If you currently use Google Analytics for website statistics, but want to get even more details on what your visitors are doing on your site – you may want to implement custom event tracking. Using this method, you can track nearly every action a user takes on your site. External link clicks, email link clicks, file downloads and more can all be tracked and recorded. Any webmaster will tell you; the more details you can get about your visitors – the better you can cater to them and increase your return on investment.
I am constantly trying to better my understanding of my site’s visitors. Using custom tracking has allowed me to adjust my content ever-so-slightly, creating a significant increase in conversion rate. For example, one big item has been the ability to track what links people are clicking to leave my sites. I found that there were a few links that got clicked way more than the rest. Using this knowledge, I created content on my site that was similar to the link the users where clicking. After a bit of tweaking, I was able to retain that visitor and increase my conversion rate.
I’ve asked new clients before about their current site activity, and received confused “i have no clue” responses. After installing Google Analytics and generating some reports – the client is always amazed. They had no clue certain pages were the best traffic, or that certain pages rank for certain keywords.The bottom line is this; If you don’t have detailed reports on your web traffic, you’re missing the boat. The method below just adds a new layer of detail to what your site is (or can be) doing.