Gathering Data & Analytics
In this lesson, we'll be discussing how to gather data and analytics in order to improve your website. We'll cover topics such as data collection methods, analyzing data, and using data to make decisions. By the end of this post, you should have a better understanding of how to use data to improve your business.
Getting Started
What you'll need:
A website
You will be installing:
Google Analytics
In-App Reporting
IMG Funnels comes with a built-in reporting module. To see reports, navigate to Dashboard > Reporting.
Tip: The more Integrations that you have connected to IMG Funnels, the more reports that you will have available to you. You should always split your campaigns across channels (Calls, Voicemails, Emails, SMS, Chat, Google, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, AdWords, etc.), both organic and paid, and gather analytics in one place. As a general rule, 40% of your traffic should be organic, while the other 60% is paid.
Using a WordPress Plug-In
If you're using WordPress, you can simply install MonsterInsights and follow the instructions to help you get set up with Google Analytics. You can do this by navigating to Plugins > Add New and searching for “MonsterInsights”.
Tip: MonsterInsights is just one of the many plug-ins on WordPress that are designed to help you gather analytics and use them to help you convert leads to customers. While it simplifies the Google Analytics integration, that's only one channel and some of the features are locked until you pay for the "Pro" version.
More Plug-Ins
Slimstat Analytics allows you to track almost anything from WordPress including returning customers and registered users, Javascript events, intrusions, and even email campaigns. Thousands of WordPress sites are already using it.
Download it here or navigate to Plug-Ins > Add New and search for "Slimstat".
Tip: Slimstat allows you to use geolocation to track your visitors using their IP.
Using a Script
If you're installing Google Analytics on an ImgFunnels site, you can do so by navigating to Sites > Funnels or Sites > Websites. From there, you can install a global tracking code from the Settings Panel or you can install the tracking code directly onto a single page using the page builder under Settings > Tracking Code.
You can also install the script on the dashboard if you're i the white-labelled affiliate program, you can track user activity directly in your B2B/B2C SaaS + CRM. Just navigate to Agency Account > Settings > Company and paste your tracking code into the Custom JavaScript field.
This method also works for Facebook Pixel and any other tracking scripts that you need to install.
Tip: You can use this same method to install the Facebook Pixel / Conversions API. While you can track individual events (such as a phone call or a form submission), the process for setting that up depends on the type of event that you are tracking. If you need help tracking individual events, feel free to contact your ImgFunnels account manager for assistance.
Using Your Data
There are a number of ways you can use your data. One way is to use your bounce rate* to determine whether your visitors are staying on your website. More time equals more money as long as you have CTAs and an effective content strategy.
Below is a chart of common industries and their average bounce rates. You should research your niche to find the average bounce rate and adjust your content accordingly. If your data is unpredictable and you're noticing a lot of spikes in your traffic, then you should attempt to add more evergreen content. If your bounce rate is high, you should post some topical content or consider readjusting your offer.
Credit: Backlinko
* What is a "bounce rate"?
Your bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who navigate away from your site without taking action. If your bounce rate is high, that's a good indicator that your website is boring or off-putting.
Tip: A good target bounce rate is around 24%. Anything higher than that and you probably need to add more topical content.
GDPR Compliance
One thing to keep in mind is that platforms like Google Analytics are limited as to what they can track. For example, if you have your site running through Cloudflare and you compare the results from Google Analytics, you'll notice that your site might actually get 10x more traffic than what is recorded in Google Analytics. The reason for this is because Google Analytics cannot track things like bots, web crawlers, and certain browsers that disable Google Analytics.
You may recall the iOS 14 update from 2021 that limited apps like Facebook from tracking people (using a "Pixel") across the internet. The same rule applies to Google and all other analytics platforms that facilitate data vendoring. In fact, Google Analytics is not GDPR compliant. In order to use Google Analytics on your website (and maintain compliance), you must first obtain consent from your users before you can activate it.
Not all hope is lost, though. There are platforms that are GDPR compliant by default, such as Matomo.
