getting the most from your website

What these analytics actually tell you.

Built-in analytics answer the questions most businesses need answered:

"Is anyone visiting my website?"
Check the total number of visitors and trends over time. If traffic is growing, your marketing is working. If it's flat or declining, you need to address visibility.

"What content do people care about?"
Popular content reports show which pages get the most views. Double down on topics that resonate; reconsider pages nobody visits.

"Where are visitors coming from?"
Traffic sources show whether visitors find you through search, social media, direct links, or referrals. This tells you which marketing channels are working.

"Are people finding my contact/services page?"
Page-level analytics show whether visitors are reaching your most important pages. If they're not, your navigation or content strategy needs work.

"Is my website working on mobile?"
Device breakdown shows how many visitors use mobile vs. desktop. If 60%+ are mobile and your site isn't mobile-optimized, you're losing business.

For most small businesses, these built-in analytics provide all the data needed to make smart decisions about content, marketing, and site improvements.

When you might need external analytics

Most businesses don't need tools beyond what's built into their platform. But external analytics make sense for specific use cases:

Google Analytics (free)

• You're running Google Ads and need integrated conversion tracking

• You have a marketing agency managing campaigns that require GA data

• You need custom event tracking (file downloads, video plays, outbound link clicks)

• You're tracking complex sales funnels with multiple touchpoints

Setup: https://analytics.google.com
Note: Steep learning curve; overkill for most small businesses

Clicky Analytics (~$15/month)

• You want real-time visitor monitoring (see exactly who's on your site right now)

• You need heatmaps showing where visitors click and scroll

• You prefer a simpler, more intuitive interface than Google Analytics

• You want better privacy compliance (GDPR/CCPA) than Google Analytics

Setup: https://clicky.com
Better for: Small business owners who manage their own data

Hotjar or Crazy Egg (paid)

• You specifically need heatmaps and session recordings

• You're doing conversion rate optimization work

• You want to see exactly how visitors interact with specific pages

These are specialist tools for specialist needs. Don't pay for them unless you have specific questions that built-in analytics can't answer.

Focus on accessibility monitoring instead

Here's an unpopular opinion: For most small businesses, accessibility monitoring is more valuable than traffic analytics.

Why accessibility monitoring matters more:

• Legal protection - ADA lawsuits target businesses with inaccessible websites. Prevention costs less than legal defense.

• Customer access - 1 in 4 adults has a disability. Inaccessible sites exclude paying customers.

• Government/nonprofit requirements - Many grants and contracts require WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.

• SEO benefits - Accessible sites often rank better because proper heading structure, alt text, and semantic HTML help search engines, too.

• Unlike traffic analytics that tell you what's happening, accessibility audits tell you what you need to fix.

Free accessibility tools:

WAVE Browser Extension (free)
Install in Chrome or Firefox, click the icon on any page, and see accessibility errors instantly.
Download: https://wave.webaim.org/extension/

Accessibility Checker (Squarespace)
Built into the Squarespace editor. Scans your page and flags common issues.
Limited but useful for quick checks.

axe DevTools (free browser extension)
More technical than WAVE but catches additional issues.
Download: https://www.deque.com/axe/devtools/

WebAIM Contrast Checker (free web tool)
Test if your color combinations meet WCAG contrast requirements.
Use it: https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/

Limitations of automated tools: They catch maybe 30-40% of accessibility issues. Manual testing and expert review catch the rest. But free tools are an excellent starting point.

Professional accessibility audits:

If you need comprehensive WCAG 2.1 AA compliance verification, especially for government contracts or legal requirements, automated tools aren't sufficient. You need a professional accessibility audit.

I offer website accessibility audits as a core service. Contact me if you need:

• Comprehensive WCAG 2.1 AA compliance audit

• Detailed remediation guidance for identified issues

• Accessibility statement development

• Ongoing compliance monitoring

This is different from analytics—it's about legal compliance and serving all customers, not optimizing conversion rates.

If you need analytics help

If you determine you need analytics beyond your platform's built-in tools:

For setup and basic training:
Most analytics platforms have extensive free documentation and YouTube tutorials. Start there before paying for consulting.

For ongoing analytics management:
Marketing agencies and analytics consultants specialize in this work. They'll provide better service than a web designer offering analytics as a side service.

For conversion rate optimization:
CRO specialists focus on using data analytics to improve website performance. This is specialized work that requires dedicated expertise.

I can refer you to qualified specialists if you need analytics services beyond platform basics.

Bottom line: Start simple

1. Use your platform's built-in analytics for at least 3-6 months

2. Learn what the data actually tells you before adding complexity

3. Add external tools only when you have specific unanswered questions

4. Invest in accessibility compliance before advanced analytics

5. Don't pay for tools or services you won't actually use

Most businesses discover that built-in analytics answer 90% of their questions. The other 10% might not even matter to your bottom line.

Questions about website monitoring or accessibility?

Contact me if you need accessibility audit services or have questions about getting more value from your current website.