Google Analytics for Beginners

Google Analytics for Beginners: What to Track and How to Use It

So, you’ve got a website— amazing! But now comes the real question: do you actually know what’s happening on it? Who’s visiting? How did they find you? What pages are they clicking on—or worse, why are they leaving faster than you do when you see a “free trial” that requires a credit card?

If you don’t have answers to those questions, don’t panic. You’re not alone. But that also means you’re leaving a lot up to chance. And let’s be real—“winging it” isn’t a marketing strategy. That’s where Google Analytics comes in. It’s like having a behind-the-scenes dashboard for your website, giving you all the juicy insights into who’s visiting, how they got there, and what’s keeping them engaged (or making them bounce faster than a bad Tinder date).

And before you start sweating at the word “analytics,” let me reassure you: you do not need a computer science degree to use this. In fact, once you get past the slightly overwhelming first impression, Google Analytics is one of the most powerful, game-changing, totally-free business tools you’ll ever use.

Let’s break it down, step by step, so you can stop guessing and start making smart moves for your business.

What Is Google Analytics (And Why Should You Care?)

Imagine running a brick-and-mortar shop but never tracking how many customers walk in, what they look at, or whether they buy anything. You’d have no clue if your marketing was working, what products people loved, or if your store layout was sending people straight for the exit.

That’s exactly what happens when you ignore your website data. You could be sitting on gold— but without Google Analytics, you wouldn’t even know where to start digging.

Google Analytics tracks everything from who’s visiting your site to where they’re coming from to what pages they’re obsessing over (or abandoning in disgust). It’s basically a free, real-time cheat sheet for making data-driven decisions instead of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.

And here’s why that matters:

• If you know where your traffic is coming from, you can double down on what’s actually working.

• If people are bouncing off your site quickly, you can fix what’s making them leave.

• If a blog post is pulling in a ton of visitors, you can create more of that kind of content.

• If your audience is mostly on mobile, you can make sure your site is optimized for tiny screens.

The goal isn’t just to collect data for data’s sake— it’s to turn that data into more traffic, better conversions, and a website that actually works for you instead of just sitting there looking pretty.

How to Set Up Google Analytics for Your Wix Website (In Less Than 10 Minutes)

First things first— let’s get you set up.

1. Create a Google Analytics Account

   • Head to Google Analytics.

   • Sign in with your Google account and click Start Measuring.

2. Set Up a Property

   • A “property” is just Google’s term for your website. Add your website’s name and URL.

3. Get Your Tracking ID

   • Google will give you a tracking ID that looks something like this: UA-123456789-1. Copy it.

4. Add the Tracking ID to Your Wix Site

   • Log into Wix and head to your Dashboard.

   • Go to Marketing & SEO > Marketing Integrations.

   • Click on Google Analytics and paste your tracking ID into the field.

   • Hit Connect and publish your site to activate tracking.

5. Verify It’s Working

   • Visit your site and check the “Real Time” tab in Google Analytics to make sure it tracks your visit.

Boom! You’re live and ready to start collecting data.

The Metrics That Actually Matter (And How to Use Them)

Now that you’re all set up, let’s talk about what the heck you should actually track— because, let’s be honest, looking at too much data is just as bad as looking at none.

First, traffic. How many people are visiting your site? Is that number growing, staying the same, or dropping? If it’s increasing, high five. If it’s declining, we need to figure out why.

Next, bounce rate. This tells you how many visitors leave your site without clicking on anything. A high bounce rate usually means your page isn’t what they expected, the design is off-putting, or your site takes too long to load (in which case, Google will punish you for it).

Then, traffic sources. Are people finding you through Google, Instagram, Pinterest, referral links, or straight-up typing your URL into their browser? Knowing this helps you focus your marketing efforts on what’s actually driving traffic.

Your most popular pages are next. Google Analytics will show you which pages get the most love and which are being ignored. If one blog post is bringing in a ton of traffic, that’s your sign to write more content like it and make sure it leads to conversions— whether that’s signing up for your email list or booking a service.

Finally, mobile vs. desktop traffic. If the majority of your visitors are on their phones but your site isn’t mobile-friendly, that’s a big problem. Google Analytics will tell you exactly how people are accessing your site so you can optimize accordingly.

How to Actually Use This Data to Improve Your Business

Now, the fun part: actually doing something with all this data.

If your bounce rate is sky-high, start by improving your website design, making your content clearer, and speeding up your site. If you’re getting lots of Instagram traffic but barely any from Google, it’s time to invest in SEO and blog content. If one of your pages is outperforming the rest, make sure it has clear calls-to-action and links to other parts of your site to keep visitors engaged.

And if you really want to get serious, set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics. This lets you measure actual actions people take— like booking a service, signing up for your email list, or making a purchase— so you can see what’s actually driving results.

Final Thoughts: Why Google Analytics is a Non-Negotiable

If you have a website, you need to be using Google Analytics. It’s the difference between making educated decisions about your marketing strategy and just hoping for the best. When you understand what’s working (and what’s not), you can adjust, optimize, and grow.

And if all of this still feels overwhelming? I got you. I help business owners set up and understand their Google Analytics so they can stop guessing and start growing. If you want your website to actually work for your business (instead of just sitting there collecting dust), let’s chat.