Web Analytics for Leaders
Reasons To Make Data a Priority at Your Organization
If you ask a patron about their experience at your venue, they’ll likely respond in the form of a story. Now, what if you could gather thousands of these stories in real-time, tapping into immediate insights about your audience’s wants and needs?
That’s essentially what web analytics is all about. Your website—along with the data it collects—is a goldmine of stories told through user sessions and behavior. By analyzing that data, you can get to know your audience on a deeper level, refine your campaigns, and even drive ticket sales and donations. It might seem technical or a little mysterious at first, but web analytics is a powerful tool for making smarter, data-driven decisions that propel your organization forward. Here’s what leaders need to know about crafting a strong analytics strategy (without the jargon).
What if you could gather thousands of patron stories in real-time, tapping into immediate insights about your audience’s wants and needs? With web analytics, you can.
GIVING YOUR VISITORS A VOICE
Simply put, web analytics is a tool that gives voice to your users. They’re constantly telling us how they feel about our websites and whether we’re meeting their needs—but instead of words, they’re using clicks. Every interaction is like a vote, showing us what works and what doesn’t. The choice is ours: do we listen to what users are saying through their behavior and use that insight to optimize their experience, or do we ignore it? Ultimately, analytics is about harnessing this information to create better experiences for our audiences and better results for our organizations.
WEB ANALYTICS = CRITICAL FOR YOUR BOTTOM LINE
We don’t need to be web analysts to recognize how critical the website is to our success. If the website disappeared tomorrow, it would be a disaster for most organizations. It’s the foundation of our marketing and advertising efforts, the primary channel for ticket sales, and the platform where we showcase exhibitions and productions.
When users find what they need more easily and have a seamless experience, every part of your marketing strategy benefits. Boosting your Facebook conversion rate by 10% is great, but Facebook only accounts for a fraction of your traffic. Now consider making a 5% improvement to your website’s landing pages—pages that every channel points to, from email newsletters to organic search to Facebook ads. That small lift can touch every piece of your marketing puzzle and enhance returns on investment (ROIs) across channels.
When users find what they need more easily and have a seamless experience, every part of your marketing strategy benefits.
WHAT LEADERS GET WRONG ABOUT WEB ANALYTICS
MISTAKE #1: ASSUMING WE ALL USE THE WEBSITE THE SAME WAY.
As insiders, we’ve been to the website countless times, we know the organization inside out, and we already love the art form. But that’s not the reality for a first-time visitor from a Facebook ad, a tourist planning their trip, or even a returning subscriber. That’s why analytics is crucial for designing a website that serves all audiences, not just insiders.
- ✓ Try This: Ask a trusted friend who’s less familiar with your organization to click through the purchase path. Ask them to share friction points and hear their suggestions for improvement. Now try using your GA4 data to repeat the exercise, only with thousands of users instead of just your friend.
MISTAKE #2: STOPPING AT DATA COLLECTION AND SKIPPING INTEGRATION.
Many organizations are getting the basics of data collection right, but they stop short of asking the next big question: How can we incorporate this data into our decision-making processes in a meaningful way? If you skim surface-level metrics once a quarter, you’re missing the bigger picture behind the data and the chance to integrate those learnings into your strategy.
- ✓ Try This: Instead of only looking for positive changes in surface-level metrics, start looking for patterns in the data that might explain how people are using your website and whether it’s meeting their needs. Then, develop a plan for incremental optimizations to your UX.
MISTAKE #3: APPROACHING ANALYTICS AS A CHECKBOX.
Analytics isn’t a one-time task—it’s a commitment to changing how we work. The real value comes when data collection becomes the foundation for an ongoing process of learning and adaptation.
- ✓ Try This: Weave analytics into more team meetings. Keep tabs on what’s resonating with your audience, then use those insights to inform content strategy, digital advertising plans, and more.
Analytics isn’t a one-time task—it’s a commitment to changing how we work.
THE TAKEAWAY
There’s immense opportunity within reach for arts and cultural organizations, and with the right focus and approach, leveraging data to enhance user experience is not only achievable but also an incredibly rewarding journey.
READY TO HARNESS YOUR DATA?
Get in touch to see how we can optimize your website and provide actionable insights. Or, listen to my conversation with Dan Titmuss on CI to Eye for more analytics nerdiness tailored to executive leaders.
