The Benefits of Using Google Analytics for Small Business
By Helen Mc Fadden
Working in a
small business requires the wearing of many hats. From submitting the correct
accounts to revenue services, managing HR issues to being a top-notch marketing
person that understands all the latest and greatest ways to communicate with
people. This is all in addition to the daily managing of your small business
and it applies to any small business from fitness, travel, plumbing or a
gardening store. The commonality is that your time is valuable and there never
seems to be enough hours in the day and you can’t afford to waste it.
Do you know if
are you busy solving the problems you think your customers have by giving them
more information that you think they need but ultimately, they don’t care about?
Well, if you don’t measure it and you don’t have analytics attached to your
blog or website then this is how you could be spending your time. Time, is the
most valuable asset you have in your small business and it needs to be spent
wisely.
For instance,
if are operating a small gym you will likely have your website created and a
blog attached. You may have the ability for people to sign up for classes on
it. You have noticed that no one is using the feature to sign up. Without analytics
there are no metrics to understand this so there are assumptions made on the
why. When you add Google Analytics to your website you could determine that
there is significant traffic to the page but no one is booking the classes. This
allows a couple of options, firstly test the links and make sure it works. If it
does then that’s not the answer and it doesn’t then get them fixed.
Suppose all
the links work, you could add another class at a different time, because it
turns out its not the feature that wasn’t working but the times didn’t match
the needs of the people searching for classes.
These decisions
can be made because Google Analytics are showing you how people are using your
site. It will allow any small business to make improves based on the actual
interactions your customers are having with your website or blog. If you are in
the fitness industry you can see what videos or articles people find interesting
and you can add more of that content. It allows you to showcase yourself as an
expert in the industry you are working in. You can ultimately:
-
Set
goals that you can measure and manage
-
Analyze
problems and solve any correctly
-
Improve
your business performance
In conclusion, Peter
Drucker sums it up well “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”
Great insights, Helen. Though GA takes time to set up, learn, implement, etc, it really seems like it does pay off in the long term...Once you get the hang of it! As you explained, time is the most valuable asset of small businesses, so I guess GA can help you work smarter, not harder.
ReplyDeleteAlso, great point regarding Analytics helping to assess what may be working, or indeed not working on your site. Brilliant tips on checking links.
I found the below Hubspot explainer blog very informative too, for someone like myself still trying to get to grips with it.
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/google-analytics
Time is one of the most valuable resources we have and I do agree with Ciara(above) that even though it will take time to learn this tool, it will pay off in the long run. I would also say that Google Analytics helps with the overall customer experience and that is something all businesses generally strive for - a good customer experience.
ReplyDeleteI see yourself and Ciara have both used the same quote from Peter Drucker - probably need to read his stuff if you are both quoting him :)
Otherwise, some good information. Date is key.
You had a lot of great callouts here, Helen. I absolutely agree that time is valuable for small companies and it should be spent wisely. I think that people often forget that while small business have to watch what their budget is spent on, they also have to treat time the same way and that adding a tool like Google Analytics would be so beneficial. Linking how to use the tool to real life examples that a lot of people in the fitness industry are facing right now is a great way show just how useful putting a little time into learning GA is. You have me convinced!
ReplyDeleteHelen you are right, small business owners do wear many hats and their marketing abilities have become so much more vital to their success. I do believe Google Analytics has made it extremely accessible for businesses to stay relevant in this digital age. I like your industry example you have of the Gym it nice to get get a real example of how Google Analytics may be helpful in a real life situation Very interesting points overall on Google Analytics.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I agree with the statement that small business owners wear many hats. Small business owners are most definitely time-poor and usually have a lot of different jobs to juggle. Having Google Analytics is a helpful digital support tool to any business, by monitoring your audience, figuring out who your niche customer is and tailoring content to fit them will help improve business performance. Great example using the fitness industry, it gives a better understanding of the benefits and why businesses should use Google Analytics.
ReplyDelete