Analytics Can Revolutionize Your Business

in e-commerce, Increased Sales, Lead Generation, Social Media

Let’s Talk Business.

We live in the digital age. As a small business owner, you have your fancy website. You also have an extensive email list. Sometimes, you write an inspiring newsletter. Your millennial assistant is even on top of your social media! What more could you ask for? (Here’s a hint: it’s analytics.)

You almost have all the right things going for you but unfortunately, you’re walking around this digital age blind.

What if you didn’t track your revenue? You just let your business make money and you paid your employees a “fair wage.” First of all, you would be a fish out of water come tax day. Second, your business wouldn’t be around for much longer. Most importantly, you wouldn’t know where your money was coming from or going to. That’s a scary thought.

It’s the same thing when it comes to digital media. Without analytics, you have no idea where people are coming from, how well your website is performing, if people are actually reading your insightful newsletter, or if anyone is noticing you on social media.

This is where analytics come in.

Oh no! Not the dreaded “A-word” you’ve been avoiding since you started your digital endeavor! Look, I’m by no means an expert with this “A-Word,” but I do know why it’s important. Now, let me open your eyes!

Before I get to the why, I have to point out: It’s FREE! What more do I have to say?! Well, you might have to pay your millennial a little extra for the training and monitoring, but that will soon pay its dividends. GOOGLE ANALYTICS. FREE. END OF ARTICLE. (If you need more convincing, read on.)

But why does my business NEED analytics?

First, analytics track your website data. Not only will you know where people are coming from (search, organic, referral), but what they are doing when they get to your site (how much time they spend there, what pages they are viewing most, what pages they are exiting from, etc.). Furthermore, if you have any type of e-commerce on your site, this information is VITAL. You can see exactly how the consumer is walking through your site to make their purchases. All of this information lets you understand how well your site is performing. You can know which parts are not performing well and FIX THEM. You probably paid someone a lot of money to develop your website. Don’t let it go to waste.

Second, analytics let you see your return on investment. Is throwing your money at Google AdWords and other digital campaigns paying off? Now you’ll know! You’ll be able to see exactly how people are searching for you. Keywords are extremely beneficial for your business’s website. They help you rank higher in search engines. With analytics, you’ll know the exact words people are using to find you. You can also know which words you’re missing and ADD them so that people CAN find you.

Third, analytics track your social media endeavors. Love it or hate it; social media is here to stay. It’s how your customer interacts with you. Think of it as utility marketing. It’s what makes your customer feel warm and fuzzy about you. Is your millennial posting engaging material? Analytics let you see all of the “likes,” “tweets,” “pins,” etc. It even lets you know if your social media platform referred a new customer to your site.

Finally, analytics keep track of your email marketing. Are people signing up for your newsletter? Are they clicking on your promotions? When and how are they interacting with your emails? Now you’ll know if that weekend you spent pouring your heart out into that newsletter was worth it! Email the people that WANT to read your emails.

It’s time to jump aboard the analytics bus.

To conclude, analytics may seem overwhelming at first. However, they will elevate your business to a whole new level. There is a trove of information out there on how to use analytics. Google even has an Analytics Academy! This covers things like fundamentals, principles, mobile analytics, etc. It’s time to release your apprehension when it comes to the “A-word”. You don’t need to become an expert. You just need to monitor it occasionally to know exactly how people are interacting with your business. Yelling at people to buy your product/service doesn’t work anymore. Analytics helps you find potential customers so that you can educate them and transform them into delighted and valuable advocates.