How to use web analytics to help your SME business

The importance of web analytics and where to find them

Your website is your online showroom. It's where you draw people in and turn curious visitors into loyal customers. This is especially crucial for smaller businesses and start-ups trying to make their mark. But what if your visitors aren’t sticking around or converting into sales? It's easy to blame the design, but the real issue might be deeper. Do you really know what your visitors are looking for and how they navigate your site?

In our competitive digital world, knowing how visitors interact with your website is no longer a luxury – it's a necessity. This is where web analytics come in, unlocking valuable insights into your website traffic, how visitors behave, and how well your website is performing overall.

We look at what web analytics are, why they're crucial for your success, some key metrics to keep an eye on and where to find the tools for that all-important competitive edge.

Discover more on how to get the most out of your business website.

What are web analytics?

Web analytics tell you the story of your visitors' journey – how they find you, which pages capture their attention (and don't), and ultimately, if your website’s achieving your business goals.

Just some of the key metrics you can track include:

Find other valuable digital performance metrics and how to measure them in this helpful article.

Why is it important to track and measure website performance?

Your website is a powerful tool. But without web analytics, you’re effectively doing business in the dark. Keeping an eye on your website’s performance is a must if you want to know how visitors use your site. By digging into key metrics, you can uncover user behaviour, spot areas for improvement, and make smart decisions to enhance the user experience.

For example, if you notice a high bounce rate on a particular page, it could mean it’s confusing, missing information, has dull content, or there's a technical issue. Fixing these problems can lead to happier users who stay onsite.

Web analytics can help highlight its full potential through:

Smarter decisions

Forget guesswork or wishful thinking. Web analytics provide cold hard facts about what marketing works, the content visitors like, and where people are dropping off. This lets you make smarter decisions about your website and marketing strategies.

More sales and leads

A website should be a conversion machine. Web analytics pinpoint areas for improvement, allowing you to refine your site and convert casual visitors into paying customers.

Better user experience

A clunky website frustrates visitors and can cause them to leave your site. Web analytics show you what pages people like and where they get lost so you can create a user-friendly experience that keeps them happy and coming back for more.

Stay on top of trends

The online world changes fast. Web analytics help you identify trends in user behaviour and preferences, so you can adapt your website and marketing to keep pace with what your audience wants.

For more, check out our guide on How to Use Analytics to Market Your Business Better.

Website analytics to track

So, what does website analytics include, and what can web analytics tell you? The answer can paint a detailed picture of how people interact with your website. This invaluable information can help you attract your ideal audience, optimise it so it’s easy to navigate, and support your business goals.

Click-through rate (CTR)

The CTR measures the success of your online marketing, campaign, or webpage. It’s a simple percentage calculated by dividing the number of clicks an ad receives by the number of times it’s shown (called ‘impressions’), then multiplying by 100. A higher CTR means your ad is catching eyes and attracting customers.

Sessions

Sessions track each new visitor's arrival or return after 30 minutes and their activity (clicks, page views) until they leave. This helps you understand how many times people visit your site so you can see how it’s growing.

New vs. returning visitors

Website visitors fall into two camps – new arrivals and familiar faces. New visitors need content that introduces your business and offerings. Returning visitors might be looking for more in-depth info or exclusive promotions. A healthy mix of both audiences means you’re doing well.

Bounce rate

Bounce rate reveals the percentage of visitors who leave after just one page. A high bounce rate might mean your website isn't grabbing attention or offering what visitors want. It could also point to slow loading times, confusing navigation, or a mobile experience that needs refreshing.

Average session duration

Think of session duration as measuring visitor attention spans. The longer, the better. It shows your website is capturing attention and providing the engaging content people want to stay for.

Page views

Page views reveal the average number of pages someone looks at during a single browsing session. Higher numbers mean users are dipping deeper into your site – a clear sign of interesting content and smooth navigation.

Top performing pages

What content are people enjoying or using most? Identifying what’s popular helps you tailor your strategy, prioritise similar high-performing content and improve less engaging pages.

Exit pages

Not all journeys have a happy ending. Exit pages reveal the last pages visitors see before leaving your site. Analysing these top exits can pinpoint areas where interest dips or navigation gets murky. And if people are stuck at checkout, streamlining the experience here might save those almost-completed sales.

Traffic source

Traffic source data reveals if people find you through search engines, social media, paid ads, or by typing your URL directly. This helps you focus your marketing efforts on the channels that attract the most visitors.

User demographics

Understanding your website visitors goes beyond numbers. Knowing their age, gender, location, and interests allows you to tailor your marketing messages, personalise campaigns and content, and craft offerings to match your target audience.

Web analytics tools

The good news is you don't need a team of data experts to unlock the power of web analytics. There are plenty of user-friendly tools readily available to analyse your website data, making them perfect for businesses of all sizes, including:

Google Analytics

A free tool offered by Google, Google Analytics is a fantastic starting point for most businesses. It provides in-depth insights into everything from where your visitors come from (traffic sources) to the content they like best (content engagement). You can even track specific goals, like how many people sign up for your newsletter or product sales.

It also has a simple, intuitive design and easy-to-understand reports, making Google Analytics a great choice for both beginners and experienced users.

Adobe Analytics

Adobe Analytics is ideal for bigger businesses with lots of website traffic and complex data needs. It offers detailed analytics, enhanced reporting, and advanced features like segmentation (where you can separate your website traffic data into smaller, more focused groups). While it comes with a cost, Adobe Analytics provides a customisable deeper dive into your data.

Search Console

Another free tool offered by Google, Search Console checks if search engines can easily find and understand your website pages. It also reveals any technical problems stopping your site from ranking higher in Google’s search results. By fixing any issues, you can make it easier for potential customers to discover you online.

SEMrush and Ahrefs

Although they’re not exactly web analytics tools, SEMrush and Ahrefs help you understand what keywords people are searching for and which websites dominate those searches. By taking a peek at what your competition is doing to attract visitors, you can improve your website's content and marketing strategy to add to your online appeal.

What is the difference between data analytics and web analytics?

While both analyse data to help you better understand your business, they focus on different areas.

Web analytics focus on your website traffic data and user behaviour to help you understand how visitors find you online and what they do while they’re there. Acting on these insights can also help you appear in specific Search Engine Results Pages (SERP) features like Featured Snippets and Local Packs, driving more targeted traffic to your site.

Data analytics take a broader view by analysing business analytics that don’t pertain to your website only. Some examples could be sales figures, social media engagement, customer surveys, to help you identify patterns across your entire business.

Together, website and data analytics give you a clear picture of your customers and business. It’s a winning combination that lets you make data-driven decisions designed to boost your business success.

Discover more insights and SEO advice in our Easy SEO steps for beginners and Unlock SEO success articles.

Website analytics let you see how visitors navigate your site, what marketing campaigns hit the mark, and how well your pages perform. With these data-driven insights, you can make smarter decisions, get more customers, and stay ahead of the curve. The result? A website for business success.

How to turn data insight into business action

So how can analytics help you make a better website? Here are seven great ways:

1. Spot popular content:

   By checking which pages get the most traffic, you can see what content your audience loves. Use this info to create more of what works and tweak the stuff that isn’t pulling its weight. For instance, if a blog post about a specific product feature is a hit, you might create more content around that feature.

2. Boost user experience (UX):

   Use heatmaps and session recordings to see where visitors click and scroll the most and interact with your site. Identify and fix UX issues like confusing navigation, broken links, or slow load times. A smooth and intuitive user experience for websites keeps visitors around longer and encourages them to keep exploring.

3. Increase conversion rates:

   Track user journeys to see where visitors drop off. Use A/B testing to try different versions of landing pages and learn which design and content work best. Small changes, like adjusting where you place a call-to-action button or changing the headline can make a big difference.

4. Improve SEO:

   Look at search engine data to see which keywords bring in the most traffic and tweak your SEO strategy to increase visibility and drive organic visits. Tools like Google Search Console give you valuable insights into how your site is doing in search results and which queries are bringing in visitors. New to SEO? Read our Easy SEO steps for beginners and Unlock SEO success articles.

5. Know your audience:

   By examining demographic data, you can tailor your content and marketing strategies to better meet your audience's needs. This can include adjusting your messaging, creating targeted promotions, or developing new products or services that match their preferences.

6. Measure ROI:

   Web analytics lets you track if your marketing campaigns are working as well as expected. Discovering which ones drive the most website traffic and conversions lets you focus your time and budget on strategies that bring the best returns.

7. Measure success.

   Are you reaching your target audience? Are visitors signing up for your newsletter? Are you getting the sales you expect? Whatever success looks like for you and your business, website analytics provide clear and measurable data.
   
   

For more on how web analytics can help you take your business website to the next level, see how to use analytics to market your business better.

How to measure web traffic

Website traffic analytics might seem complex at first glance, but there are plenty of user-friendly tools to help you understand your audience and website performance. Here's a streamlined approach:

Choose your analytics tool

Most website hosts offer basic tools, but for something more detailed, consider Google Analytics. It's free and provides in-depth traffic data.

Access reports and dashboards

Your chosen tool will provide easy-to-understand reports and dashboards that visualise your preferred metrics like sessions, traffic sources, and user demographics.

Analyse and take action

Identify trends, areas for improvement, and how effective your marketing is. Ask yourself questions like: “Are visitors finding what they need?”, “What content do they prefer?” to help you focus on what’s needed most.

Download our step-by-step guide to finding KPIs in Google Analytics below to access our Top 10 website analytics.

Tracking these essential website traffic metrics gives you a clear understanding of your audience and their website interactions. Armed with this valuable data, you can make informed decisions about your content and marketing strategy to attract more visitors and convert them into paying customers.

To learn more, see our guide on How to Use Analytics to Market Your Business Better.

For an all-round approach to website success, visit our Easy SEO steps for beginners and Unlock SEO success articles packed with SEO advice.

Web analytics are essential to understanding what’s clicking with your audience and what’s falling flat. By using these invaluable insights, you can transform your site into a magnet that attracts visitors, improves their experience, boosts engagement, drives conversions and tracks success.

Want to learn more about how to improve a website? Chat to one of our V-Hub Digital Advisers for 1-2-1 personal advice.