Analytics is the practice of collecting, measuring, and interpreting data about your website’s visitors and how they interact with your content. In plain terms: it tells you what’s working, what’s not, and what your users are actually doing when they land on your site.

If your website is the digital face of your business, analytics is how you listen to it speak.

The most common tool used is Google Analytics (specifically, GA4), but there are plenty of other platforms too—like Matomo, Fathom, or Plausible. No matter the tool, the goal is the same: turn user behavior into insights you can act on.

What kind of questions can analytics answer?

• How many people visit my site each day?
• Which pages get the most traffic?
• How long do visitors stay?
• Where are they coming from (Google, social media, direct links)?
• What devices or browsers are they using?
• Which calls-to-action are working?
• Where are users dropping off in my funnel?

And if you’re selling online:

• Which traffic sources convert into paying customers?
• What’s the most profitable product or service?
• Where do users abandon the checkout process?

Key terms to know

• Users: Individual visitors to your site
• Sessions: One visit by a user (which can include multiple page views)
• Pageviews: The total number of times pages were viewed
• Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who leave after viewing just one page
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who complete a goal (like submitting a form or making a purchase)
• Traffic Sources: How people found your site (organic search, paid ads, social media, referrals, direct, etc.)

Why analytics matters for business owners

You wouldn’t run a physical store without tracking your sales, foot traffic, or which products are popular. Your website is no different.

With analytics, you can:

• See what’s driving results (and double down on it)
• Spot issues (like pages with high bounce rates)
• Understand your audience’s preferences
• Improve your marketing ROI by focusing on what works
• Justify website investments with data

It also helps you set real, measurable goals—like increasing conversions by 10%, improving mobile performance, or reducing checkout abandonment.

Tools to get started

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – Free, powerful, but comes with a learning curve
• Matomo – Open-source and privacy-friendly
• Fathom / Plausible – Great for simple, clean overviews
• Hotjar / Microsoft Clarity – Adds heatmaps and screen recordings so you can watch how users interact

You can also integrate analytics with Google Search Console, ad platforms, and CRM tools for a broader picture.

Bottom line

Analytics isn’t just for “tech people.” It’s how business owners make smarter decisions, justify their strategy, and continuously improve their site. Whether you’re tweaking a landing page or planning a full redesign, analytics turns your website into a conversation—not just a brochure.