How to use Google Analytics and its data

Don’t know who’s visiting your website? And where did all those clicks and inquiries you expected disappear to? If you’ve ever invested in a website, ads, or social media, it’s time to find out what’s really happening behind the scenes. Google Analytics tells you exactly who, how, and why someone comes to your site - and why they leave. In this guide, we show how to use Google Analytics without stress or panic.

Don't know who your website visitors are? You’re not alone. If you run a small business or trade, you’ve probably asked yourself more than once:

• Why am I not getting more inquiries?
• Where do my visitors come from?
• Why don’t people complete their purchase?
• Why don’t people contact me?

...especially if you’ve invested in building a website, are paying for ads, and are trying to stay active online.

There are specific answers to all these questions. And they come from a completely free tool - Google Analytics.

What does Google Analytics actually tell you about your website?

Google Analytics doesn’t give opinions or make assumptions. It gives exact numbers and data about the behavior of people who visit your site.

Here’s what you can find out:

• Total number of visits - How many people visit your website
  You can see the exact number of visits daily, weekly, monthly - and compare different time periods.
• Traffic sources - Where these people come from
  It shows where visitors are coming from. Did they click on a Facebook ad? Come through a Google search? Social media? Referrals from other websites or someone sent them a link via WhatsApp?
• User movement on the site - What they do once they arrive
  How long do visitors stay? Which pages do they view? Where do they most often drop off?
  You might discover, for example, that most people leave the page right at the checkout step. That immediately tells you something needs fixing - maybe the payment process is too complicated.
• Conversion tracking - Are conversions (actions) being tracked?
  You can measure how many people filled out a contact form, made a booking, or purchased a product.
  If you see most inquiries are coming through Facebook ads, it means it’s worth investing more budget there.

How to get started with Google Analytics?

Even if you’ve never used Google Analytics, it’s not a problem. The steps are simple and don’t require too much technical knowledge.

Here’s what you need to do:
1. Create a Google Analytics account
Visit analytics.google.com and sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have one yet, you’ll need to create it first (e.g., Gmail).

2. Add your website
After logging in, Google Analytics will guide you through the process of setting up a so-called "property" - that’s the technical term for your website within the tool. Just enter the website name, URL, and choose a few basic settings.

3. Connect the site to the tool
This is the only step where you might need help from a web developer or digital marketing agency, as you need to insert a tracking code (a small piece of code Google uses to monitor traffic). If you’re using systems like WordPress, Wix, or Shopify - there’s often a simple option to connect without manual coding.

4. Wait for initial data
After the connection is set up, you’ll need to wait 24-48 hours for the first visitor data to appear.

5. Open the basic reports
In the Google Analytics interface, you’ll find menus with reports such as:

• Number of visits (how many people visit)
• Traffic sources (where they come from)
• Behavior (what they do on the site)
• Conversions (what they actually did)

To begin with, it’s enough to check the reports a few times a month to get a feel for what’s happening on your site.

What is GA4?

GA4 is the version of Google Analytics that officially replaced the old Universal Analytics in 2023.

GA4 is different because it tracks users, not just pages - it looks at what a user does throughout the entire "visit" to your site, not just which pages they open.

1. GA4 also focuses on events, and everything is measured through actions: click, scroll, video play, add to cart...
2. You can track user behavior across multiple devices and platforms as one unit. For example, someone first views your offer on your website via laptop, then later completes the purchase in a mobile app. GA4 connects this as one user journey.
3. It automatically measures important actions like page views, searches, link clicks - without extra setup.
4. Better privacy protection. It’s built for a future without cookies and with more and more tracking restrictions.

Who should use GA4?
Everyone. If you have a website, you’ve already been moved to GA4 - or you should have been. Old data from Universal Analytics is no longer tracked.

Why should every website owner use Google Analytics?

...because guessing is expensive. Numbers are free.

When you know what works and what doesn’t - you can make better decisions:

• Save on ads because you know which channels bring results
• Improve your website because you see where people are getting stuck
• Get to know your customers - which devices they use, how often they return, which pages interest them

The point of using Google Analytics is to get accurate information that helps you improve your website, and therefore the user experience for your visitors.

If Google Analytics feels like just another tool you don’t have time for - that’s understandable.

Zona Plus, our digital marketing agency, helps small businesses with everything, including understanding their own results. And of course, we’re here for you if you want to know:

• why your website isn’t delivering results
• where you’re losing visitors
• or how to get more out of advertising

Don’t guess if the data is available - track what’s really happening on your site.

Have a question or want help with Google Analytics? Contact us.

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