How to Monitor Your WordPress Site Analytics: A Basic Guide.

You take the red pill... you stay in WordPress, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Categorised: Bespoke WordPress Resources
Posted by Lilli Foreman. Posted: August 15, 2023 | Updated: October 20, 2024

Contents

  1. So You’ve Made the Site
  2. Step 1: Choose Your Analytics Platform
  3. Step 2: Install and Activate a Tracking Plugin
  4. Step 3: Define Your Goals
  5. Step 4: Monitor Key Metrics
  6. Step 5: Regularly Review and Adjust
  7. Step 6: Stay Informed and Evolve
  8. What Are You Thinking?

So You’ve Made the Site

Maybe it’s not doing as well as you’d hoped, or it’s no longer picking up extra interest. Have you been checking your site’s performance data?

If you’re new to WordPress maintenance, welcome! Getting to grips with performance data isn’t as scary as it sounds, and with a custom site setup, it can be even easier.

The benefits of bespoke WordPress development:

  • Custom sites allow for tailored analytics integrations, making tracking and performance data more accessible and insightful.
  • Professionally designed dashboards simplify complex data, so you can monitor performance without being overwhelmed.
  • Targeted data collection aligns directly with your unique goals, giving you actionable insights instead of generic statistics.

Step 1: Choose Your Analytics Platform

Google Analytics is a popular choice because of its comprehensive features, simple usage, and cost-effectiveness (it’s free!). To get started, create an account and retrieve the tracking code to add it to your WordPress site.

The benefits of bespoke WordPress development:

  • Custom integration options allow for seamless analytics setup, ensuring data accuracy from the start.
  • A bespoke design can incorporate advanced tracking options like heatmaps and conversion funnels, offering insights beyond standard metrics.
  • Custom builds ensure that data collected aligns with your specific KPIs and business objectives.

Step 2: Install and Activate a Tracking Plugin

WordPress plugins make integration easy. For analytics tracking, consider plugins like “MonsterInsights.” Install, activate, and follow the setup wizard to connect your site to your analytics platform without manually adding code snippets to your site’s HTML.

The benefits of bespoke WordPress development:

  • Custom tracking solutions ensure that plugins work seamlessly with your site’s architecture.
  • Advanced integration options mean you can avoid generic plugins, improving site speed and data accuracy.
  • Professional setup prevents compatibility issues, ensuring accurate tracking without sacrificing performance.

Step 3: Define Your Goals

Analytics without goals are like a plane without a landing zone. Define your objectives—whether it’s increasing traffic, boosting conversions, or enhancing engagement. By setting clear goals, you can track metrics that align with your business objectives, making it easier to measure success.

The benefits of bespoke WordPress development:

  • Custom dashboards and reporting align directly with your defined goals, giving you tailored insights.
  • Bespoke setups enable you to track custom metrics, so you can measure the things that matter most to your site.
  • Clear, goal-oriented tracking helps you see where your site is thriving and where improvements can be made.

Step 4: Monitor Key Metrics

Once you’re set up, dive into the metrics that matter. Key metrics to track include:

1. Traffic Sources:

See where visitors are coming from—organic search, social media, referrals, or direct traffic. This insight helps you tailor your marketing efforts.

2. Pageviews and Sessions:

Understand total page views and interactions over a timeframe, offering an overview of your site’s popularity.

3. Bounce Rate:

See the percentage of visitors who navigate away after viewing only one page. High bounce rates can indicate a need for more engaging content or better UX.

4. Conversion Rate:

Track conversions, like signups or purchases, to measure the effectiveness of CTAs and landing pages.

5. Popular Content:

Identify which pages or posts resonate most with visitors. Use this information to refine your content strategy.

The benefits of bespoke WordPress development:

  • Custom metrics tracking allows you to focus on data that drives business growth, avoiding irrelevant numbers.
  • Bespoke dashboards simplify complex metrics, giving you clear, meaningful data about traffic, engagement, and conversion.
  • Tailored reporting features help you optimise content and design for better performance.

Step 5: Regularly Review and Adjust

Regularly reviewing your data is essential. Schedule routine check-ins to track trends, identify anomalies, and make informed decisions about content, UX, and marketing strategies.

The benefits of bespoke WordPress development:

  • Custom reporting tools allow you to set up automated reports, saving time and making it easier to stay updated on site performance.
  • Professional site setups allow for flexibility, helping you adapt your content and structure based on real-time data.
  • Insightful data from a bespoke setup empowers you to adjust your approach proactively, keeping your site competitive.

Step 6: Stay Informed and Evolve

Everything online is constantly evolving. Stay updated with your website’s metrics, make small changes over time, and you should start seeing continuous success.

The benefits of bespoke WordPress development:

  • Bespoke sites allow for easy updates, making it simpler to evolve with trends and new best practices.
  • Custom-built elements can be adapted quickly, ensuring your site keeps pace with user expectations and algorithm changes.
  • Continuous improvement helps you stay ahead in a competitive market, with a site that grows as your business does.

What Are You Thinking?

Don’t forget to check your WordPress metrics and also keep an eye on SEO! For even more control over your site’s internal linking and SEO, check out our WILO plugin—it makes it all as painless as possible.

If you’re ready to get more out of your analytics or need help optimising your site, get in touch! Our team can help you make the most of a bespoke WordPress setup tailored to drive your goals.

 

Lilli Foreman

Lilli Foreman

Lilli is an SEO content researcher and writer for Toast and client sites. She writes effective SEO-driven content across a wide range of subjects as well as working on site builds and populating content and optimising content for larger website projects, all using custom content management.

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