Google has put in place a great business plan tailored for success. One of the ways in which Google aims to retain its loyalty base is by offering its users free Google analytics. Success is always dependant on long term symbiotic relationships and Google knows that you need to "give a little to take a little."
So, since 2005 when Google acquired Urchin it is offering analytical software for free. The software benefits small businesses and offer a comprehensive statistical program that can be used to construct future business plans on.
- The first step in the process is to sign up. Once registered Google will begin to gather data.
- Google analytics has three reporting types: Executive, Marketer, and Webmaster. Each type has a comprehensive set of reports that can be used by the business to understand the user or consumer needs and view the direction the business is proceeding in.
- Apart for the three categories, Google Analytics has two additional options: Marketing Optimization and Content Optimization.
Google Analytics is a dream come true for webmasters as it brings at the click of a mouse for no cost quality reporting. For e-businesses Google Analytics gives insights on who buys, what they spend, what people are looking for, and what keywords are used by the World Wide Web Surfers.
The service shows you how surfers have used your website and gives you ideas on how you can enhance user experience. They give tips on how your e-business can make money.
To benefit from Google Analytics you need to have a Google AdSense account and the sign up is by invitation only. The Google Analytics software creates a detailed report on: the performance of your site, visits by new and returning visitors, where in the world your visitors are originating from, which search engine they are using, and whether or not they are using any web site referral. The analytics software gives a thorough breakdown of the top five referring sites, the search engine keywords used, as well as campaigns. Google Analytics covers the referral, direct as well as organic. The site overlay mechanism will tell you how efficient your web pages are and whether the page design and content are perfect. It will also earmark which pages on your website are popular with visitors.
All the data generated can be used in the creation of marketing strategies and future business plans. The greatest advantage of Google analytics over industry giants like Webtrends or Web Side Story is that it offers immense statistical analysis for free.
One drawback of Google Analytics according to experts is that it cannot capture "spiders." And so it will not tell you how spiders are mapping your site at any point of time. If one could determine how a spider maps your pages then you would be able to spider perfect your site. And incase you have pages behind firewalls then Google Analytics will not view these pages. To benefit from Google Analytics you need to use the data generated. And you must use the tool effectively with Google Adwords and Adsense. Google Analytics can help further your position in the ongoing SEO wars. If you need help there are workshops on "getting the most out of Google Analytics," which train you on using the data to increase profitability.
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