Analytics
Collecting and analyzing data about user behavior and website performance.
Definition
Web Analytics involves collecting, measuring, and analyzing data about website and application usage. This includes page views, user flows, conversion rates, traffic sources, user demographics, and behavior patterns. Analytics platforms like Google Analytics provide dashboards and reports showing how users interact with sites.
Analytics data informs decisions about content, design, marketing, and product strategy. Event tracking captures specific interactions like button clicks, video plays, and form submissions beyond basic pageviews.
Why It Matters
Analytics reveal what's working and what isn't, enabling data-driven decisions rather than guesswork. Tracking metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and conversion funnels shows where users struggle and where optimizations could improve results.
Without analytics, businesses can't measure ROI on marketing spend, identify their most valuable traffic sources, or understand which content resonates with audiences. Analytics turn website performance from mystery to measurable business asset.
Examples in Practice
Analytics might reveal that blog traffic arrives primarily from organic search but converts poorly, while email traffic converts at 3x the rate despite lower volume - informing content and marketing strategy.
Funnel analysis might show 60% of users abandon during checkout at the shipping information screen, prompting investigation and optimization of that specific step to recover lost conversions.