Google Analytics and Web Master Tools are important and useful tools in tracking website statistics. Unless requested otherwise, Oracast set’s up every website we launch with access to these free tools. We’d like to help our clients get the most out of these readily available statistics.
So, once your website is launched and your analytics tools are in place, how do you use these tools to your advantage?
Google analytics reflects three main metrics: acquisition, engagement and outcome. Today I would like to focus on engagement. How do you know your website is reaching the right audience and engaging your visitors?
Here are a few metrics we like to look at:
- Bounce rate (Ideally below 60%)
- Time on site (Above 60 seconds indicates an engaged visitor)
- Page views (The more, the better. Take note of which pages are trending)
- Pages per visit (The more, the better. Note blog pages)
#1 Landing Page:
One of the first statistics to check out is your homepage is your bounce rate. This will give you a good indication of how many of your visitors are sticking.
You have less than 5 seconds to capture your visitor with a clear message about why they are looking at your website, or they’re gone.
One of the main reasons people ‘bounce’ off websites is because of a lack of clarity. If your homepage bounce rate is above 60% it’s time to take a second look with fresh eyes. Show your website homepage to a few people who have never seen it before and ask them what your company does after 5 seconds. Do they know the answer?
Here is a good example of a clear landing page. Within 5 seconds it’s easy to tell Hootsuite is a social media management tool.
The top of the page is where visitors eyes land first. I usually recommend a clear headline supported by an image that quickly and clearly communicates what your company does.
#2 Popular Content
Take a look at what pages visitors are spending the most time on. This will help you to determine what content they really want from your website.
If visitors are staying on a page for more than 60 seconds, it’s a good indication that they are engaged.
Make note of the pages with the highest time spent and which pages have the most visits. This can be found under Behavior > Site Content >
Also look into your blog article statistics and determine which topics are the most popular and helpful to your visitors. Another way to find out which content is the most popular is by looking at the keywords people typed in to find your website in the first place. What are the most popular keywords on your site?
Increasing your engaging content will entice visitors to stay on your website longer and return again and again. Ultimately if you are providing content people are looking for, the number of visitors to your website will grow over time.
#3 Growth Patterns
Start with the default 30 days, and then change the date range to 3-6 months, and 1 -2 years (if available), and compare. Looking at the long term statistics will help you pick up on larger trends. Are there certain times of the year your traffic spikes or dips such as holidays?
It’s a good sign if there is a growing trend such as an increasing number of unique visitors, page views and time on site over the long term. If the patterns are decreasing, there may be some gaps in your content or SEO strategies.
Reach Your Online Goals
There are many important things you can discover about your website and audience by taking a look at your Google analytics. We recommend signing into your analytics tools at least once every three months and measuring up the stats to your goals.
We are here to help you reach the goals you’ve set-out to achieve. Let us know if you have any questions about your website’s analytics and we will be happy to help!
