How to Use Google Analytics to Analyze Your Website Visitors and Increase Traffic

You have your Google Analytics installed and you see some activity and stats on there. It can be overwhelming though.
What is it that you need to keep an eye on? How do you read the statistics, and how can you use it to your advantage?
In this article we will talk about how to use Google Analytics to your advantage, how to analyze the stats and how to use the stats to increase traffic.

How to Analyze Your Google Analytics Stats and How to Increase Traffic

Real Time

Under the Real Time tab you can see what`s going on right now, live on your website. It will show you how many active users, what device they are using, what pages they are visiting, where they are from, keywords that brought them to your site and how long they are staying.
How Can This Increase Traffic?
If you have campaigns going, you can see how your visitors acts in real time.
Have a short term offer? Watch live who your audience is where they come from and how they act on your site.

Audience

By looking at the audience overview, you will see how many users your site have, sessions, page views, bounce rate, session duration and more. It gives you a good overview of the numbers of your site.

Demographics

You might have a pretty good idea of WHO your customer is but looking at the demographics, age and gender stats, you will KNOW.
Under demographics you can find out language, country and even city your visitors are from. Also what browser, operating system and service provider they use. If they are are on mobile you will know if your users are using Android, iOS, Windows or Blackberries to visit your site.
How Can This Increase Traffic?
By knowing WHO your visitor is you can write and target that specific visitor.
If you are in the tech niche and you know that your main audience use Android, then maybe you should focus your content on helpful content for Android users.
You can also find out age and gender of your visitors. Is your main audience male or female? You might write you content a little differently, if it addresses one or the other.
By using the data in demographics you can target in on a specific person, targeting keywords related to that. This can help rank organically for certain keyword phrases in Google and other search engines.
By knowing WHO your ideal visitor is you can target them on social media and attract them to your site.

Behavior

New vs. Returning Visitors – Is your visitors new or are they returning? You can even see if they return frequently. This is valuable information to have. If your audience like and value your content they want to come back. Do you make it easy for them to come back by having an email sign up for example.
How long do they engage on your site? Do they click away within seconds, maybe you need to reconsider the ease of use or the relevancy to certain keywords. You want your visitors to stay on your site, unless you want them to take action right away and continue on.
Technology – Are your visitors viewing your site on a desktop, mobile or tablet? Make sure your site looks great on all the devices or you might loose visitors. Know what technology they use and you can adjust your site to that.
Users Flow – How does the visitor flow go on your site? Do you funnel them into a review page? Do you want them to go to a certain post or page? Are they doing that? You can find all that out by watching the user flow.

Acquisition

Where Is Your Traffic Coming From?
Organic search, social media, direct or referral?
Why is this important?
First off with time you want to spread the sources your audience is coming from. You don`t want to put all your eggs in the same basket. Working online things change and they can change quickly. You are getting traffic from 3rd party sites and they can change their rules any minute.
In the example above 83.5% comes from organic searches. I don`t have much social media presence with this site, but I really should to gain some more traffic and to spread where the visitors comes from.
Here`s another site that I have, where I do have social presence and it looks much better. I have spread where the visitors come from a lot better.

Why Spread Your Traffic Channels?
Say that Facebook would decide that they would charge $1 every time you link to your site… their site their rules… not saying it will happen but would you be willing to pay $1 for that link?
If you know your Facebook traffic convert then sure you would be willing to pay…. If you have no idea if your traffic turns into sales then maybe not.
So you want to spread where your traffic is coming from. Looking at Acquisition you can get an overview of where your traffic is from.

You can also click each one of those traffic channels and see what keywords are used.
So take organic listing you can then see what keywords have brought traffic to your site.
If I click social, I can see if the traffic comes from twitter, facebook, google+, youtube…
You will see what works, what drives traffic to your site. Keep doing what works for you and your site.
How Can This Increase Traffic?
You know where your traffic is coming from, but you also know what channels you need to work on. Continue doing what works. See if the channels you are not using apply to your audience and if they do set up a strategy to put them in use.

Behavior

This will give you an overview of important data like pageviews, avg. Time on page, bounce rate and exit rate.
You will also see what pages gets the most page views on your site. This will allow you to see what`s popular and liked on your site. It will also allow you to make sure you have these pages well optimized. Make sure you have a clear call to action on what you want them to do.
How Can This Increase Traffic?
Send more traffic to these pages that you know convert.

You will also be able to see the behavior flow, how they move from one page to the next.
Site search, does people search your site for something specific? If they do and you have no content on the topic, create one.

In-page Analytics
This is a great section to see what links your audience is clicking. This will allow you to see what link phrases convert and what people find interesting and click on. See what works and implement it on other places of your website.

I hope you found this post helpful, How to Use Google Analytics to Analyze Your Website Visitors and Increase Traffic.

Now it`s your turn.
What`s your thoughts on using Google Analytics? How do you use the tool to increase traffic? Would love to hear from you, feel free to leave your comment below,

Social Media Marketing Strategies

Social media is playing more and more of a role when it comes to building traffic online because so many people are using it. You may be defiant against using FaceBook, Twitter, etc. because you feel these sites are narcisitic and a waste of time.
But let me tell you, that's probably where a lot of your potential website visitors are hanging out -- so why not take the opportunity to reach them?

When I first heard about Twitter in 2008, I wasn't impressed. I didn't think it would last long and I found it odd people were microblogging about every little detail of their days.
Then in 2009, celebrities really helped put Twitter on the map. (Remember Ashton Kutcher's 1 million follower goal?) Since then, Twitter has really blown up.
So it was only a matter of time before Internet marketers started using social media to market their businesses.

The other component of social media is branding yourself as an individual. Social media will help you do that.
The days of anonymous blogging and webmastering are over. People with successful sites and blogs are not only great writers, communicators etc., but they are well-liked and have developed a brand as an individual.

Twitter

Twitter is a microblogging site that allows you to send a 140-character or less message out to anyone who is following you. I use Twitter to announce my weekly blog posts and chit chat with people who have questions about Internet marketing.
The key to Twitter is NOT to just self promote your site all day. You should take time to follow and respond to people who have sites related to yours (Use the Search function.)
I also use Twitter to send out helpful articles, videos, etc. that may interest my followers. That's a great way to build credibility and interest in your Twitter feed.

Facebook

You can create a Facebook page to accomplish the same tasks above, however you have a lot more room to write since Facebook has a higher character limit. And since FB has a threaded-comment design, it's a great way to start conversations with your followers.
I often post thought-provoking questions in order to spark juicy discussions. People love giving their opinions and feedback. Facebook is a great way to poll your audience and get their feedback on various topics.
Of course I also use Facebook to promote my websites, YouTube channel, etc. but I also use it as a discussion platform.
Here's a video that shows you how to engage your Facebook fans. These tips actually work for most social media sites.

Google Plus

This is Google's answer to Facebook. It's very similar, but you can create circles to organize your connections.
I like Google Plus. The crowd there seems to be a lot more technically savvy compared to the other networks, but I do feel the layout is much cleaner. I've also made some great connections there.

Google Plus is new compared to Twitter and Facebook, but in 2012 many marketers gravitated to Google Plus because of the emergence of Google Authorship.
This allows you tag and associate any content you own with your name.
So when you write an article on someone else's blog, you would link your name back to your G+ profile. And of course, your G+ profile would also have your website listed in your profile.

Getting Followers

If your website is new and has little traffic, getting followers/friends/subscribers/likes may be a challenge at first. I would highly recommend following people who have sites related to yours. Reply to their tweets, posts, etc. and engage in conversations.
For example, say you have a site on cars. You can join popular FB pages related to your niche. Join in the discussion with other "fans"/members. You can also change your FB profile to display your own Facebook page name instead of your real name.
That way when people click on your "name" they will go to your FB page. You can update this in your Facebook Profile Settings.

Just remember. You have to give to get. Social networking is not just about you blasting ads and links to your own site. The words "social" and "networking" both imply multiple parties are involved, and that is true.
Take the time to comment on other people's work or posts. Write a response blog post to a controversial article someone wrote and tweet it to them.
If the person also has a FB page you can "Like" the page then cross link your pages together by typing @nowkaa when you post it to your FB page. 

So let's say you write a blog post responding to an article another car blogger wrote about. You can post the following on your Facebook page...
Here's my witty response to @nowkaa 's article about Car Emissions.
Now the link will also be posted on their page.
Note: Be responsible about the above strategy. If the article is worthless and clearly just an attempt to get a link back to your page, the person may remove it.

Balancing Social and Business

There's a science to promoting your site via social media marketing. You want to find the right mix of being social and promoting your business.
Obviously you don't want to go overboard on the personal posts (what you ate for breakfast, etc.), but throwing in something casual is fine every now and then. It helps people connect with you and it shows you are human.

In addition, you should also recommend other resources and sites not affiliated with your website. If it's always about you then you may appear greedy and selfish. Take the time to show love for another site that your followers may find interesting.
How you use social media will really reveal a lot about you over time. People who have the most success with this type of marketing have found the right balance between business and personal.

Social media can be a great place to promote your business, but more importantly, it can enhance/promote you as an individual. Letting people get to know you as the human behind your business can really benefit you in the long run.

How to Register a Domain Name

Hey there future site owner,
I'm going to clue you in on some tips most people don't absorb prior to registering a domain name.
There have been a lot of changes on the web in recent years so make sure you read this entire page so you pick the ideal name for your website.
NOTE: If you already know about domain names and don't need any extra advice, go here to register.
A domain name is the home of your website and often ends in extensions like .com, .net, .org, .info, .us, .biz, .tv and more. Today there are numerous extensions available, but .com is still the most popular by far.
Once you have registered your name, you will select a web host (2nd step).  The web host is the guts of any website because this is where you create and publish your pages, create a blog, create email addresses, add functionality and maintain your site.

Steps to Registering a Domain

Reserving a domain name is easy, inexpensive and only takes a few moments. The big name companies like Register.com and NetworkSolutions.com charge ridiculous prices such as $30-35/year for one domain name, and you get the same service at WebsitePalace.com.
It doesn't matter where you register your domain.  Almost every registrar provides the same services.
You can save a bundle at WebsitePalace.com, and you'll have access to free domain forwarding. (Forward any domain to any site for FREE!)

Keyword Rich Domains

For search engine optimization (SEO) purposes, many experts recommend registering a domain with keywords you want to be found for. While this was a must years ago, it's not quite the necessity it once was.
In fact, there was a very big Google update in October 2012 called EMD (Exact Match Domain update) that targeted domain names that were only ranking because the name matched the targeted phrase.
That's not to say you shouldn't register a name that has the keywords you want to target, but don't expect to rank well just because you choose a keyword-rich name. Getting ranked well in Google is a very complex task. The domain is not as big of a factor as it used to be.

Going For The Brand Name

Some people prefer to go for a shorter, brandable domain that's easier to remember -- especially because so many "good" domains are taken these days.
So instead of registering a keyword-rich name like HealthAndWellness101.com, you would register a made-up name like Fitzee.com. Fitzee means absolutely nothing, but it's short, catchy and easy to remember.
Plus, it would look a lot better on a shirt, mug or hat than a 4-letter domain. :-)
I still think it's a good idea to aim for the keywords you want to target. Descriptive names can have advantages. For example, it automatically tells the potential visitor what the site is about.
Having said that, don't make your domain name so long and awkard that it's hard to read and remember. It's really about finding a balance. Also, don't be shy about bouncing ideas off your friends and family before registering.
Here's another tip. Write the name down to give you an idea of what it may look like on business cards, T-shirts and other printed materials.
Remember, your domain is a big part of your brand, so take your time coming up with the right name for your site.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini Network problems! : Android

If you continue to have problems setting up your Google account on your Android device, this will solve your problem. This is a frequent problem experienced by users of the Google Nexus One phone.

If you did not setup your google account when you first boot up your phone, you will repeatedly get this error.

To solve this problem, do the following…

1. Hard reset your phone. You will lose all information that is currently on your phone when you do this.

Select Settings -> Security -> Factory Data Reset

2. Once the phone reboots, input your google account information when the phone asks for it.

3. If you are still having problems, you can try the YouTube Connection Trick:

a. Add YouTube app and login with gmail account
b. Go into Gmail App and add account if needed.
c. Sign into Gmail account wither username and password
d. Go through login process

If you are still having problems, check out some of the additonal fixes in our wonderful comments below.

Android: Can’t establish a reliable data connection to the server

If you continue to have problems setting up your Google account on your Android device, this will solve your problem. This is a frequent problem experienced by users of the Google Nexus One phone.

If you did not setup your google account when you first boot up your phone, you will repeatedly get this error.

To solve this problem, do the following…

1. Hard reset your phone. You will lose all information that is currently on your phone when you do this.

Select Settings -> Security -> Factory Data Reset

2. Once the phone reboots, input your google account information when the phone asks for it.

3. If you are still having problems, you can try the YouTube Connection Trick:

a. Add YouTube app and login with gmail account
b. Go into Gmail App and add account if needed.
c. Sign into Gmail account wither username and password
d. Go through login process

If you are still having problems, check out some of the additonal fixes in our wonderful comments below.