How Google Analytics Data Can Improve Your Online Sales

How Google Analytics Data Can Improve Your Online Sales

James E. Hein
Written by James E. Hein
February 17, 2016
google_analytics

Are you are an online business owner who is troubled by the lackluster sales performance? Have you tried various means and methods to boost online sales only to find your efforts ending up in smoke? Are you desperately trying to take your business to a whole new level but finding it difficult to achieve success?

If you silently nodded in approval to one or all of the above questions, you don’t have to go any further to find answers to all your online business troubles. In fact, the answer lies just in front of you in the form of Google Analytics.

Here you will learn how to increase online sales using Google Analytics reports. Google Analytics tool allows you to do more than just obtaining insights about your website’s online traffic. You can also use the Google Analytics data to improve online sales.

Below are 10 ways to improve sales using Google analytics data.

1. Identify Source of Online Traffic

Determining the source of online traffic will allow you to find out the impact of the digital marketing campaigns. Are you running an AdWords online campaign? Have you advertised on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others? You can find all that using the Google Analytics data.

C:UsersJyotiyDesktopMY TIS IndiaImagesIdentify Source of Online Traffic.jpg

You can access the traffic source report by clicking Traffic Sources under the Visitors tab in Google Analytics. In this screen, you can find out information about direct traffic, referring sites, and search engine traffic. You can also find out the keywords that users type to reach the site. Moreover, if you properly tag the paid search results and outbound emails they will appear in the Campaign section allowing you to determine their impact and ROI.

So, how can you use the information about traffic sources to boost online sales?

The simple answer is that it allows you to focus all your marketing efforts in advertising activities that are most effective in bringing additional online customers to your website. Using this information you can know whether you need to allocate more to social media ad campaigns, SEO, affiliate marketing, or search engine AdWords campaign to bring maximum ROI.

2. Remarket by Setting Up Event Tracking

Do you ever wanted to know how many times online visitors have clicked on your blog subscription link, chat box, or a specific link on the website. You can perform all these tasks using the event tracking option in Google Analytics.

By setting up event tracking you can be able to create a remarketing audience who are interested in making a purchase. This will increase effectiveness of the online thereby allowing you to improve online sales.

3. Analyze Google Timeline Data

C:UsersJyotiyDesktopMY TIS IndiaImagesAnalyze Google Timeline Data.jpg

You can analyze timelines in Google Analytics to gain better understanding about your online visitors. By using this information, you can find out the time during which visitors tend to visit the websites and/or make a purchase. Using the timeline, you can analyze hourly, daily, and monthly website traffic.

The gathered through will allow you to choose the best time to launch a website campaign, discount offers, perform site maintenance and other tasks resulting in improved sales.

4. Conduct Advance Comparisons

C:UsersJyotiyDesktopMY TIS IndiaImagesConduct Advance Comparisons.jpg

Another way you can devise ways to improve sales is by conducting advance traffic comparisons. For instance, you can compare non-mobile vs. mobile traffic, conversion rates during different time of day, paid search vs. non-paid search and various other comparisons. You can utilize the information in fine tuning your digital marketing campaigns to bring maximum returns on investment.

5. Create Custom Reports

54c2d3ab-6721-4dcd-9e10-b5f1e6ddff01_image04

By creating custom reports in Google Analytics allow you to avoid having to visit several different screens to gain the required information that you think will boost online sales. Custom reports greatly reduce the time spent on sifting through various data to obtain targeted information.

For instance, you can create a custom report that shows important data of online visitors from different digital marketing channels such as search, social media marketing, and others all in a single page. You can then use this information to retarget your online ads and improve online sales.

6. Make Use of Demographics and Interests Data to Effectively Target Your Audience

analytics_reports

You can make use of Demographics and Interests segment in the Audience report in Google Analytics to better target your audience. The tool allows you to see the age, gender, and interests of the users that have visited the site. You can also use this tool to know which segment have a higher conversion rate. The information you learn from Google Analytics demographic and interest report to create targeted ads with increase chance of online sales.

[Tweet “Discover how to increase online sales using #GoogleAnalytics reports”]

7. Learn About Bounce Rates

Bounce rates is another important data that you can obtain from Google Analytics. The information allow you to know the percentage of online visitors that ‘bounce’ back from the site once clicking on it. If the bounce rate is high, you can take appropriate measure like improve the overall appeal of the themes. This will not only reduce the bounce rate but also improve online sales.

8. Create Custom Alerts

It is possible to create custom alerts to inform you about certain events. For instance, you can create custom alerts to determine when the online traffic from a particular site drops or increases by a certain percentage. In this way you can take appropriate measure to resolve the problem.

9. Focus on Exit Pages

You can also determine pages that the customers visit before leaving the page, known as exit pages. Knowing about the exit pages will allow you to know where to put the call to action to increase conversion rates.

10. Most Visited Pages

You can use Google Analytics tool you can find out the most visited pages. By learning about which pages attract the most customers, you can reword the content of that page to ensure that it results in maximum conversions.

On an ending note, the information that is provided by Google Analytics reports will help you to significantly boost your online sales. Using the Google reports, you can develop ways to improve sales and attract qualified targeted customers to your site.

 

Originally published February 17, 2016 - Updated April 15, 2019
James E. Hein
James E. Hein is a web developer with 10 years of experience. He has immense interest and knowledge in the technology area. He is also working as a strategist in projects related to business and technology. You can follow him on Twitter.
Guest Post Form

We have brought thought leaders, influencers, visionaries and veterans to our tribe. Now it’s your turn. If you have something worthwhile to share with a large community of savvy testers, go ahead and pitch your post idea. We’re listening.

EXPLORE OUR POST GUIDELINES

CATEGORIES Blog

[hclightbox id='5' text='Anchor text']