Google Analytics for Tour Operators
Google is the most important marketing tool out there. Between its suite of services, you can improve your search engine optimization (SEO), set up ad campaigns, and even engage social media followers. But Google’s platforms are not always the most intuitive. In this series, we’ll break down everything tour providers need to know about this Internet giant, starting with Google Analytics.
Over the last few months, as I’ve been interviewing Xola customers for the different articles you’ve read here at Xola University, I’ve noticed a prevailing and troublesome trend: many of you aren’t measuring consumer behavior. If I asked you what channel brings you the most bookings between your website, your affiliate partnerships, paid advertising, email marketing, or social media, could you give me an accurate assessment? Or what if I wanted to know what percentage of your business comes from repeat customers? With Google Analytics, you can track all of this and more.
As with any new learning, it’s important to begin with the fundamentals. If you’ve never interacted with Google Analytics before, start here. If you’re familiar with the program already, stay tuned for our upcoming articles that will dive deeper into all things Google.
Can’t get enough of Google Analytics?
If you liked this, our friend Mat Newton at TourismTiger has a fantastic Google Analytics guide that wonderfully supplements our high-level introduction. In it, you’ll learn about the most important reports that tour operators should consider, how to compare your traffic over time, and how to set up goals in your Google Analytics account.
Next up…
With the holiday season underway (Happy belated Thanksgiving, everyone!), now’s a great time to set up your Google Analytics account if you haven’t already. With analytics active, you can analyze the web paths people take when buying gift certificates and identify ways to improve visitors’ experiences on your site to maximize purchases.
Stay tuned for future posts that will dive deeper into Google Analytics’s Ecommerce settings, and how you can incorporate Xola’s checkout data to get a full picture of your online conversions. In the mean time, you can always check out Google Analytics’s Help Center. If knowledge is power, Google Analytics is the #1 tool that every business should have in its arsenal.
(P.S. our second installment in this series is here! Learn how to segment data and analyze reports like a pro in Google Analytics.)
