that allows you to track individual visitors’ movements across web pages. You may monitor how behaviour evolves, uncover patterns, and view the most common and recent referrals, among other statistics, using Kissmetrics.
Woopra
Woopra is a web analytics application that allows you to track analytics in real-time. However, Woopra is a live visitor statistics program that tells you where your visitors are from, what page they’re on, where they’re on the site, and what browser they’re using.
In addition, Woopra can also engage in live chat with any site visitor. This can be a useful tool for interacting with customers on an e-commerce site. Furthermore, Woopra has a restricted free plan as well as several paid plans.
Best Practices in Web Analytics
Qualitative research and testing findings can be greatly aided by web analytics. The following are some recommended practices to remember in this field:
Encourage a data-driven decision-making
Find out what you can do to enhance your KPIs after gathering the necessary data to determine whether you have reached (or failed to meet) your objectives. Is there any high-value content that isn’t generating any traffic (based on user input to the website)? Use user path analysis or engagement analysis of top sources for that page to figure out why. Use the tools for experimentation and testing to try out alternative options and determine the optimum placement for that page that creates the most engagement.
Don’t only give traffic reports
Visits, pageviews, top sources, and top pages are only the tip of the iceberg. Large figures might be deceiving; just because there is more traffic or time spent on the site does not imply success. Reporting these figures is mostly for show; after all, what does 7 million visitors have to do with your program’s success?
Always provide data with insights
It’s pointless to report analytics to your stakeholders without insights or connections to your company or user goals. Demonstrate how the website data reveals areas of success and improvement to make the data relevant and meaningful.
Avoid being too snapshot-focused
The richer and more sophisticated web experiences currently happening online are not captured by focusing on visits or examining solely inside a given time period. Pan-session metrics, such as visitors, user-lifetime value, and other values that provide a longer-term understanding of people and users, allow you to assess how well your website performs as it matures and interacts with visitors, particularly repeat visitors.
Communicate with stakeholders clearly and concisely. Be consistent in the information you present, understand your audience, and be aware of your system’s flaws, which you should report to your stakeholders.