Senior Consultants at The Center for Sales Strategy are known for helping organizations grow their sales through training, the development of customized strategy plans, and coaching.

By facilitating digital training in many workshops, there are several conversations around Google Analytics and how it can be used to sell the results of a campaign – some are more in-depth and hands-on, while others are more introductory based on the workshop.

Keep reading for answers to the five most frequently asked questions and objections heard when discussing Google Analytics.

Increase Sales With Google Analytics Reports

Google Analytics provides hundreds of different metrics. And, that's the problem. There's too much to look at and measure. 

The good news is that you don't have to look at every single metric, and the trick is to know the type of data you need to sell the results of a campaign. In every workshop, no matter what size market, the same Google Analytics questions are asked.

1. I’ve asked clients for access, but they are not willing to give it to me. What should I do?

Make sure that you communicated why you want access to their Google Analytics and how you will use the information.

Think about asking for access like asking for a budget - if you ask too early in the process, before you have demonstrated the value of why and how you plan on using the information, you are likely to get a no.

Clearly communicate that this is not about you being able to see who else they are running with or “changing” their metrics. It’s about showing them how their marketing dollars are working for them. It will also allow you to make better decisions to optimize the campaign based on how potential consumers are engaging with the content on their site.

2. Is there a way for me to know if they have Google Analytics installed on their website before the meeting, and why is that important?

Yes! There are a couple of ways that you can go to anyone’s website and see if they already have Google Analytics on their website.

1. Look at the page source code and look for the Google Analytics code. This is pretty easy, but if it seems a little too technical for you, skip to number two.
   
2. Install the Ghostery plug-in on your browser. To do this, go to Google and type in “Ghostery plug-in.” You can then install the version for your browser. This will allow you not only to see if they have GA installed, but you can also see any other analytic tools they use as well as advertising trackers and other insights.

Knowing this information before you walk in the door for your first meeting will help you ask better questions. Instead of asking do you have GA on your website, you can ask like:

• Who within the organization examines your analytics?
• Are there specific metrics you track or measure? Why?
• Do you have conversion goals set up on your website?

3. Should I ask for read-only or admin access?

If you are just starting to use Google Analytics, ask for read-only access because you can’t break it! A client might also feel more comfortable with giving you read-only access vs. admin access, so it can improve your ability to get access.

4. Why are there discrepancies between my reporting and what my client sees in Google Analytics?

There could be several reasons why this is happening, but one of the more common reasons is your reporting is from the delivery side of a campaign, and Google Analytics is from the receiving side.

What does that mean? Think about it this way:

• If someone clicks on an ad on your website, your reporting will register that as a click.
• If they close out of the website the ad sends them to before the page, or more specifically the Google Analytics code, on that page loads it will not register as a visit.
• As a result, you show a click, and they show no visit.

There could also involve issues the Google Analytics code being properly installed on the campaign landing page, or users have set their browser preferences not to allow analytics to capture their data.

5. What do I do if my contact says I can have access, but the person with Google Analytics admin access won’t respond to my request?

If you come up against this situation, send an email to the contact that needs to give you access with the decision maker copied on the email.

Let them know in the body of the email that you were asked to reach out at the direction of the decision maker and how you will use access to the analytics. Let them know you have the decision maker also copied in case they have additional questions.

Do you have additional Google Analytics questions or other recommendations? If so, please reach out so we can add them to our list!