3 REASONS WHY PEOPLE DON’T USE GOOGLE ANALYTICS BUT SHOULD!
1. Most people hate google analytics (GA) because it makes them feel dumb.
We get it...nobody wants to feel dumb.
Perhaps this is why most entrepreneurs spend the majority of their time trying to ‘fix their problems” by using only their top skills or interests.
Designers who are struggling will spend copious hours making their website look better. Accountants will clean up their books. Writers will try to write more interesting copy. Photographers try to take and post better photos…(are we right? <--yes that’s me)
You might be tempted to think that if you do more of what you are already good at, things will turn around. We are here to suggest that - even if it is overwhelming or intimidating - diving into some unexplored waters like GA is exactly what you need to do.
2. Most people hate google analytics because they don’t have time
We get it... add this task to the neverending list of things you have to do for your business.
Life was so much easier without the internet and ALL-THIS-GOSH-DARN-INFORMATION. Can’t we go back to the days where all you had to do is throw an ad in the paper and wait? (That’s how it went right?)
Unfortunately, in the age where ‘information warfare’ is actually a thing (OH.MY.GOD), it’s never been more true that knowledge is power.
The good news for you is that, well - you’re not fighting a war ( ), GA is easier to set up and understand than ever before AND really not many people are really using it!
Did we also mention that using GA can be a huge time saver? Why spend ages writing a blog about “Best wedding venues in Antarctica.” when your audience is in the U.S.? Why write more content on “Photographing Turtles in the Wild” if nobody at all cared about that last turtle-based blog you posted? Unless, of course, you want to transition into a new demographic by which of course GA will have insights on whether your marketing activities to reach these new people have been effective!
3. So many people don’t use GA because they are scared of what they’ll find
We get it… ‘bad news’ can be hard to look at.
You’ve spent hours developing your website and blog. You’ve invested a big chunk of change in Facebook Ads. You’re hopeful as ever that all your hard work is going to pay off HUGE. But GA is showing you anything but; high traffic/low sales, high bounce rates, dismal user retention... It’s disheartening to say the least.
But just like there is no such thing as bad publicity, there is no such thing as ‘bad data’!
Try to flip the script and rather than getting sad, get excited when you see something ‘bad’ in your GA account. Because that bit is a FREE and fantastic clue to help you fix something!
Why we love Google Analytics
Google Analytics is like your vehicle’s Check Engine light (but with waaaaay more detail). Sure, it can be a bit unnerving when it pops up - but for goodness sake don’t ignore it!
We LOVE Google Analytics because once you know what to look for you can figure out what your website visitors are doing. We make it our goal to check our GA account weekly so we can understand what our visitors are looking at, how long they stay on our website, where our traffic is coming from, and see what content is received well by our audience. From here we can set new goals with confidence.
So, be one of the brave few to really take a good look at your FREE (yes it’s FREE) Google Analytics and let it show you what decisions you could be making in your business to really reach your people and maximize your efforts. If you need help figuring it all out, download our (also FREE!) Guide to Google Analytics for Photographers.
