Some people like to delve deep into the HandClicked analytics reports, crunch the numbers and research the trends, etc. and for others they just want to quickly understand how their business is performing.
If you fall into the latter category then focusing on simplicity and transparency is the quickest way to achieve results. And the simplest way to get these results is through patterns.
One of the main reasons for using analytics is to improve upon what you're doing in the future by understanding what's happening now and in the past.
But data can be different for each business and whilst some experts might advise analysing bounce rates and others push view times, nobody understands your business like you and what metrics make most sense.
By looking at patterns you can ask the right questions for your business and look for good answers.
So how do you look for patterns?
Log into your HandClicked account and on the dashboard there's a line graph which shows last visits.
Does the line have a regular pattern of peaks and troughs?
Change the date range and take a look at a larger range of data, for example the last 6 months or year.
How has the line pattern changed? Is the pattern more regular or are there more peaks and troughs?
If there's a distinct change in the pattern can you remember what you did in your business at that time?
Perhaps you changed your eBay listing titles, added a sub-title to your listings or gained Top-Rated Seller status.
Do the peaks, troughs, spikes or dips correspond to seasons or adverse weather conditions?
Go to the Actions > Page Titles screen and see which eBay listings performed well and which didn't during this time to see specific details.
Go to the Visitors > Custom Variables screen and see which eBay categories sent more traffic or whether Item Condition made a difference, etc.
Once you learn to recognise and ask questions about the patterns in your data you can start making decisions and take action to improve your eBay performance.
