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.