devrun
July 31, 2014
Let's say that I use my smart phone to search for a product on your website. Then, the following day, I do another search from my laptop, looking for certain information about the product. Finally, a couple of days later, I purchase the product on my cell phone. Then, the following week, I use my tablet to get service or warranty information.
UnderGoogle Analyticswithout theUser ID feature, you would have counted me as fourunique visitors. Nothing would have told you what you really want to know about my purchasing habits. However, by using theUser ID feature, you get access to cross device reports that tell a more accurate and helpful story about how people are accessing the information and products you provide. Not only can you discover how different devices are being used, but you can group them together into a timeline, analyzing an on-going client relationship with your business.TheUser ID featureallows you togenerate your own IDs andassign them to visitors, thereby associating that ID with every engagement with your Website, regardless of the device the user is employing. Obviously, the data that this feature makes available can be crucial to your understanding of how you are apportioning yourmarketing resources. You need to know how people are actually deciding whether or not to buy from you. To do that, you need to be able to identify when four apparent visitors are, in fact, actually one.
To set up the User ID, you enable the feature in yourGoogle Analyticsaccount and then modify your tracking code. TheUser IDset up overview guides you through the process of enabling the feature in your account. As a result, you also get a more accurate visitor count. Moreover, since users are identified, all activities that take place with that ID are properly attributed to the correct client.Google Analyticsthen allows you togenerate a cross device report. You may be able to determine whether people using multiple devices behave differently than other visitors. You may find that onesegment of visitors clickson an advertisement on a mobile device, but then returns home to purchase the product on a desktop computer the following day.The key for you as a marketer is to be able to understand the relationship between the two actions. Without the ability toidentify users across devices, youranalysisof yourmarketing strategycannot be whole. You can get to know your customers from the moment that they first make contact with your Website. And you can judge the ability of your business to retain them over time.As aspecialist in Web Analytics,Devrun Web Agencycan help you discover what information is available, how to access it, and then how to use it.Contact ustoday to find out more about ourWeb Analytics servicesand how we can help you grow your business.
