It’s probably fair to say that very few webmasters and online business owners don’t use online analytics these days. The reason being that analytics are great for keeping tabs on how much traffic you’re bringing in, how much money you’re making and to some extent how to predict for the ups and downs to come.
However, all of the above represents using analytics in a rather passive capacity – as in sitting back, taking a look at the basic figures and seeing how well you’re doing…or otherwise. Sadly, this is the kind of approach that in no way constitutes using analytics to its full potential, as to take from the data nothing more than simple revenues and traffic figures is to sell a business rather short. 
Regardless of whether you go for the SEO outsource option or control all such things in-house, ignoring or improperly using analytics will cost you and your efforts in many ways.
Missed Opportunities
For example, it is only by looking into analytics on a deep and regular basis that you are able to see where the most incredible opportunities are to take your business further. It’s a bonus the conventional business has never had – you’re able to see precisely where your efforts are coming to fruition and winning over your readers. Or in other words, you can see where you’re doing things right and do more of them, as opposed to just trying a dozen different efforts and hoping one bites. Analytics tell you where your success stories are, enabling you to build more of them.
Bad Habits Perpetuated
In a similar vein, though right on the other end of the spectrum, analytics can also show you any bad habits you’ve fallen into. Chances are there will be areas of your strategy that aren’t exactly pulling in the punters by the boatload – analytics will show you where they are and thus how you can improve on them. It’s all about the opportunities mentioned above – the data on offer gives you an inside look into what’s right and what’s wrong, in order to oust the latter and focus only on the former.
A Stitch in Time
Very few online businesses just curl up and die overnight, but a scary majority slowly wither away with their owners barely noticing until it’s too late. And that’s where analytics come to the rescue – a sudden dip here, the loss of a few readers there may not seem like the end of the world at the time, but they could be signs that something is seriously wrong and needs addressing. Think of it as the stitch in time that saves nine – use the data to correct the minor things before they become major.
Platforms Used
Last but not least, it’s never been more important to look at analytics on a constant basis to see whether readers are favouring standard desktop or mobile platforms when accessing your content. And at this stage in the game you can pretty much rest assured that if they aren’t all erring toward mobile just yet, they soon will be!