Analytics is the art of, well, analyzing web marketing data and using the results to find ways to improve your marketing. Web data analysis pays off; for example, you can determine who is shopping and when, or which products are hot or not.
Keep these points in mind to get more bang out of your marketing buck:
Reports do not equal analytics! Reports are the data. Analytics is the act of looking at the data and gaining actionable insight.
Focus on page views and visits, not hits.
Make analytics a part of your daily routine. Don't wait weeks to look at the numbers.
Be sure that your traffic-reporting tool ignores visits from your office. You don't want that data messing up your results.
Watch your referrers, especially referring search keywords. Referrers can tell you how to get more traffic, where to advertise, and how to tailor your site to visitors' needs.
Have a plan for adjusting. If you see a trend in your analytics that changes are needed, how will you act on it? The power of analytics is using it to improve your business.
Keep an ear on the noise. If you see fluctuations that don't appear to make sense, consider the entire environment — news reports, unrelated product reviews, and even weather.
Set key performance indicators (KPIs) and track them consistently. KPIs may include Contact Us form completions, lead form completions, and sales. Track them for the long term, and commit to it. KPIs are the ultimate measure of success.
