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Use Google Analytics

6 Ways to Use Google Analytics You Haven’t Thought Of

 

Google Analytics is a vital tool that determines the progress of any website. Even after being so popular, digital marketers focus on using it in the end phase of marketing. At the same time, it should be used to understand the target customers right in the foundational phase. 

 

Before moving further, let’s look at the importance of Google Analytics and how you can use it.

Google Analytics gives access to a huge amount of information related to how users interact with your website. With Google Analytics, you can identify how many people have visited a specific page. In addition to that, you can also see how long they have remained there and the performance of each keyword. 

With the help of Google Analytics, you can access the data as it happens. The real-time feature tells you what has happened in the last few minutes. It also tells you about the location of your audience. You can analyze what language they speak and how long they have been on the site. The traffic source tells you how the audience has found your website. It helps to see how a page is performing or how much revenue is being generated. There is also a content section that provides insight into where users are landing on your site. 

Most of the time people use Google Analytics for some of the basic tasks, but many other things can be taken care of by this amazing service. Let’s look at six more ways in which you can use Google Analytics. 

 

1. Multi-Channel Conversion Paths

If you think conversion data alone can help you determine the user’s path, it’s time to reconsider. Usually, it is about the different touchpoints taken by a user to get to your website over a period of time. 

Let’s look at this better with an example. A customer finds your website through organic search and returns via the social network a few days later. He comes back for the third time through an email campaign the next day. After a few hours, he returns directly to make a purchase. 

Considering the last-click model of Google Analytics, this customer is recorded as a direct source conversion. This is incorrect since it was a series of touchpoints that led to the conversion. 

Now, this path to conversion can be analyzed easily using the Multi-Channel Funnels Top Conversion Paths report. This report allows a person to see how marketing channels support each other when it comes to a user’s path to conversion. 

This is how you can set up the MCF report.

  • Sign in to Google Analytics. 
  • Navigate to the Conversions icon.
  • Click onto Multi-Channel Funnels.
  • Now select the Top Conversions Paths.
  • Set up the advanced segmentation.

While going through the Top Conversion Paths Report, you will notice some patterns. These patterns help to understand where you can allocate the funds to improve these conversions. You must tailor your views based on the desired conversion, filter to a specific medium, edit the dimensions by adding a landing page URL. 

 

2. Comparing the Traffic Source & Conversions by Market

Marketing channels work differently but together towards conversions. But what if you are stuck between multiple markets. For example, international audiences behave differently as per their markets, which means you do not have the same marketing plans across different countries. Read our tips for SEO niche markets.

You will have to compare traffic sources and conversions per country to decide how and where to allocate resources. It is only possible to know this with the help of advanced segmentation in the Goal Flow report available in Google Analytics. 

Setting up Advanced Segmentation in the Goal Flow Reports in six simple steps. 

  • Sign in to Google Analytics.
  • Navigate to the Conversions icon. 
  • Select Goals.
  • Click on Goal Flow. 
  • Set up the report segment to the region, city, or country you are analyzing. 
  • Set up the report filter to source/medium or channel grouping. 

 

3. Retention & Acquisition

Now that you know how to check the conversions, you need to be mindful of the path where a user disengages. 

Apart from the points mentioned earlier, you need to examine when a group of new users begins to initiate a few sessions and view pages less. This ultimately leads to the generation of less revenue. It can be determined using the Cohort Analysis Report. 

Follow these steps to view the Cohort Analysis Report. 

  • Sign to Google Analytics.
  • Click the Audience icon. 
  • Select Cohort Analysis.
  • Set the Dimensions. 
  • Set the Metrics. 

How to Set Up the Cohort Analysis Report? 

Here is the fun part. Configuring the report is how you can build your cohort to analyze. Make the following changes. 

  • Cohort Type: The only current option available is the Acquisition Date. 
  • Cohort Size: The time frame that tells each cohort (day, week, and month).

Multiple metrics determine how you view and use the data. While reading the Cohort Analysis Report, you may see that the transactions increase overall. However, if it dives down in the next few days, you will be able to re-engage the users. To do this, you can set an email campaign that offers discounts and also advertise new products. 

Pro Tip: For national and international accounts, do not forget to segment by market.

 

4. Measure Flash Sale Success

With different holidays approaching, you can use a Cohort Analysis Report to understand the buying behavior of new customers per holiday campaign. 

You can analyze short-term marketing efforts, like holiday sales, by comparing the metrics like Revenue per User and Transactions per User. You can take notice of how revenue per new user compares across the dates when each holiday campaign runs. 

To configure the report for short-term marketing analysis, the metrics and dimensions should be as following: 

  • Segment: Market
  • Cohort Size: By Day
  • Cohort Type: Acquisition Date
  • Date Range: Select the Date Range of flash sales
  • Metric: Revenue/User or Transaction/User

Example: Cohort Analysis Report for a Short-Term Marketing Effort: 

A company is running a holiday flash sale and shares a sale code through Instagram advertisement on 16 November 2020. The following week the company’s affiliates share special discounts to their audience. The total revenue generated per holiday sale can be tracked via Cohort Analysis and tell us the value of the new users that are generated from the flash sales. 

 

5. Conversion Probability

One of the most amazing parts of Google Analytics is its ability to use machine learning to see what affects the customers’ likelihood to convert. Gathering the insights from the interaction of the audience enables the marketer to make the advertisements and content of the website more relevant. 

Making use of the same data modeling that is used in Smart Goals and Smart Lists, Google Analytics calculates a user’s preference to convert over the next few weeks. The users are assigned a probability score that ranges from a low probability to high probability.

To calculate this conversion probability, Google Analytics needs the following pieces in place:

  • Ecommerce tracking must be implemented.
  • Ecommerce must generate 1,000+ transactions/month.
  • Once past the 1K per month mark, Analytics will require 30 days of data to check.  

This probability report enables you to create a traffic segment built from the probability buckets and apply those segments to the reports. This segment allows you to answer questions as follows:

  • Which channel delivers the most likely converters?
  • Which conversion path is effective?
  • Does it make sense to reduce the budget for the campaigns that are the least likely to convert?

Here are the ten steps to harness the power of conversion probability: 

  • Open Google Analytics
  • Select Audience
  • Select Behavior
  • Select Conversion Probability
  • Open the Conversion Probability Report
  • Now click the icon that is to the far-right within the percentage conversion probability bucket
  • Name the conversion probability segments
  • Enable the view that needs the segment available
  • Click Create Segment
  • Apply to the segments

 

6. Custom Google Analytics Dashboard

The journey of a customer is written in data. Each touchpoint adds value and volume to the pool of data. 

You might encounter two hurdles while handling this information:

  • It is difficult and costly to analyze. 
  • Not enough people have access to marketing companies. 

When developers explore a website structure, they need the information to make the case to upper management. On the other hand, when marketers create case studies to showcase the capability, they need the information to define success. 

Google Analytics comes with a default dashboard that provides basic insights into visits and conversions. The default Dashboard is a starting point; however, the value of Google Analytics lies within the ability to see the answers to an organization’s important questions. 

Finding the data is extremely hectic and often an overwhelming task. However, there is a very cost-effective way to extract this data. You can invest in a customized Analytic dashboard that displays the metrics you need. 

Here are the five steps to an Actionable Google Analytics Dashboard.

  • Sign in to Google Analytics. 
  • Click the Customization icon.  
  • Click Dashboards.
  • Click Create.
  • In the Create Dashboard, select: 
  1. Black Canvas (no widgets)
  2. Starter Dashboard (default set of widgets)
  3. Import a prebuilt Dashboard from Solution Gallery

 

Conclusion

As a marketer, it is essential to make data a top priority to understand what a customer wants. It further enhances the marketing strategy. However, you will be required to dig deeper and look beyond the surface level metrics to understand customer behavior. This helps to nurture the relationship between your business and your target audience, which ultimately increases revenue.

This Google Analytics guide consists of the six ways in which you can optimize its use and make sure you stand out from your competition.