Google Analytics provides a powerful way to improve your business website. Using real data to fuel changes you make instead of simply making those that you think might be beneficial is more productive and effective. Make sure that you’re integrating the following ways that Google Analytics allows you to improve your business:
1. Visitor Location
Just because your business is based in one country doesn’t mean that all your visitors are from there as well. Instead, use Audience on the sidebar to access Geo and then Location. You might find that using the country view’s map overlay feature is too broad. Obtain more useful information by accessing the city level by clicking on City under the map. This information enables you to modify your business approach to better match your visitors’ needs.
In Google Analytics 4, open Reports, Demographics, Demographic details, and set City as the primary dimension. Use Add comparison for Source/Medium to see which campaigns drive visitors from metros and regions. Align geo-targeted paid search, distributor landing pages, and content offers with cities and states showing buyer interest.
2. Using Benchmarks
One of the most useful features of Google Analytics is the Benchmark. Accessing its tab provides you with a wealth of information comparing you to your competition within the same industry. Even though it’s likely that not every single one of your competitors is using Google Analytics, this tool still provides you with a general idea of how your business stacks up against others.
Using statistics like the average time a visitor spends on your site when compared to your competition gives you a better idea of how you compare. You can also use that information to facilitate changes to your website so you can capture more of their attention.
3. Browser Compatibility
Regardless of your computer skill level, you want to make sure that your website supports the browsers your customers are using. In Universal Analytics, use Audience > Technology > Browser & OS and Audience > Mobile > Devices. In Google Analytics 4, open Reports > Tech > Tech details and set Browser as the primary dimension. Add Device category as a comparison and prioritize fixes for combinations showing low engagement or high bounce. While it’s easy to assume that most of your customers are using Google Chrome — the browser has captured almost 60 percent of the global market — that leaves the other one-third out of the loop if your website isn’t compatible with the browser they do use. If you don’t enable your website so it can play nice with a range of browsers, you could potentially be losing a lot of business.
It’s important to remember that Google Analytics is simply a tool that you can utilize to help you gain more information. While it isn’t the end-all-and-be-all solution, Google Analytics does provide you with valuable information that you can apply to make your website better.
