If you’ve got a website and you’re not using Google Analytics, you’re basically driving with your eyes shut. Whether you’re running an established business or just getting things off the ground, Google Analytics is one of the most powerful tools available to help you understand what’s working on your site and what isn’t. The best part? It’s free.
In this post, I’ll walk you through what Google Analytics is, how to get started with it, and most importantly, how you can actually use it to improve your website and get better results.
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a free tool from Google that tracks and reports website traffic. It shows you how many people are visiting your website, where they’re coming from, what they’re doing once they land, and whether they’re completing the actions you want them to – like filling out a contact form or making a purchase.
There are two main versions at the moment: Universal Analytics (UA) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Google is now fully focused on GA4, so that’s what we’ll be covering here. If you’re still using UA, it’s time to switch.
Why Google Analytics Matters for Business Owners
Most business owners I speak to are too busy running their business to get lost in a sea of graphs and data. But here’s the thing – the insights you get from Google Analytics can help you:
- Understand how people find your site
- See which pages are performing well (and which aren’t)
- Identify where visitors are dropping off
- Improve conversions
- Make smarter marketing decisions
All of this adds up to a better-performing website and more return on your investment.
Getting Started: Setting Up GA4
If you haven’t already, you’ll need to create a Google Analytics account and set up GA4. Here’s a step-by-step guide from Google to help you get started.
Once set up, you’ll need to install the tracking code on your website. If your website is built with WordPress, we can help you integrate this properly during a website build or through ongoing support.
The Metrics That Matter (And What to Do With Them)
Google Analytics gives you a ton of data, but here are the key metrics you should focus on first:
1. Users and Sessions
These give you an idea of how much traffic your site is getting. Users are the number of people visiting your site, while sessions are the number of individual visits (some users will visit more than once).
If you’ve recently launched a new SEO campaign, keep an eye on whether your user numbers are trending upwards.
2. Traffic Sources
Knowing where your visitors are coming from can help you understand which channels are performing best. Are people finding you via Google search, social media, referrals, or direct visits?
This insight is great for knowing where to focus your efforts – whether that’s blogging, email marketing or paid ads.
3. Engagement Rate
GA4 has replaced the old bounce rate with something called engagement rate. It measures how many people actively interact with your site for at least 10 seconds or click a link.
If you’ve got a low engagement rate, it might mean your content isn’t relevant or engaging enough. Maybe your layout is confusing or your calls-to-action aren’t strong. That’s where working with a designer can make a real difference.
4. Top Pages
Take a look at which pages are getting the most traffic. This can help you:
- See what topics resonate most with visitors
- Improve internal linking to key pages
- Optimise high-performing pages for conversions
5. Conversion Events
In GA4, you can track conversions using Events. For example, tracking when someone completes your contact form or clicks your phone number.
Once you know your conversion rate, you can start making adjustments to increase it – whether that’s better copy, clearer calls-to-action or faster page loading times.
Using Google Analytics to Improve Your Website
Here are a few actionable ways you can use Analytics to improve how your website performs:
Spot High-Exit Pages
If a particular page has a high exit rate, it might be confusing or unhelpful. Check the content, layout and links. Are visitors getting what they expected when they landed on it?
Identify Poor Performing Devices
You can break down your traffic by device – desktop, tablet, mobile. If mobile users are leaving quickly or converting less, your site might not be mobile-friendly. We build all our websites mobile-first, so they look great and function well on all screen sizes.
Improve Site Speed
Analytics doesn’t show site speed directly anymore, but you can integrate with PageSpeed Insights to check your load times. Slow websites increase bounce rates and hurt your Google rankings. We regularly help clients improve their site speed and performance.
Create Better Content
Look at your top-performing pages and use that insight to guide your content strategy. What topics are getting traffic? What’s keeping people engaged? Then build on what works.
Understand Your Audience
GA4 provides insights into user demographics, location, and even interests. This can help shape your tone of voice, imagery, and the kind of offers you present on your website.
Setting Up Reports and Dashboards
GA4 allows you to create custom reports and dashboards to keep track of your most important metrics. For example, you might want a weekly summary of:
- Total users
- Engagement rate
- Top traffic sources
- Conversions
This makes it easier to spot trends and make informed decisions without drowning in data.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are a few things I often see people doing wrong with Analytics:
- Not having goals or events set up. If you’re not tracking what matters, you’re flying blind.
- Looking at data without context. A spike in traffic is great, but not if your conversions are down.
- Ignoring mobile data. With over 50% of traffic coming from mobile devices, this is a big miss.
- Not taking action. Data is only useful if it leads to changes. Use it as a guide to make continual improvements.
How Often Should You Check Google Analytics?
You don’t need to become obsessed, but checking in once a week can help you stay on top of your website’s performance. Set up a regular reporting routine so you’re not just reacting to problems – you’re staying ahead of them.
If you’re working with us on an ongoing basis, we can handle the setup and send you monthly performance summaries with clear suggestions on what to improve.
CTA: Need Help Making Sense of Your Website Data?
Google Analytics is a powerful tool, but only if you know how to use it properly. If you want help:
- Setting up Google Analytics 4 on your website
- Tracking conversions and events
- Understanding how visitors interact with your site
- Turning insights into action
…we’re here to help. At Leeds Web Designer, we don’t just build websites – we help businesses get better results from them. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation or quote.
