Google Analytics-URL target Goals

Google Analytics (GA) really has a lot more helpful features than you might think. So many companies use the few tabs  and just put the rest on the back burner.

 URL target Goals is one of the features that isn’t a top precedence for many companies, yet can be very useful. If you’ve seen this option but never taken the time to figure out why it matters or how it works, now is the time to take on the confront!

How URL end Goals Work and How to Set Them Up       

          
The URL Destination Goals choice is a great way to see if your online marketing efforts are really giving you any results. There are many different types of Goals you can include, but URL Destination Goal is maybe the easiest to use. 

This exacting Goal will tell you whenever someone has visited a particular page on your site. This gathers data that you can later track and decide which of your marketing efforts are working and which ones are falling short.

Fully understanding how it all works is probably easiest if you set up a Goal. Here are the steps to make it happen:

Step #1: Go to your GA and click on your aim website. Click on the Admin button.

Step #2: Click the “Create a Goal” button in the upper right hand corner.

Step #3: You will then be able to enter in the Goal Description so you can stay planned in case you want to have more than one Goal. Click “Destination” and then “Next Step.”

Step #4: The next section is goal details, and it will ask for the URL where users will land when they have finished the goal . You should enter whatever comes after your domain name in the full URL. There is also a fall down menu on this same page where you should choose “Equals.” If you don’t have an exact URL, choose “Begins With” or “Regular Expression.”

Step #5 (Optional): Once you’re finished creating your Goal, you have two elective choices. First, you can change your URL destination goal into a funnel, which works great if you have 3 or 4 steps in your checkout process. This can help you see where most of your conversions are lost in your multi-step process. Second, you can add a monetary value to your Goal so you can see exactly how much money you earn for each conversion. 

 You can make up to 4 sets of Goals for each field you have in your GA and then can add 5 Goals to each of these sets . You can’t delete a Goal once it starts bringing in data, but it is probable to neutralize it. In short, choose your Goals cautiously!

What to Track with a URL Destination Goal

What you should track with Goals all depends upon your company. Where do you want people to change, and what marketing aspects are in question? Are you loosing clients before they convert, but aren’t sure where? Here are some of the most accepted areas to track.
Free Trial Sign Ups & Downloads

Most companies want to make sure their freebies are making a difference. Even more than this, companies wants to know how many people from their free trials really come back and convert. If you have a page that thanks someone for downloading a free EBook or a free trial, consider putting that URL as your goal and then comparing those numbers with the number of people that convert after a 30-day period.
Sales

This is one of the most accepted goals. As discussed above when setting up your goals, you have 2 choices: make a funnel to track your customers through each step, or simply add in a URL of the thank you page that people see after they’ve made a purchase.
 

Content Form Fill-Outs

If your business is all about grabbing those leads, you might want to track if someone fills out a form to get more information about your company. This is a accepted goal for a service oriented businesses. In other words, your site doesn’t really sell product or service, rather customers fill out a form to request a quote or something similar.

Your company might also consider tracking how many people opt-in to your mailing list, fill out sign-up or registration forms, or first time commenters on your blog.  

Check Your Conversion Data: Wait a few days before checking your data. Visit your Explorer tab in GA and then click on the Goal set you formed. You will then see a nice table with all the numbers for your Goal. Track these numbers over a few months before you start making conclusions about what is the most valuable method in your marketing plan and what can go.