According to some, the world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, it’s data! And for an online businesses such as a hotel there is so much available data and analytics platforms it can be overwhelming. However one free resource that has an incredible amount of valuable data is Google Analytics. So in today’s article we’re going to show you how to find, and understand, some of the more important reports available for your e-commerce hotel site.
So let’s get stuck in.
1. Traffic Channels
One of the most basic, but important reports, is your traffic report. This can be found under Acquisition. Then All Traffic and then Channels.
You will then see a page like this.
It’s a snapshot of what channels are bringing you the most traffic and if any particular areas need some attention. For this example email traffic is particularly low here so you would need to look at your email marketing strategy and make some changes.
Perhaps your subject lines are weak or your database is too small? Whatever the case this data allows you to see what marketing activity is actually working. Now let’s take a closer look at some of the channels that are more relevant.
2. Organic Search
SEO is a fundamental part of any modern marketing strategy and it’s easy to see why. The number of daily searches on Google is 3.5 billion, which equates to 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide!
That’s why you should deep dive into your organic search results. Just click on “Organic Search” and you’ll see something like the image below. This will tell you what keywords are driving the most traffic and others that are under-performing. You can then use that knowledge to shape your SEO strategy moving forward.
3. Direct Traffic
We’d recommend having a look at your direct traffic stats in detail as this tells you about your general brand awareness. The majority of direct traffic comes from someone typing in your url directly as they are familiar with your brand. This can indicate the health of you overall marketing strategy and if you see an increase in same following a branding campaign this can act as a metric for success.
