Am I Learning From You? – A Look at Analytics

In today’s society, everyone uses technology.  We use technology to shop, purchase cars, learn, and understand what is going on in today’s world.  We are connected to technology by our computers, through our phones, and even through our remote controls – it is a little crazy that we can talk to our remotes to search for shows or movies.  Living in this world means that everyone is tracking our moves, watching our Facebook feeds, stalking us with ads as we move around the web.  It can be a little scary if you think about too long but here is the upside, it means we are learning.  We are using the analytics to become better marketers, tailor information to who our audiences are, and serving our audience with what they want.  Most organizations are using analytics to have a stronger customer service model.

Let’s look at my blog, I want to know what you are interested in.  I could go about this in several ways: I could send you a survey with questions, I could ask for your feedback directly on my post, or I could use Google Analytics to see where the hot spots are.  My intention is not to bother you, so I don’t think it would be best to send you a survey or ask for your feedback – it should be natural for you.  This is where Google Analytics comes in handy.  I can view what pages have a high volume of visitors, I can see where visitors are lingering or jumping off the page and I can see where you are coming from.  This feedback is priceless.  So, does this mean I am learning from you.  Absolutely, I am always looking to learn from my visitors.  For example, let’s say I post an article about relationships and then an article about decorating for Halloween.  Depending on the analytics I may tailor my next post based on the responses, web page hits or how long individuals stayed on what posting. If my audience wants to learn more about decorating for the holidays, let's explore the areas together.  I want to provide you with what areas you are looking to learn about and how you engage with my site.  By using analytics, I am learning about your needs and passions. If I listen and learn, this will lead to you returning to my site, becoming a follower, and in the end allowing me to bring you into my Personal Learning Network so that we grow together as a family where strength is behind the fire boots.