Google analytics is a real game-changer in the world of e-commerce. It enables you to understand who your website’s visitors are, what kind of content they want to see from your business, how your audience reacts to the content you upload etc. Proper usage of Google Analytics helps you understand the mindset of your audience, following which you can adjust things like website layout, design, template, and content, making your website more customer friendly, resulting in more website traffic and better results. Before starting with the process of adding Google Analytics to your website, let us understand the meaning of Google Analytics.

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a service offered by Google which tracks and reports website traffic. It is a platform provided under the huge umbrella of Google Marketing Platform Brand. Google launched the service in November 2005. The basic version of Google Analytics is free making it ideal for small and medium-sized businesses. The advanced version with more features is chargeable and hence used by large businesses.

Step by Step guide on how to add Google Analytics to your website

Setting up Google Analytics can be a tedious task; however it is extremely important to run an online business. Failure to apply and utilize Google Analytics properly will make it is very challenging to run an online business in such a competitive business environment. The fact that 56% of all websites use Google Analytics explains how it is such an integral part of running an online business. If one lacks the technological know-how, he must hire the services of a professional, as it is strictly advisable to not ignore Google Analytics altogether. Given below are 5 steps in which one can add Google Analytics to his website: -

1. Set up Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager: - It is a free tag management system from Google. It takes all the data from your website and sends it platforms such as Facebook Analytics, Instagram Analytics, Google Analytics etc. It enables you to easily update and add tags to your Google Analytics code without having to manually write code at the conclusion.

i. First you must create an account on the [Google Tag Manager dashboard](https://tagmanager.google.com/).

ii. As per Google, one must set up a container containing the micros, rules, and tags for the website. One should give his container a descriptive name and select the type of content it would be associated with (Web, IOS, Android or AMP).

iii. One must then click on create and select the Terms of Service.

2. Set up Google Analytics

Like Google Tab Manager, one must create a Google Analytics (GA) account by signing on GA page. One must enter their account and website name as well as enter their URL. One must select the Website category as per product category and time zone as per target audience. Following this, accept the terms of services, one will receive a Tracking ID. It is a group of numbers that tells GA to send website analytics to you. Example of Tracking ID - UA-000000-1. One must keep HIS Tracking ID secure.

3. Establish analytics tag with Google Tag Manager

One must create a specific Google Analytics tracking tag for his website. You need to go to your Google Tag Manager Dashboard and click on the Add a new tag option. Following this, one is taken to a page, where he must set up a new website tag. The two areas on which one can customize tags are:

i. Configuration: Where the data that has been collected, will be stored?

ii. Triggering: What kind of data, one wants to collect?

Following this one must click on Tag configuration option, to chose the kind of tag one wants to create. One must choose the Universal Analytics option to create a tag for Google Analytics. You'll be able to select the sort of data you wish to track after clicking that. Then, under "Google Analytics Settings," select "New Variable" from the dropdown menu. After this, one is taken to a new window, where the Google Analytics Tracking ID needs to be entered. This will send data from your website directly to Google Analytics, where you can view it as per your convenience. After concluding this, one must move forward to the Triggering button in order to be sent the Choose the Triggering page. Here must click on all pages so that data from all your pages is sent here. Simply click Save and you're done! You have a new Google Tag tracking your website and delivering data to your Google Analytics page!

4. Define Google Analytic goals

One needs to set up goals on your Google Analytics Dashboard. One must click on the admin button on the bottom left corner. After that, you'll be sent to a new window where you'll see the "Goals" button. When you click that button, you'll be transported to the "Goals" dashboard, where you can create a new goal. You can then browse through various goal templates to determine whether one matches your intended goal. You must also select the type of goal you desire. Among them are:

i. Destination: If you wanted your user to go to a specific website.

ii. Duration : If you wanted users to stay on your site for a certain amount of time.

iii. Pages/Screens per session: If your goal was to have users go to a specific number of pages.

iv. Event: If your goal was to get users to play a video or click on a link.

5. Link to Google Search Console

It is a valuable tool which assists marketers and webmasters to gain invaluable search metrics and data. You can use it do things like:

i. Check the search crawl rate of your website.

ii. Witness when Google analyzes your website.

iii. Search the external and internal links attached to your website.

iv. Examine the search engine results for the keyword queries for which you rank.

To establish this, click on the gear icon in the lower left hand corner of the main dashboard. Following this, one must click on the Property Settings in the middle column. After this, scroll down and select Adjust search console from the drop-down menu. Here one can commence the process of adding their website to Google Search Console. You'll be taken to this page after clicking the Add button. Click the Add a site to Search Console button at the bottom. Following this, one can add a new website to their Google Search Console. One only must enter the website’s name and click Add. To add the HTML code to your site, follow the instructions. Click "Save" after you're finished, and you should be directed back to Google Analytics! You won't view your data immediately away, so come back later to see your Google Search Console data.

This process in indeed very tedious and time-consuming, especially when done without the services of a professional. However, we at Whatcode.in have got you covered where we aim to provide you with not only the best but also the quickest service. We will not only add Google Analytics to your page but also do our own analysis, based on which we will customize the data you want from the website, resulting in a better UI/UX of the website.