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What Am I Supposed to Do With All of This Data? Your Road Map to Leveraging Website Analytics
If you’re like most people when heading to a new destination, you pop the address in your GPS. You may even use it when you’re going somewhere you’ve been before (we can’t all be geographically gifted can we?).
But what people shouldn’t do is get in the car and guess how to get there. Even if you manage to get to your destination, you’ll add unnecessary time and effort to your trip. In healthcare marketing, guessing your way through digital strategies can lead to missed opportunities for engagement and growth.
Just as you rely on directions to guide you, website analytics are essential for ensuring your website is on the right path. The challenge? There’s an astonishing amount of data — visits, page views, bounce rates, the list goes on.
While these metrics reveal what’s working and what’s not, they can be overwhelming. Here’s a guide to the key metrics you need and how to turn them into actionable insights for your healthcare marketing strategy.
Metrics that matter: website analytics that should be on your radar
The online marketing world is full of data, especially in healthcare, where data abounds. If you’re not already using analytics, you’re driving blind.
The good news? It’s never too late to switch on your GPS and start tracking those key metrics. Already gathering data? Make sure your navigation system is set to the right route — after all, it’s not just about getting data, but knowing where it’s taking you.
Key metrics to collect include:
- Website traffic, like total visits, total unique visitors, page views, and traffic sources (how people got to your site)
- Engagement metrics, like average session duration, pages per session, and bounce rate (how many sessions were very short, led to no conversions, and had fewer than two page views)
- SEO metrics, like keyword rankings (where your site ranks in search for certain keywords), organic traffic (people who come to your site from unpaid or unpromoted search results), and backlinks (links from other sites that direct to yours)
- Conversion metrics, like conversion rates (how many people perform an action, like booking an appointment or signing up for a patient portal) and cost per conversion (how much it costs you to get someone to perform a conversion action)
- Content performance metrics, like average engagement time, top performing pages, and social shares
- Technical performance metrics, like page load speed and internal linking
Whew! That’s a lot of data. Fortunately, you don’t have to go at it alone. There are tools to help you gather key website metrics, like Google Analytics and Semrush. And if you don’t know how to use those, it might be time to bring in the experts.
From data to action: what to do with all that data
Now that you’ve gathered all your key data, you’ve got the ultimate GPS in hand. But the question is – where do you want to go? By plotting the right course, you can use these insights to guide your next move and steer your strategy in the direction of success, whether that’s driving more patient appointments, increasing engagement with healthcare professionals (HCPs), or boosting brand awareness.
Identify business goals and KPIs
If you haven’t already, map out your goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), specific checkpoints to measure larger goals.
For example, maybe you have a goal of reaching more dermatologists. Your KPIs can include SEO rankings, site visits, conversion rates, or any other metric that will help you reach that goal.
The key is to know what your goals are so you can work toward them effectively.
Move from what happened to why it happened
Now it’s time to analyze your data and make educated guesses about why you’re seeing certain behaviors.
Here are some examples:
What do top-performing and worst-performing pages say about your audience?
Which calls-to-action (CTAs) lead to conversions, and what do they seem to have in common?
Did you see a spike in total visits around any events or marketing campaigns? In healthcare, this could be after a webinar or during awareness months, like Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
These are just a few of the many questions your team should be reviewing. Be detailed and thorough in this process. Remember – there are no dumb questions in this process. Even seemingly minor trends might indicate major opportunities.
Make changes to improve performance
Using what you’ve uncovered from your data, make decisions and refine your strategy to improve your site’s performance.
If certain types of pages are performing well, find ways to leverage those pages even more or create more pages of a similar nature. If certain CTAs aren’t doing the job, re-word them to encourage more action. If you’re seeing spikes in traffic around certain times of the year, take advantage of those influxes of visitors by tailoring content to patient needs or medical trends.
Don’t forget – your target audience, whether that’s patients, HCPs, or caregivers, should always be at the center of these decisions.
You may not replicate all these successes. But by using data, you increase your chances of achieving your goals in the competitive healthcare landscape.
Keep on keepin’ on: using website analytics long term
Tracking website analytics is like watching your dashboard while driving — you can’t just glance once and expect smooth sailing. Keep an eye on key performance metrics as you go. By consistently monitoring, you’ll spot patterns and trends, allowing you to shift gears and stay ahead of the curve on the road to success.
As you navigate the winding roads of website analytics, remember that data is your GPS, guiding your healthcare organizations toward the most efficient and successful routes. Whether you’re recalculating your strategy or fine-tuning the engine of your digital presence, the right data-driven decisions in healthcare marketing can help you reach your goals faster.
Need a copilot on this journey? Let us help steer you in the right direction. Reach out today, and we’ll make sure your website analytics drive results, not confusion.
