Digital marketing can no longer be imagined without a systematic approach to data. Companies no longer rely only on intuition, they watch how real users behave on the site and in the product. This is done by a special direction, which is described by the request "web analytics what is it and why it is needed". Properly structured data collection and analysis allow a business to understand where it loses customers, which channels pay off and which changes will bring the greatest effect.
Web analytics what is it simple words
When a marketer or business owner asks himself: "what does web analytics actually show", it is a measurement system that records every important user action. The service tracks visits, button clicks, viewing depth, section transitions and target actions.
This approach makes it possible to see the site through the eyes of the visitor, and not only by the team’s feelings. Based on the data, it becomes clearer which pages work well and which require revision, which traffic sources lead live clients, and which only create the appearance of activity.
This approach makes it possible to see the site through the eyes of the visitor, and not only by the team’s feelings. Based on the data, it becomes clearer which pages work well and which require revision, which traffic sources lead live clients, and which only create the appearance of activity.
Why does business need web data and metrics
Many companies have been working like this for a long time: they launched an advertising campaign, looked at the total sales and tried to guess what worked. The modern approach is different.
Now data on audience behavior are becoming the basis for decisions:
That is why the request «what web analytics gives to business» has become one of the most frequent at professional conferences and training courses.
Now data on audience behavior are becoming the basis for decisions:
- You can see how the funnel changes when you change the landing pages
- It is easy to compare different traffic sources at the cost of conversions
- You can see at what step it becomes difficult for the user and he leaves
- It’s easier to prove the effectiveness or uselessness of new ideas
That is why the request «what web analytics gives to business» has become one of the most frequent at professional conferences and training courses.
Key entities: web, website, user
Any measurement system is based on several basic objects:
Working with these entities turns into a continuous cycle: data collection → data analysis → decision-making → changes on the site → a new wave of measurements.
- Web resource — website, landing page, online store or web part of the service
- User — a person or device interacting with a resource
- Pages and events — specific screens and actions that are important for business
- Data that needs to be collected and interpreted
Working with these entities turns into a continuous cycle: data collection → data analysis → decision-making → changes on the site → a new wave of measurements.
What tasks does a web analyst solve?
The profession of web analyst appeared when companies did not have enough total traffic figures. I needed a person who would take on:
A good specialist knows how not just to build beautiful schedules, but also to give the team clear conclusions: what needs to be changed so that the product grows and brings a higher result.
- Setting up goals and events on sites and in products
- Working with tools like Google Analytics and Yandex Metrics
- Evaluating the effectiveness of an advertising campaign based on real conversions
- Preparing structured reports for marketing, product and management
- Forming hypotheses for improving interfaces and funnels
- Quality control of setting up the measurement system
A good specialist knows how not just to build beautiful schedules, but also to give the team clear conclusions: what needs to be changed so that the product grows and brings a higher result.
Tools: from Google Analytics to BI systems
Most often, acquaintance with numbers begins with a bundle of google analytics + corporate CRM. But as the business grows, the list of tools expands.
What is used in the work:
Sometimes large companies invest in their own "binding" around standard services to combine everything into a single system. In other cases, ready-made solutions are enough, and all the work comes down to competent adjustment.
What is used in the work:
- Google Analytics and analogues for tracking behavior and traffic
- Metric created by Yandex, with a webvisor and heat maps
- Internal server logs and databases where events are stored
- BI solutions and marketing intelligence for building summary reports
- Metrics visualization services that help you quickly see deviations
- A/B testing platforms that allow you to test hypotheses without guessing
Sometimes large companies invest in their own "binding" around standard services to combine everything into a single system. In other cases, ready-made solutions are enough, and all the work comes down to competent adjustment.
What web analytics shows about user behavior
One of the key areas is to understand how visitors behave. Data on user behaviour helps here:
Based on these observations, you can rebuild navigation, simplify the order form, change the order of steps in the funnel. Even small changes sometimes help to significantly increase conversions and improve the quality of interaction.
- Which pages most often become input pages
- Where people spend the most time
- From what steps the audience leaves
- Which forms are filled to the end, and which are thrown
Based on these observations, you can rebuild navigation, simplify the order form, change the order of steps in the funnel. Even small changes sometimes help to significantly increase conversions and improve the quality of interaction.
From the goal to the metrics: how the result is measured
In order for any numbers to make sense, first describe what target action is important for the project. For an online store it is a purchase, for a SaaS service — registration and activation, for media — depth of reading and subscription to the newsletter.
After that, key indicators are selected:
Such parameters turn the general question "what does web analytics show there" into a clear set of numbers around which product management is built.
After that, key indicators are selected:
- The number of conversions and their share
- The cost of attracting one client
- Time until the goal is achieved
- Engage: views, scrolling, clicks
- Secondary metrics that affect the business result
Such parameters turn the general question "what does web analytics show there" into a clear set of numbers around which product management is built.
Data collection: how the technical layer works
Technically, web measurements are built around two processes: tracking actions and transferring events to the storage. Scripts on the pages are fixed:
This information gets into databases, where it is stored with reference to time, traffic source and other attributes. Then visualization tools, BI systems and report panels work with it.
- Visits and unique visitors
- Clicks on links
- Button clicks
- Viewing individual blocks
- Implementation of targeted actions
This information gets into databases, where it is stored with reference to time, traffic source and other attributes. Then visualization tools, BI systems and report panels work with it.
Web, mobile applications and a single dimension
If earlier companies could limit themselves only to the website, today users come from mobile applications, social networks and different platforms. The task of the team is to build a single tracking scheme to see the entire customer’s path.
Often it is here that there is a request of the type "web analytics that will advise when combining web and app". It is necessary to agree on a single structure of events, correctly link devices and activity histories so as not to consider one person as different users.
Often it is here that there is a request of the type "web analytics that will advise when combining web and app". It is necessary to agree on a single structure of events, correctly link devices and activity histories so as not to consider one person as different users.
What does web marketing analytics give
The marketing department receives answers to practical questions from measurement systems:
Based on this data, it is easier to decide where to invest, which campaigns to disable, and which to scale.
If earlier there were controversial opinions when talking about advertising, today any web analyst can show transparent graphs and tables.
- Which sources bring customers at an affordable price
- Where money is wasted
- How the result changes after creative and media launches
- Which audience segments react better than others
Based on this data, it is easier to decide where to invest, which campaigns to disable, and which to scale.
If earlier there were controversial opinions when talking about advertising, today any web analyst can show transparent graphs and tables.
Product team and web analysts
It is important for product managers to understand how interface changes affect people’s behavior. They ask a specific question: "what will web analytics say about this new page".
Data specialists prepare reports:
This approach allows you to stop arguing at the level of taste and move on to a choice based on facts.
Data specialists prepare reports:
- What has changed during the loading time
- How the viewing depth has increased or decreased
- Whether the conversion has improved from one step to another
- Which elements have become more clickable
This approach allows you to stop arguing at the level of taste and move on to a choice based on facts.
Example: how data changes the work of an online store
Let’s present a conditional project in the city of Moscow, which sells clothes. At the start, the owner simply launched the website and turned on advertising. Later, they connected the measurement system and began to see what was happening.
It turned out that:
The team formulated hypotheses, reworked the catalog and design of the cards, accelerated the loading of pages, and also set up the correct attribution for the advertising campaign. A few weeks later, the re-analyment showed an increase in conversions and a decrease in customer value.
It is such stories that answer the question "what web analytics can change in practice".
It turned out that:
- The main audience comes from the search for brand requests
- The failure rate is noticeably higher for mobile users
- Some visitors often look at the product cards, but do not add them to the cart
The team formulated hypotheses, reworked the catalog and design of the cards, accelerated the loading of pages, and also set up the correct attribution for the advertising campaign. A few weeks later, the re-analyment showed an increase in conversions and a decrease in customer value.
It is such stories that answer the question "what web analytics can change in practice".
Web analytics and communication with other systems
The larger the project, the more important it is to link data of different levels. For this purpose, they use:
Such architecture requires careful customization, but makes it possible to see the whole picture, not just the upper layer of attendance.
- CRM platforms, where all information about the customer is stored after purchase
- Separate storages to which events from the site, application and offline points flow
- Reporting panels that collect indicators from different services
- Integration with the call center and offline sales
Such architecture requires careful customization, but makes it possible to see the whole picture, not just the upper layer of attendance.
Reports, dashboards and visualization
So that the data does not remain a set of rows in the table, they are visualized. Graphs, charts and pivot panels help you notice deviations faster and understand where the project is going.
Companies often use:
Well-tuned panels allow any manager to quickly answer the basic question: how the product feels and what happens to sales.
Companies often use:
- Regular reports on the main channels
- Dashboards with key metrics in real time
- Summary tables for comparing periods
- Reports on changes that have been made to the site
Well-tuned panels allow any manager to quickly answer the basic question: how the product feels and what happens to sales.
What web analytics shows about data quality
It is important to remember that any conclusions depend on the correctness of the measurements. If the tracking is configured incorrectly, the conclusions will be distorted. Therefore, specialists regularly check:
Sometimes even the first check after implementation makes it clear that some of the numbers previously had serious errors.
- Whether the goals are met
- Whether the traffic is calculated correctly
- Whether there are any technical problems with the counters
- Whether the data on different systems coincide
Sometimes even the first check after implementation makes it clear that some of the numbers previously had serious errors.
Use of data for decision-making
When the measurement system is built, the data begins to work on the growth of the product. Management and teams see:
Such fact-based management helps not only to optimise costs, but also to improve the quality of service for the end user.
- How effective the new functions are
- How users react to changes in the interface
- How budgets are distributed between channels
- Which segments require special attention
Such fact-based management helps not only to optimise costs, but also to improve the quality of service for the end user.
What does web analytics mean for the future business
Every year, competition in the digital environment intensifies, and those who learned to work with numbers before others win.
Therefore, the request «web analytics what to study first» is important for both novice professionals and managers. At the start, there are enough basic tools and understanding of key metrics. Over time, complex data sources, BI platforms and more accurate attribution models are connected.
As a result, companies that are systemically related to data receive:
Therefore, the request «web analytics what to study first» is important for both novice professionals and managers. At the start, there are enough basic tools and understanding of key metrics. Over time, complex data sources, BI platforms and more accurate attribution models are connected.
As a result, companies that are systemically related to data receive:
- A transparent picture of what is happening
- The ability to respond quickly to market changes
- Sustainable advantage over competitors
- The basis for scaling and reaching new levels
