Maximizing the Potential of Google Analytics – WPCAST016

In this episode, we go beyond the basics of Google Analytics and talk about how you can use it effectively.

The Changelog

• David making progress on Ninja Forms Zapier integration, MailChimp email opt-in plugins
• Doug going to WordCamp Providence over the weekend

The Core

Google Analytics Overview

• Tracks the visitors on your website
• The right choice for 99% of sites
• Upgrade to Universal Analytics – advanced features and it will become the standard

What Plugins To Use:

• Google Analytics for WordPress (by Yoast)
• Google Analyticator
• Segment.io (aggregates multiple analytics services)
• In settings, make sure to exclude logged in users

Choosing KPIs

• Vanity metrics vs. actionable insights
  • Vanity: pageviews, time on site
  • Actionable: conversions, revenue, etc.
• How To Get Started Measuring Online Marketing ROI (David’s blog post)

Proper Setup

• Goals
  • Track events, assign values to conversions, create goal funnels
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IzxqN0WLjM
• E-commerce Revenue Tracking
  • Depends on shopping cart
  • Easy Digital Downloads E-commerce Tracking plugin by Dan Lester from WP G Login
• Events, e.g. “clicked buy now button”
• Need help? Julian at jjanalytics.com

Segmentation

• Example: number of leads you got last month from your SEO campaign
• Make segments based on demographics, traffic sources
• Video tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0rgxe-4QAY

Dashboards

• The Perfect Google Analytics Dashboard

Tips & Tricks

• Majestic Casual Deep House – YouTube channel
• iStatPro – Mac dashboard widget for stats like CPU/memory usage, temperature, etc.