Your consulting website is a marketing tool. You don’t know how it’s actually performing without analytics.
Google Analytics is a (free) analytics product that shows you how your website is performing.
In this 4-part mini-series, I’m going to help you, the independent business consultant or small firm, understand and use your analytics. In doing so, you’ll make better marketing decisions.
This series is for beginners. If every time you’ve been into Google Analytics and you’re thinking “where the #$%^ do I start?” — start right here.
- Part 1: Introduction — Learn what Google Analytics is, why it’s important, and how to install it on your website.
- Part 2: Goal Tracking — Assign a goal for your consulting website, and set up goal tracking on your website.
- Part 3: Dashboards — Create a dashboard for your consulting website so you can see your KPIs (key performance indicators) in seconds.
- Part 4: Analysis — Think critically about your analytics so you can make better marketing decisions.
What Is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is an analytics tool.
You install it on your website. When you open your GA account, you’ll see your website’s statistics.
You can use it to find the numbers on…
- How many visits (sessions) your website gets
- Where your website visitors are from geographically
- Where your website visitors are coming from on the web
- What your website visitors do when they are on your site
- How many of your website visitors take the desired action on your website
- How each page is performing on your website
- And much, much, MUCH more
Google Analytics provides a plethora of data. That’s why it’s so intimidating to look at when you first start using it.
The tool just shows you what is. It won’t show you what to do.
It’s your understanding of the analytics — your use of the tool — that helps you use this data to improve your website, your marketing, and your business.
Why Is It Important For A Consultant?
As a consultant, you’re in the business of marketing. You’re in the business of attracting leads, nurturing them, and turning them into clients. Marketing is how you do this.
Your website is a marketing tool. It helps you attract leads and nurture them so you can turn them into clients.
You have to decide what to do with your website.
- Who should you target?
- What should you write?
- Where should you share it?
- Which method is most effective?
Google Analytics helps you to make better marketing decisions. Use it to understand your website visitors, and you’ll be able to attract — and convert — more of them. And turn the right ones into prospective clients.
EXAMPLE:
Peter hears a lot of buzz about using Twitter to attract clients for his PR consulting business.
He decides to spend 30 minutes a day on Twitter for the next month. He makes a checklist to share content and engaging with people in his audience every day.
After 30 days, he looks at his website’s analytics.
Despite spending 15 hours marketing his business on Twitter for the month, it was only responsible for 5% of his overall traffic.
95% of his traffic came from two the articles on his site. He didn’t spend a single hour writing or promoting the articles. This traffic came organically through search engines.
Peter decides that he should focus more on writing and sharing his articles to attract more organic traffic. His organic traffic converted to his email list at a 20% higher rate.
In this example, the consultant…
- Measures the results of his marketing
- Compares it to other methods
- Makes a decision on where to spend his time based on the data
Without Google Analytics, Peter would be forced to guess on what’s working and what to do next. But with Google Analytics, he’s able to see the effect of his marketing efforts.
When Should I Install It?
Yesterday. Alternatively, right now.
The earlier the better. Follow the instructions below and install Google Analytics on your website if you haven’t already.
Action Step: Install GA
Follow the instructions below to install Google Analytics on your consulting website.
- Create a Google Account
- Sign up for Google Analytics
- Set up your Google Analytics account
- Copy and paste your tracking code into every page of your website
- If you’re using WordPress (which I recommend for Consultants — specifically the WordPress X Theme), you can use the Insert Headers & Footers free plugin, and paste your tracking code.
(You can find in-depth written instructions here — or a video tutorial here.)
That’s it!
Check your analytics over the next few days to make sure it’s working.
After 30 days or so, you’ll have some data to work with — provided you are getting traffic.
If you’re not getting traffic, read my article on Consulting Lead Generation.
And if you’re serious about turning your consulting website into a marketing machine, read Productize Yourself: The Consultant’s Guide To Attracting Clients Through Your Website.
In part 2, you’ll learn about goal tracking — and set up your first goal on your consulting website.