Conversion Rate Optimization Minidegree — CXL Institute Review #8
Introduction to Google Analytics
As I mentioned in my first few blog posts, in this series, I am going to talk about conversion rate optimization (CRO). This blog is part 8 of the 12 reviews that I would be publishing based on my learnings from the CXL Institute’s Conversion Rate Optimization Minidegree program. This post is all about Google Analytics.
CXL Institute offers some of the best online courses, mini degrees, and certifications in the field of digital marketing, product analytics, conversion rate optimization, growth marketing, etc. I am a part of the Conversion Rate Optimization Minidegree program. Throughout the series, I would be discussing the content of the course as well as my learning and thoughts about the same.
If you are unemployed, underemployed, or interested in learning more about marketing from some of the best in the industry, look into the 12-week Minidegree scholarship program from the CXL institute while the offer is still available.
Who should apply for the CXL Institute Scholarship?
If any of these describe you, you should apply:
- You are looking for a serious transformation in your career, and are willing to put in the hours to accomplish that transformation.
- You are not afraid of hard work.
- You embrace any challenge you face and are determined to do whatever it takes to succeed.
- You are a self-driven individual that takes the initiative to learn.
Introduction to Google Analytics
According to the future learn, Data analytics is a rapidly growing area of expertise. According to data experts Domo, it’s estimated that for every individual on earth, around 1.7MB of data is created every second, the equivalent of the average mobile web page. What’s more, this data is growing at a nearly exponential rate, meaning that almost 90% of all data has been created in the last two years
Analytics is part of Google´s Marketing platform and it has 2 main packages. One of their packages is meant to support small businesses and it only includes Google Analytics features. The second package is the enterprise edition package and has more advanced features to be able to work with websites at an enterprise level.
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google. It helps website and app owners (both organizations and individuals) track and report on all kinds of data from their users. Google purchased the web statistics analysis company Urchin in 2005, forming Google Analytics shortly after. Since its launch, it’s grown to become the most widely used web analytics software on the internet.
Google has been making improvements to the platform since its launch, adding new features, refining their approach, and making the tool essential for just about every online business. At its heart, Google Analytics gives companies the chance to understand their customers through the data they produce.
Besides Google Analytics, Google Marketing Platform also includes google tag manager and Google Data studio and their goal is to:
- Collect information through a tracking script with Google tag manager
- Store the information in Google’s databased with google analytics
- Generate reports on the details being stored with google data studio
To install GA on your website it can be done via:
- built-in integrations
- copy and paste tracking ID
- using tag manager
Google Analytics Types of Reports
There are different types of reports that you can generate with google analytics and below are explained the main ones. Adreiana Belei in her post described these reports in great details —
GA real-time reports
These reports give you an overview of who is on a certain page at a particular time. It reveals active users on a page and how long they stay. You can also segment the information and display the activity for the events set up and track if they are set up correctly.
These reports shouldn’t be used to make marketing decisions their only purpose is to make sure everything is set up and running correctly.
GA audience reports
They answer the questions about who your users are and where they are coming from. In GA user means a client ID, meaning that a user that visits a website is assigned a client ID to be able to track how many times the user is visiting the website, its location, gender, and age group.
The main aspects you can analyze in audience reports are:
- Demographics:
- Interests
- Technology
All these reports are to give a better idea of who is getting on the website and if the same as your target market. What channels are bringing more traffic and purchases. You can make some tests to make sure the information is right.
GA acquisition reports
These reports answer the question about where your users are coming from and how did they find you. It analyzes if your traffic came from social media, organic search, referral, or other sources. The combination of the 2 tools can give you more insight into what to improve in your content strategies.
GA behavior
These behavior reports answer to what actions your users taking on the website. It shows specifically what landing pages are users seeing first, does that information make sense. You can also see which landing page is generating the most in terms of transactions. These reports matter to understand how they are compared to each other.
GA conversion reports
In terms of conversion reports, you can analyze what are the results of all your users' actions and for that, you can analyze goals, eCommerce and multichannel funnels.
Review —
I find the CXL CRO Minidegree very insightful. The instructors are champions in their fields and they know exactly what they are talking about. Being an experimentation analyst, I understand the importance of experiments (A/B testing) and I have seen numerous examples where the outcome of the test was contradictory to public opinion. The emphasis on testing and learning from it is something that I admire the most about the course.
The material that I went through for the eighth week helped me understand the basics of google analytics plays a vital role in optimizing the conversion of a website. Everything about the course is so descriptive. Something, that can be easily implied in real-world scenarios/ and business problems.
The detailed walkthrough of performing user experience research and quantifying the results into actionable insights. I am eager to learn more about experimentation during my week #9
That’s all folks. See you next week!
