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Google Analytics 101: Executive’s guide to measuring business data

If you want to improve the experience of your website or app, or maybe you want to ensure the success of your business, you need to be analyzing user behavior.

One of the easiest ways to do that is with Google Analytics.

What is Google Analytics?

Google provides tips on its website to optimize bounce rate. If the bounce rate is high on your website, you can dig deeper to see whether it’s uniformly high or whether it’s the result of something like one or two channels, source/medium pairs, or just a few pages.

When is a paid account needed?

It doesn’t cost anything to sign up for and use Google Analytics, as long as you’re using the standard version, which is free and ideal for individuals or small businesses. If you’re a larger enterprise, you should use Google Analytics 360, the premium version.

What is the difference between a regular Google Analytics account and a 360 account?

Both versions of Google Analytics enable you to collect data and analyze user behavior from websites and apps, but the premium version — Google Analytics 360 — offers more features and granular controls, such as:

Native data onboarding integrations (DoubleClick Bid Manager, DoubleClick Campaign Manager, DoubleClick for Publishers, and DoubleClick Search) More native marking integrations (DoubleClick Bid Manager) Integration with Google BigQuery Advanced funnel reporting and data-driven modeling Cross-property roll-up reporting Up to 400 views per web property and 200 custom dimensions and metrics Access to raw data Implementation services Enterprise-level support and services.

Go to Google’s FAQ page for a comparison chart and help on deciding which is for you.

What are the different ways to configure Google Analytics? How should you configure analytics for different circumstances?

First, let’s go over the hierarchy of Google Analytics accounts. Click Admin in Google Analytics. There are three columns in Admin: Account, Property, and View. Use the drop-down selector to select one, and then click the links in each column to proceed with configuring them.

An account is the highest level of organization — and you can have more than one. An account contains one or more properties, which represent a specific website or mobile app. Properties display views, subsets of reporting data for the property. You can configure your Google Analytics account to fine tune access to your data.

For instance, as we mentioned earlier, you can set up goals to identify the actions you want users to take on your site or app, and to give a monetary value to those actions. Aside from that, you can modify your tracking code to collect additional data, like user interactions with links, buttons, video controls, and other elements of your site or app. You can even modify the tracking code to collect ecommerce activity like user engagement with product lists and internal promotions.

Go to Google’s FAQ page for more information on how to configure Google Analytics.

What are some common issues people run into when using Google Analytics? How do you troubleshoot these issues? What resources are available?

Common problems with Google Analytics can range from issues with setup, tracking, discrepancies in goals, transactions, and AdWords conversions, and more. To begin troubleshooting any of these issues, just go to the official Google Analytics Solution Community, where you can connect with other business owners and product experts and get help. You can also take free online courses via the Analytics Academy. The Analytics Help Center even documents all aspects of using Google Analytics including how to get started and best practices.

How accurate is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics must be accurate enough if it can count Mercedes-Benz, Progressive, TransUnion, American Cancer Society, Airbnb, Buzzfeed, Domino’s, Zillow, Orbitz, and dozens of other well-known businesses as its clients to track metrics. Go to Google’s Success Stories page for user testimonials.

What are some advantages or disadvantages to using Google Analytics?

Advantages: The standard version is free, and you can use it analyze data all in one place in order to get a deeper understanding of your customers’ experience. Disadvantages: The premium version isn’t free, and whether you use the standard or premium version, there is a steep learning curve for the average user.

How do you block Google Analytics tracking?

Easy. Use an ad blocker, like AdBlock Plus, as long as it allows you to disable tracking, or you can use a browser extension, like Block Yourself From Analytics in the Chrome Web Store.

Read also: Match Group’s Tinder emerges as cash cow courtesy of data science, dynamic pricing, paying off tech debt | Adobe brings voice analytics to its cloud platform | NBA analytics: Going data pro

How can you track downloads in Google Analytics?

Clicks on links to downloadable files can be tracked as Events (it counts the clicks as event hits) or virtual pageviews (it tracks clicks on a link as page hits).

To track clicks as Events:

If you use Google Tag Manager to manage your Analytics Tracking, see Analytics Events. If you have Analytics tracking added to your site, see Event Tracking Web Tracking.

To track clicks as pageviews:

If you use Google Tag Manager to manage your Analytics Tracking, see the Analytics tag. If you have Analytics tracking added to your site, see Page Tracking Web Tracking.

Are their certifications available?

Google has a Analytics Certified Partner program, in which you can become a partner or find companies with expertise in Analytics Solutions. Go to Google’s Certification page to learn more about the program.

How is Google Analytics different from other analytics tools?

Unlike many other analytics tools, Google Analytics is free (the standard version is, anyway) — and it works with your Google account and integrates with key Google products, such as AdWords, AdSense, and Search Console.

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