Using Analytics to improve your website’s performance and flow

What are Analytics?

Simply put, analytics is a study of how users interact with a website, software, or product. Google Analytics allows for nearly infinite data on how visitors interact with your website.

Examples of Analytics insight include:

- Where does the majority of your web traffic come from?
- Which Social Media channels generate the most visits so you know where to concentrate your efforts?
- Which pages do visitors view, in what order, and for how long?
- Which pages do visitors exit (bounce) on?
- What zip codes account for the most visitors?
- What percentage of visitors convert to leads?

While there are literally thousands of insights you can gain from Google Analytics, these are some great places to start for a brick-and-mortar business like yours.

I already have Google Analytics running on my site. What am I looking for?

How do I get a Google Analytics account?

Create an Analytics account. Go to google.com/analytics. To create an account, click Start for free.

How to insert my Google Analytics script on the website

Option 1 (easiest) — Click on the chat icon in the bottom right of this page and let us know you'd like to add Analytics to your site. We'll add the code for you!

Option 2 - DIY

Log in to your Site Dashboard and Navigate to Edit My Site. Type "Scripts" into the search bar.



Click on the "Scripts and Software" menu item and navigate to "Header Scripts"



Scroll down until you see Google Analytics. Paste your Global Site Tag here.

Look for "Global site tag (gtag.js)". Your Analytics page tag is the entire section of code that appears, beginning with: <!-- Global Site Tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --> and ending with </script>

Case Study 1: Bounce rate and bounce pages

After gathering some data from your Analytics Script you might want to run a few tests to see if you can improve your site flow. The first place you should look to improve is your bounce rate.

Keep in mind that the VAST majority of your customers are not ready to submit a call-to-action on their first visit. In fact, our studies show that the average brick-and-mortar membership-based business has a sales cycle of 6 months. That means that the SAME visitor may visit your site regularly for 6 months before making a decision for a free trial or initial membership. If you see a bounce rate in the 95%+ range do not be alarmed. This is the normal average.

Next you’ll want to learn which are the most commonly “bounced” pages. Our studies show that the most bounced page for your business type is the Pricing Page. If a site visitor has never paid for professional services before the sticker shock may cause them to look elsewhere. But don’t be alarmed into lowering your rates with this information — they will soon learn that your pricing reflects other similar professional services.

Now that you’ve know your most-bounced page(s), conduct an experiment. Your ModSites software allows you to make quick, easy changes to improve your bounce pages. Examples include:

- Changing the copy and/or images on that page
- Using a pop-up with a limited-time offer on your high-bounce page
- Enable the Pricing Lead Tool which allows you to capture a lead’s information in order to access pricing

Evaluate the results

After you make only 1 change to your site’s high-bounce page, set a reminder for 8 weeks from now. Log back into your Analytics account and see if that page’s bounce rate changed. If the bounce rate went down, you know the change had some positive effect. If it went up, then you should revert to what was there before.

Then continue to make a single change every 8 weeks until you notice a plateau in improvement.

Case Study 2: Traffic Source

“How do I get more leads?”

This is the one question we get asked most often. But — in order to answer this question — we first need to address “How do I get more visitors?” Remember: Visitors become leads. Leads go through your sales process. Leads become customers.

The answer to how do I get more visitors will be different for everyone. But the first place to start is with Google Analytics. Specifically “Traffic Source.”

Common traffic sources are:

- Social Media
- Typing your URL directly into a browser
- Email and newsletter
- QR codes on printed material

After you learn your top traffic sources you will want to learn your most popular entry pages. The entry page is any page on your website with a unique URL. This could be anything from your Home Page to a random blog you wrote 5 years ago that is still being shared across the web.

A case for landing page and special offers: We have an extensive library of marketing campaigns, landing pages, event pages, and blog content. We recommend that every ModSites user take advantage of these tools to publish a new landing page or promotion at least every quarter. Ideally, you should do this monthly. At first these efforts will not generate a ton of leads. But — eventually — you’ll learn the types of offers that regularly convert.

Updated on: 17/02/2022