Feedback Form

Google Analytics

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.





Google Analytics - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Brimm's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Related Forum Posts Article Feedback
Article Feedback No article feedback found.
Leave Your Feedback

Related Articles Related Articles
Google Analytics - How Accurate is it?
  After an intensive study and analysis for over 2 months it has been found that Google Analytics is most likely to give you not more than 86% accurate results. Be it your online conversions or on-site goals fulfillme...
Google Analytics - Just the Facts
  It happened one day that I opened up my MC panel on Google Analytics and there they were, on the Keyword Tool, bright and shining....NUMBERS! Real, hard, cold search volume numbers, not just the 1-10 green bar scale...
Google Analytics
  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 feeli...
Website Analytics – A Necessity for Growing Your Business
  Installing a good website analytics program on your website is simple and costs nothing. There are many small business websites that have not taken advantage of the amazing information they can retrieve through an i...
User Behavior Data The New Measure of Search Engine Optimization
  User behavior data is being used by search engines to interpret search results. This has been proven to be the case on Google through tests that have been conducted.

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
Testing and Tracking Online Marketing Strategies Testing and Tracking Online Marketing Strategies
Re: Kevin's Forum Mastermind Group Re: Kevin's Forum Mastermind Group
Statcounter / Google Analytics Statcounter / Google Analytics
*Hot Topic: Do you use your website statistics?* *Hot Topic: Do you use your website statistics?*
Most Useful SEO Tools For Webmasters Most Useful SEO Tools For Webmasters
Re: *Hot Topic: Do you use your website statistics?* Re: *Hot Topic: Do you use your website statistics?*
Redirect Script and Tracking Redirect Script and Tracking
Re: How To Pick Keywords To Rank For Re: How To Pick Keywords To Rank For

Related Forum Posts Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors

To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

About The Author


Mark Brimm
(Visit Mark's Website)
Mark Brimm is founder, Director of Search Marketing, co-proprietor, and lead consultant at Interface Communications Group (www.123interF ACE.com and www.Interfac ePR.com), a search engine marketing company based in the Houston, TX area. Mark has been consulting companies ranging from Fortune 5's to SMBs for over 15 years in the areas of Web Branding, Web Marketing Plans, Web Advertising, Web Publicity Campaigns, and Web Startup Consulting in addition to Search Engine Marketing, with scores of articles in circulation to his credit around the web. Interface considers new clients based upon the merit of the project and free available time. Join his SEMinsider newsletter at 123interface.com/newsletter.htm for all the best SEO and SEM tips, as well as valuable Web Marketing deals from partnering sites, just for being a member.
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Mark Brimm's

Complete
List Of
SEO
Articles

First Name
Last Name
Email
Which is bigger?
Giraffe or Mouse
 
If you enjoyed this article, get Mark Brimm's Complete List of SEO Articles For FREE!

More Mark Brimm
SEO Clients The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Google Analytics
Advice for Web Startups Web Startup Kings Do It Thus
What is Press Release Optimization
The Negative Hype About Blog Comment KeywordRich Links
Google Analytics Usability The Myth of TrafficProfit
Why Isnt SEO Easy
5 Rules on Planning Your Startup Website Business
Google Analytics Just the Facts
Become An Author


 
 
 



Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
Have A Suggestion?


Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell