One of the issues we face in growing a profitable business is making sense of the data that we’re accumulating.

We know we need to base our decisions on concrete data as much as we can but the challenge is understanding the data and knowing what we should be looking at.

Well you and I are in luck.

Today’s episode is going to introduce us to the basics of analytics. We’ll have a few episodes that will cover different aspects of the topic of analytics so you feel more comfortable using analytics to make good decisions about the changes you need to make so you can make your next big leap.

My guest is an SEO and web analytics expert.

He’s also a very special person to me. We not only worked together but at one point we shared an office together.

He’s a member of Google Partners, USA and has been working in the digital marketing industry since 2005. He has been recognized for the work he’s done that’s had a measurable impact in the automotive industry while working as web analyst for some of the most recognized brands in both the automotive and motorcycle markets. His work in market research has contributed to product releases with led to over 3 million in annual sales for the motorcycle industry.

So listen in as analytics expert Bobby Royal shares:

• What are people talking about when they use the term “analytics”  
• How analytics helps you make better decisions to move forward  
• Why you need to look at industry data as well as your competition  
• What you can learn about your website and your customers by looking at data (this can keep you from going in the wrong direction)  
• The single most important thing to do before you start using paid advertising
• Why you don’t need a website to start looking at web analytics 4 sites to go to for free information about your website 

Terms Used in This Episode That Might Be New to You

Data and web data -- Data is any details you can collect about something. Web data refers specifically to a type of data that comes from the web and typically we're talking about data that's from your website.

Google Analytics -- This is an offering by Google that helps you understand the traffic to your website and the data associated with advertising you may do with Google. You don't need to spend money on advertising though to use Google Analytics.

Conversion-- Used in this context, conversion is the term for when someone goes from being a web visitor to someone who takes action. So they were a web visitor who opted in for your free gift and they were "converted" into a subscriber.

HTML -- This is the acronym for the code that makes up things like websites. The letters stand for HyperText Markup Language. Check out a full explanation here on Wikipedia. 

Meta data -- This is a type of data on your website. It provides more information (or data) about the data that makes up your site.  Here's a definition of Metadata at BusinessDictionary.com. 

Links to Resources Mentioned

SEMRush

Semalt

MOZ

Google Analytics

Guest Links

Bobby Royal on Facebook

Bobby on LinkedIn

Take it Deeper with Additional Research

Full Glossary of Web Analytics Terms You Should Know

How to Use Google Analytics: Getting Started

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About Us

Winnie Anderson is an award-winning copywriter and brand strategist, a
best-selling author, and respected instructor. She writes books,
creates courses, and provides limited one-on-one consulting with
and for introverted entrepreneurs who are ready to get their
message out in a bigger way and who hate selling. Learn more about
her here or connect with her on social media including Facebook and Twitter.

Judy Jordan is a virtual production assistant who helps
entrepreneurs get their message out in a bigger way using live and
recorded virtual events like webinars, teleseminars, live mobile
streaming, podcasts, and virtual conferences. Learn more about her
at her LinkedIn page or connect with her on Facebook.

Sue Brettell of JuJu Digital is brand developer and designer who acts as Winnie's creative director. Sue helps entrepreneurs communicate their brand essence by creating compelling visual brand elements and coordinating them into a strong, unified visual brand. Learn more about her through her bio at the bottom of JuJu's website, at her LinkedIn page. Connect with her on Facebook.