Hello, Nick Ponte here. I’m a small business owner in Maui helping other owners around me survive and thrive in a digital marketplace.
Recently, I discussed a change to Facebook Analytics relevant for any business with a Facebook page, which is almost all of them. I also showed how business owners can still get analytics and insights for their social media pages.
This leads to a wider discussion: how can business owners get comprehensive, panoramic analytics for their entire web presence? As our economy increasingly goes digital, analytics is the best way to understand your customer and keep track of how well your business performs.
I believe that the businesses who know their numbers best can also learn to boost their web traffic, foot traffic, revenue, and ultimately their profit.
Also Read: 7 SEO Tools Real Experts Use Weekly
The Limitations Of Google Analytics
In an age where business seems to be dominated by Google, one may assume that the answer to analytics is simply using Google’s tool for it and calling it good.
This isn’t far from the truth, but it’s definitely not the full picture. There are still many things that Google Analytics CAN’T do for you, that are worth considering.
For one, it can’t really show you your social media insights. Facebook and Instagram have begun to influence e-commerce like never before. If you’re a small business owner in Hawaii, you need social media profiles to help you keep up. They can also help you as you break into e-commerce, a fantastic way to boost your revenue.
It also can’t show you historical data, the things that occurred before you signed up. Or more complex things like page-by-page analytics and heat mapping.
So, they form one piece of the puzzle. But there are other tools you can use to ensure you get everything.
Also Read: Equipping Your Website to Become a Powerful Marketing Platform
How to Ensure You Get the Full Picture
Here’s the playbook to getting well-rounded analytics for your website and social media profiles:
- Adopt Google Analytics ASAP.
First of all, you have to adopt the basics.
The best time to get basic analytical tools for your website and social media profiles was the day you started them. The second best time is today. This is especially important because of the above point that you never see historical data from before you plugged in.
The first step toward getting Google Analytics is to get set up on Google My Business (GMB). You’ll want to do that anyway because it helps you customize the information users see when they search for you through Google. After that, it’s time for Google Analytics.
Visit this link to get started. It will give you the ability to connect your website and business.
- Use Facebook Business Suite and Insights for Social Media.
Now you can use Google Analytics for your website. The next step is to see data for social media. Visit the Facebook Business Suite by following that link. Getting started with them unlocks a plethora of tools for your business profiles, plus analytics.
Facebook Business Suite (FBS) is a collection of tools for your business’s Facebook and Instagram profiles. Click on the link above to get started. They’ll give you access to a host of useful tools, plus analytics, called Facebook Insights.
Facebook Insights is a bit hidden away in Facebook Business Suite. Once your business is set up within FBS visit business.facebook.com. If you’ve followed the steps so far, you’ll see an overview of your business. Next, click on the menu icon and scroll down until you find “Insights.”
- Get Google Page Analytics
Google Analytics can only get you so far. I also recommend using a Chrome plug-in called Google Page Analytics. This additional tool gives you a page-by-page analysis of your website. With the right settings, you can see a sort of “heat map” that shows you where users go on your page, and where they click the most.
The tool also shows you who comes to your pages, how long they stay there, and which links perform the best. This helps you improve your user experience in ways you couldn’t with the basic Google Analytics Tool.
- Don’t Lose the Personal Touch
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, remember to stay engaged during your real interactions with customers. Analytics and data can only get you so far. Maybe someday we’ll be able to tell things like “first impression” and “lead quality” from numbers alone, but I doubt it. There’s something special about human intuition. Analytics are useless without it.
It’s like the scene in Star Wars where Luke Skywalker turns off his targeting computer and uses the force to destroy the Death Star. Sometimes, you have to turn off your own targeting computer and hone your instincts.
A well-developed intuition for customers and opportunities may be one of the best “analytics” of them all. I use every analytics tool at my disposal without discarding my instincts, and they seem to balance each other out.
If you want to boost your website’s performance like never before, reach out to us today!
Further Reading: The 3 SEO Moves Hawaii Businesses Should Make Right Now
Photos Courtesy of StockSnap and Myriam Jessier