Whether you handle your marketing internally or employ the assistance of an agency or specialist, it is critical that you learn how to decipher and gauge the metrics that reflect the performance of your website. If your marketing is managed internally, these skills will help you develop and adjust your strategy to optimize your site’s effectiveness and ROI. Conversely, if your website and digital marketing are managed by a third party, understanding your metrics will make you a more informed customer, keeping your vendor honest and helping you ensure that your dollars are being spent wisely.

Google Analytics is a popular and effective way to keep track of your website’s key performance indicators (KPIs), and it may surprise you to learn how easily the basics of the platform can be mastered. The first installment of this 2-part series will introduce you to the basics of the platform and teach you how to get started if you have yet to do so.

Getting Started with Google Analytics

If you have enlisted the assistance of an external marketing resource, they have likely already created a Google Analytics account for you, so be sure to ask for the relevant login information if you have not already. If you handle marketing internally and have yet to create an account, or your marketing vendor has neglected to do so, you can get started in a few easy steps.

1. Visit google.com/analytics and create an account by clicking the “Start For Free” button.
2. Connect your website to Google Analytics by setting up a property. The “property” in this case represents your website and is the point from which the platform will collect data.
3. Add a “view” to your property. This will allow you to track specific measurements of data as they pertain to your website.
4. Add a tracking code to your website. This step is crucial because the tracking code is how Google Analytics will track real-time data.

These steps and the corresponding links enable you to successfully create a Google Analytics account linked with your website. If your organization manages multiple websites, you can link them separately by repeating steps 2-4 above. You can then access each by clicking the “All accounts” section in the upper left-hand corner of your dashboard and selecting the desired site.

In the next installment of this series, we will delve further into the functionality of your Google Analytics dashboard and which metrics are gauged by each section. If you have not already, be sure to subscribe to our blog so you do not miss part 2 of this series.

Do you want to learn more about how your metrics can guide your overall marketing strategy? Big Buzz CEO Wendy O’Donovan Phillips offers free strategy sessions. Why is the session free? Because Wendy does things differently! This session allows you to get to know her team and vice versa. You can make sure the partnership is a good fit before you even shake hands, a mutually beneficial step that many agencies overlook. Grab your slot here!

Big Buzz is a marketing agency delivering a steady stream of move-in-ready leads to teams serving the senior living industry. For more than 15 years, Big Buzz has helped senior living marketing and sales teams nurture leads to increase occupancy, grow and scale. CEO Wendy O’Donovan Phillips is the author of the book Flourish!: The Method Used by Aging Services Organizations for the Ultimate Marketing Results, has been published in McKnight’s, has been a regular contributor to Forbes, and has been quoted in The Washington Post, ABC News and Chicago Tribune. The Big Buzz leadership team regularly lectures in front of audiences ranging from 25 to 3,000 attendees, including at Argentum and various LeadingAge chapters. Agency awards and accolades include recognition for excellence by the American Marketing Association, Gold Key Award Winner by the Business Marketing Association, HubSpot Academy Inbound Marketing Certification, and Top Advertising and Marketing Agency by Clutch.