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Google Analytics

Written by: Mark Brimm

Article Overview: A growing number of SMBs with a web presence are discovering the simple joys of Google Analytics. It's true that so many software brands exist now that can blow whistles and ring bells that outstrip the Google feeling, but how effective is the bang-for-buck of the high-priced analytics solution for the average startup site?

Google Analytics

I came. I saw the flashing lights. I was hooked.

I like them all. The expensive programs and memberships. Click-through "heat maps". How is a boy to contain his glee with all the hyper-real analytical motion and fashionably business-like bleeps going on? Trouble is, for most startups such paid analtical solutions are prohibitively too expensive if there is no one on staff available with the dedicated time to learn how to use one of them--which is most every business owner and marketing department director out there today, with some happy exceptions.

What Google Analytics brings to the table is a hefty serving of what analytics can be most readily used for and a good bit of muscle to boot. They just don't put it into the form of an interactive city or with infrared click-map precision, but with adequate precision for most web-newbie businesses, nonetheless.

If your company is toying with the idea of analytics solutions that come in a box and require memberships and even licensing fees, be sure to get your feet wet with Google Analytics first. It's (trumpets here)...FREE! It gives a rapidly expanding array of metrics, funnel goals and statistics and will prepare you for the real world of high-priced solutions that may otherwise prove unweildy and slow to pay off if you're "fresh off the analytics boat," as no one has ever said until just now.

When you are ready to take the jump, however, compare based on some basic guidelines:

1) Can this solution help us to cover everything we're able and ready to measure?
2) Is this solution too expensive for the ease factor it lends to web analytics tracking?
3) Will someone on staff be available to evolve with this solution as it changes over time?

Compare and try out as many solutions as possible when you're ready to graduate from Google Analytics, but don't expect it to get easy. People have devoted their entire lives to learning how to measure and predict traffic, and buying a packaged software solution is not going to flatten out the learning curve. There are options, however, that come with educating oneself. For one thing, you'll be able to effectively screen and hire a qualified consultant for the task if you roughly understand the tool to be used. Eventually, you may want to offer to either hire the person on, have them train that person for a generous fee, and just continue to outsource it. Hey, if you understand what they're doing and the benefit of doing it, it's fine to keep it outsourced indefinitely. In a pinch, you'll understand how to take over the task if needed. The important thing is to start your journey, Skywalker. It's one thing to know the path. It's quite another to walk the path.

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Article Tags: google analytics, smbs, web presence



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Re: What I Enjoyed Reading This Week - June 11 - Hi Evan, Thank you for the reading material. I look forward to the general release later this month as outlined in the 'Google Analytics To Add Search Query Data From Webmaster Tools' article. Anything that helps us to understand maximise extra data from Google Analytics can only be of benefit. regards, Mal.
Statcounter / Google Analytics - Hi TheAnonymousMan, I use Google Analytics for my official stats and for my advertisers because you can slice and dice the information into almost anything you like. The only downfall I find is that the information is not live - you have to wait until the next day to get your stats. For live stats I use StatCounter. I also find that their email reports are more convenient than Google's because you get it in the actual email instead of a PDF file which saves time. StatCounter also allows you to send email reports for specific sections. I'm not sure if Google has this functionality built in yet.
*Hot Topic: Do you use your website statistics?* - Greetings All I would like to know the type of website statistics software you use to track the number of people who visit your website/s? E.g Awstats, Google Analytics, Sitemeter etc. Also, do you use this data to make changes to your most popular webpages or simply use the figures to sell advertising? If you do NOT use a statistics software package I would like to know why. I look forward to your replies. Kind regards TheAnonymousMan
Most Useful SEO Tools For Webmasters - Hi, My name is Jeff, I work for WebBizIdeas.com and we are developing an article called "50 Most Useful SEO Tools for Webmasters." We have ranked & listed our top 30 SEO Tools but want to get your opinion on what SEO Tools are most useful to you; as Internet Business Owners. Google Webmaster Tools Google Analytics Google Alerts Yahoo Site Explorer SEOBook.com Keyword Research SEOBOOK.com SEO For Firefox Tool SEOBOOK.com Search Engine Rank Checker SEOBOOK.com Back Link Analyzer SEOChat.com Keyword Difficulty Compete.com Quantcast.com Alexa.com Archive.org Stompernet Site Seer Technorati.com PRWEB.com ADDTHIS.com SHARETHIS.com EzineArticles.com Scribd.com Squidoo.com YouTube.com StumbleUpon.com Reddit.com Digg.com Del.icio.us Wikipedia.org Flickr.com NewsVine.com Yahoo Answers NOTE: When you list your answers please include a description on what the site is, why it is important to you, and your experience please....we may include it in our article. Jeff
Re: Ranked #1 in just over 7 weeks - Thanks guys. You're right GT. It's jsut a matter of doing what needs to be done. Analytics is starting to show the results a bit too.


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