How Google guzzled my funding

And not just mine, but most of yours as well…

Google provides free access to Google Analytics (GA) traffic reports to help you optimise your AdWords spend and manage your SEO. It’s a trap. For 99% of the professional population at least. So, when you start using GA,consider this:

Why is Google being so generous and givingyou this freemium access?

Why does GA not offer a good UI/UX?

Why does it feel like you need to demystify it before using it?

Why does one get lost despite the whole thing appearing so simple?

Come on! Google is not hiring the world’s top 0.1% talent to make your life simple. And is it really a freemium service? Or is it a premium (you end up spending more due to inefficiencies) service after all?

The world’s top 0.1% professionals, sitting at Google, are cracking Big Data to generate Big Reports. Let me explain this in lay terms. For that, we have to go back and understand what Big Data is. Simply put, it’s tons of simple data packed together. Similarly, tons of simple reports in one place is Google Analytics. GA lovers will attack me, for sure.

Google Analytics - Big Data to Big Report

Indeed, these are simple reports, but why do users find it complex? Google is not able to fix this, or does it simply not want to? Some people believe that it has evolved organically so it’s not UI/UX friendly. But I strongly believe that it is strategically designed like this - ghoda ghaas se dosti karega to khaega kya (if a horse befriends the grass, what will it eat).

If Google simplifies GA, then every professional would be able to optimise his or her digital marketing spend and will pay less to Google. Why would Google invest in reducing its revenue?

It is good business strategy. Make it simple, but large enough to handle everyone’s needs.

Since GA is used by all types of businesses across the globe,it is very generic and takes care of everyone. Doesn’t that sound democratic and philanthropic?

I am for all types

Is there any solution? Yes – you can customise your GA reports and solve this maze. But then, you should have the required skill-set to understand what you want and how you want to present it. Alternatively, you can hire consultants and buy other analytics subscriptions, which means dependency on the top 0.1% professionals, again.

So, here’s my message to all my entrepreneur friends.We need to understand all this right from the beginning. Identify the acquisition, behaviouraland outcome metrics according to your business model and try and achieve all of it within your digital marketing budget. Stay away from vanity metrics, just focus on business-oriented metrics.

You will be tempted to spend more to acquire more customers; but beware! Google wants that, but your business really doesn’t need it.

Carry out smaller experiments for shorter durations and learn to survive within a budget. The more we delay this in the growth race, the worse it gets.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)