You want to track customer behavior. What’s the best way to get started?

2 Choose your metrics

Depending on your goals, you will need to select the appropriate metrics that capture the aspects of customer behavior that matter to you. Metrics are the quantitative indicators that show how customers perform certain actions or exhibit certain attitudes. For example, some common metrics are page views, bounce rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, satisfaction score, loyalty score, and referral rate. You should choose metrics that are relevant to your goals, easy to track, and reliable.

3 Select your tools

There are many tools available to help you track customer behavior, ranging from free and simple to paid and complex. Some of the most popular tools are Google Analytics, Hotjar, SurveyMonkey, Mailchimp, and HubSpot. Each tool has its own features, benefits, and limitations, so you should compare them and choose the ones that suit your needs, budget, and skills. You should also consider how well the tools integrate with each other and with your existing platforms.

4 Collect your data

Once you have your goals, metrics, and tools in place, you can start collecting your data. Depending on the type and source of data, you may need to use different methods and techniques. For example, you can use cookies, tags, pixels, or tracking codes to collect data from your website or email campaigns. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observations to collect data from your customers directly. You can use secondary sources, such as reports, studies, or databases, to collect data from external sources.

5 Analyze your data

After collecting your data, you need to analyze it to extract meaningful insights and actionable recommendations. You can use various methods and tools to analyze your data, such as descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, segmentation, correlation, regression, or clustering. You should also use data visualization techniques, such as charts, graphs, tables, or dashboards, to present your data in a clear and engaging way. You should always interpret your data in relation to your goals and metrics, and look for patterns, trends, anomalies, or gaps.

6 Apply your findings

The final step of tracking customer behavior is to apply your findings to improve your marketing strategy and tactics. You should use your insights and recommendations to test new ideas, optimize existing ones, or create new ones. You should also monitor and measure the impact of your changes, and adjust them as needed. You should also communicate your findings and actions to your stakeholders, such as your team, your management, or your customers, and get their feedback and support.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?