How do you know if you’re getting results from your website? If you’re scratching your head, it might be because you don’t have a way to track your site’s activity. That’s why Google Analytics has become so popular among small businesses. It helps you track who’s visiting your website and what they’re doing while they’re there. And it’s free. Find out what you need to know about this simple yet helpful tool to track traffic to your small business’ website.

Why Is Tracking So Important?

You’ve made an investment in your website so you want to see a return on it. Google Analytics helps by providing information to make smarter marketing decisions. It provides basic information like how many people are visiting, how long they stay, and whether or not they return.

But it also provides deeper insights into your customers’ behavior. The tool helps you observe what potential customers are doing while they are on your website. Which parts are they looking at? What path do they take online?

Here are a few of the additional pieces of information you can get from Google Analytics:

• What operating system and browser visitors are using
• Where they geographically are located
• What type of device they’re using (desktop, tablet or mobile)
• What key search words are drawing them to you website

Knowing this information might help you determine what to emphasize in your marketing campaign. It also can help you determine where tweak your website to make certain parts easier to use.

Getting Started

It’s easy to start tracking your website. There are help pages that guide you. First, you’ll need to sign up for a free Google Analytics account. Look for the Create an Account button and follow the instructions. You will need to provide some basic information about the website you’d like to monitor.

Next you’ll set up a property (website) in your account. That will give you a tracking code that you add to the pages of your website that you want to track. Now you can customize what is being tracked and what reporting you will receive.

Google also offers free online classes to help you learn more. Many are self-study so you can progress at your own pace and on your own schedule. They also include instructional videos.

Start getting the most from your website with tracking tools like Google Analytics. Get the information you need to make better marketing decisions and to grow your small business.