In the massively growing and very competitive online market, knowing where your customers come from and what they're looking for is one of the most important things a webmaster or a web marketer needs to know. The task of finding this information out has traditionally been carried out by a host of expensive online analytics packages that usually require a rental fee to use - but not so in the case of Google Analytics.Google Analytics was the first free analytics package that incorporated the levels of usability and functionality only previously seen in the paid packages. As with all Google services, this service attempted to generate money by incorporating the analytics packages with the Google AdWords program. As of this morning, Google Analytics has seen an update which will be rolling out across the next few days, showing a host of new and interesting features.
The first major feature will offer the remote scheduling and emailing of previously built reports. This should save time and ensure that the reports can be delivered at a pre-set date straight into your inbox.
The other feature that has excited people who use Google Analytics every day is the prospect of an entirely customisable dashboard, where any aspect of any parts of the report can be pre-compiled and moved into one area according to the users' particular taste. This allows the user to sign in and instantly see the information they are looking for, without having to spend time drilling down into the various different sections of the report.
Along with new features for veteran users, contextual help and tips are available with every report to teach new users the best way to use the packages. This is complemented by a new trend-over-time feature, which will compare various time periods in order to identify market fluctuations without losing sight of short term trends.
Given that all research and development has been conducted using every type of user - from the dedicated professional to the inexperienced amateur - we can surmise that the new system may end up appealing to a different kind of user altogether and may prove its worth as one of the most valuable and interesting tools in the Google family.
