If you're a solopreneur, you wear all the hats — including “marketing department” and “tech support.” It’s easy to shove website analytics to the bottom of your to-do list. I get it. It’s a lot. Google Analytics can make you feel dumb.
But here’s the truth: your website is one of your most powerful business tools. It should work for you (not collecting dust).
Website analytics show you how people interact with your site so you can make informed decisions instead of guessing. It’s not just about traffic. It’s about what happens after someone lands on your site. Do they stick around? Click anything? Subscribe? Book a call?
Let’s break down the exact metrics I teach my clients to track, how to use them, and the tools that make it manageable (even if you hate math or think Google Analytics is out to get you).
The data that matters
Let’s start with the basics. Here are the five core website metrics I look at in every strategy session.
Total Users (aka Website Visitors)
This tells you how many people are coming to your site. If this number is low, it’s your first sign you might need to increase your visibility. High traffic is great (but it only matters if it leads somewhere).
Bounce Rate
This is the percentage of people who come to your site and immediately leave after viewing one page. You want this number to be low. If your bounce rate is high, something might be off — maybe the page isn’t relevant, loads slowly, or doesn’t guide people to the next step.
One caveat: Expect a higher bounce rate if you send people to an external site (like Calendly). Context matters.
Average Session Duration
This is how long people stay on your site. Longer is better — it means people are engaging. Think of your website as a casino. You want people to stay as long as possible. If your session times are under a minute, your content might not be pulling people in.
Traffic Sources
This tells you where people are finding you. Are they coming from search? Social media? Email? Directly typing in your URL?
Knowing your top traffic sources helps you figure out where to invest your time and energy. If 70% of your traffic comes from Google, SEO might be working. If social isn’t driving traffic, maybe it’s time to tweak your strategy (or spend less time doomscrolling).
Top Landing Pages
These are the first pages people visit on your site. I always tell people: your most visited pages are your biggest opportunities. Are they working hard enough for you?
You want to:
- Add lead magnets
- Include a clear offer or CTA
- Link to other parts of your site
- Keep the content relevant to your audience and goals
I found out some of my most popular blog posts were doing absolutely nothing for my business. Lots of page views, very few subscribers.
Sooooo, we've all got work to do.
Tools that make analytics less painful
You don’t need to live inside Google Analytics. In fact, I avoid it as much as possible. Here are three tools I recommend. All free, and all much easier to use.
Google Analytics
This plug-and-play spreadsheet pulls in your core website metrics. It's simpler and cleaner than logging into GA4. I set it up once, then glance at it monthly to see what’s working.
If you're not sure what everything means, we've got a class inside our membership that breaks it all down for you so you know what's most important for business owners.
Microsoft Clarity
This gives you heatmaps and session recordings. It shows where people are clicking and how far they scroll. I learned that one of my top blog posts was only getting read halfway down the page. So I moved my lead magnet up. Problem solved.
Google Search Console
This shows how your content is performing in search — including impressions, average ranking, and the actual search terms people are using to find you. Sometimes what people think they’re writing about and what Google thinks they’re writing about don’t match. This tool helps you fix that.
Why conversions matter more than traffic
Getting people to your site is step one. But if they don’t take action, what’s the point?
Conversions = someone doing something valuable. That could be subscribing to your email list, booking a consult, or downloading a freebie.
Here’s the kicker: most people don’t have conversion tracking set up. And it’s the most important part of analytics.
Two ways to track conversions
- Use a conversion dashboard (in Google Sheets): If you use forms on your site, this is the fastest, easiest way to track who’s subscribing and from where. We like this dashboard by Coefficient.
- Set up a thank-you page and track it in Google Analytics: If your form takes people off-site (like to Calendly), create a thank-you page on your site and redirect users there after they book. Then track visits to that page as conversions. We have instructions on how to do this inside our membership.
If none of this is set up, you could be flying blind. It’s worth the time to get this dialed in.
Lessons from my own website
I did this exact process for my own website. One of my top-performing blog posts was getting thousands of visits but barely converting. Meanwhile, a quiet little podcast page (from a show I haven’t published in years) had a high conversion rate. That told me two things:
- Might be time to bring back the podcast: people are interested in my voice and ideas, not just my writing.
- I needed to move my offers higher on high-traffic pages (product reviews like this are well-trafficked).
Your most visited pages aren’t always your most valuable (until you optimize them).
What to do next
Don’t overthink it. Start with one dashboard. Track these five metrics:
- Users
- Bounce rate
- Session duration
- Traffic sources
- Top landing pages
Then ask yourself: what’s working? What’s not? Where am I getting traffic but not conversions?
Data should support your decisions, not stress you out.
If you want help getting started or need someone to walk you through it: that's exactly why I teach this stuff. Join the Strategic Marketing Membership or grab a session with me.
Let's take the mystery out of marketing together.
FAQs
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How do I check if my Google Analytics tracking code is installed and working correctly on my website?
To ensure your Google Analytics tracking code is correctly installed and functioning, follow these steps:
- Use Google Tag Assistant: This browser extension helps verify if your tracking code is firing correctly. Install the extension, visit your website, and check for any errors or warnings related to the tracking code.
- Check Real-Time Reports: Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the Real-Time section. Open your website in another browser or tab, and see if your activity appears in the report. If it does, your tracking code is working.
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Inspect the Page Source: View the source code of your website (right-click and select 'View Page Source') and search for the Google Analytics tracking ID (e.g.,
G-XXXXXXXXXX
for GA4). Note: if you see UA-XXXXXXXXXX
that's the old universal analytics service and you need to upgrade to GA4. Confirm it's correctly placed within the<head>
or<body>
section.
If you're still unsure, consider consulting a digital marketing expert, like those at Women Conquer Business, who can help ensure your analytics setup is accurate and optimized for actionable insights.
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What are the main types of traffic sources in Google Analytics, and how can I use them to enhance my marketing strategy?
Google Analytics categorizes website traffic into key sources, such as Organic Search, Direct, Referral, Social, and Paid Search. Each source provides insights into how visitors find your site, helping you understand the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
For example, Organic Search shows traffic from search engines like Google, while Direct represents users who typed your URL directly or used a bookmark. Referral tracks visitors coming from other websites, Social monitors traffic from platforms like Facebook or Instagram, and Paid Search reflects traffic from paid advertising campaigns.
By analyzing these sources, you can identify which channels drive the most traffic and conversions. Use this data to allocate resources effectively - for instance, investing more in high-performing channels or optimizing underperforming ones. Regularly reviewing your traffic sources ensures your marketing strategy stays data-driven and aligned with your goals.
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How can I create custom reports in Google Analytics to track the metrics that matter most to my business?
To create custom reports in Google Analytics, start by navigating to the Customization section in your account. From there, select Custom Reports and click on + New Custom Report. You’ll be prompted to name your report and choose the specific metrics and dimensions you want to analyze, such as page views, bounce rates, or traffic sources.
You can also apply filters to focus on particular data, like traffic from a specific region or device type. Once set up, your custom report will provide tailored insights that align with your business goals, helping you make more informed decisions about your website’s performance. Remember to save your report for easy access in the future!