I’ve always been a curious human, so when my husband decided he wanted to start going to Nascar races, I was intrigued. I grew up with them in the background, but never really paid much attention to what was going on.
My “put the outsides of the puzzle together first” brain immediately noticed how there were so many moving parts to a winning team!
There’s a driver
A crew chief
A slew of crew members – each with an extremely specific job.
A spotter – they are in the Driver’s ear telling them exactly what’s happening on the track.
Not to mention the huge behind the scenes team members, the ones you don’t see, engineers, technicians, mechanics, and logistics who gets everyone where they need to be one time, each time.
Have you ever wished you had that kind of clarity in your business? Someone telling you exactly which marketing moves are helping you pull ahead and which ones are just burning fuel?
Think of tracking marketing data the same way – you need clear insights to make the right moves.
I know looking at numbers might make you sweat. But understanding marketing analytics basics doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Let’s explore some easy ways to measure marketing performance that will transform how you run your business.
Essential Tools for Marketing Data Tracking for Beginners in 2025
You might be wondering “What if I’ve never set up any tracking before – where do I literally start first?“
That’s honestly SUCH a good q – and I’d love to answer it for you!
- Set up Google Analytics 4 on your website (don’t worry if this sounds scary – here is a step-by-step guide!)
- Connect Google Search Console to your site (details on how to do this included in the step-by-step guide linked above)
- Install a heat mapping tool like Hotjar and Mouse flow – This isn’t a MUST, but is super helpful in allowing you to see how people are moving around on your website, and they have a free plan to get you started. Here is my affiliate link if you’d like to set Hotjar up
Do you need to track historical data or can you start fresh?
Here’s the beautiful thing about tracking your marketing – you can start exactly where you are right now.
Think about those people who track their daily steps.
When they first get their fitness tracker, they can’t go back and count all their previous steps.
But that doesn’t make their tracking any less valuable going forward!
The same goes for your marketing data.
While it would be nice to have historical data, you absolutely don’t need it to make better decisions moving forward.
Start tracking today, and in a few weeks, you’ll have enough data to start seeing patterns.
What Marketing Data Should You Actually Look At in 2025?
Remember – metrics aren’t like Pokemon. You don’t gotta track them all!
Instead of drowning in data, I want you to think about your business like a road trip.
When you’re driving, you don’t track every single thing about your car – just the important stuff that keeps you moving forward safely and efficiently, like your gas gauge and oil levels.
You aren’t a mechanic – and you don’t have to be a data scientist to make use of your own data.
For your business, this means focusing on metrics that tell you if you’re heading in the right direction:
🌱 New Visitors vs. Return Visitors
Are new people finding your business? Are past visitors coming back? This helps you understand if your content is attracting fresh eyes while keeping previous visitors interested.
🌱 Top Traffic Sources
Which marketing efforts are actually bringing people to your website? Maybe your Instagram stories are killing it, but those Facebook groups aren’t doing much. This tells you where to focus your energy.
🌱 Most Popular Content
What are people actually interested in when they land on your site? Understanding this helps you create more of what works (and less of what doesn’t).
🌱 Conversion Actions
Are visitors taking the next step with you? This could be joining your email list, booking a call, or downloading a free resource you have available. These metrics directly tie to your revenue.
The key here isn’t to track everything – it’s to track what matters for YOUR specific business goals.
If you’re focused on booking 1:1 clients, you’ll care more about call bookings than blog post views. If you’re launching a course, email list growth might be your priority.
What Should You Do with Your Marketing Data Once You Have It?”
Data is useless if you don’t take action on it!
You could collect it all day long, but unless you are using it to make decisions it isn’t a benefit to you!
My favorite way to take action on data is the 3T Method!
Below is a quick breakdown of what the 3T method is, and you can read about it in detail on my blog “How Do I Know if My Marketing is Working? Here’s How to Find Out!”
- Track – you’ll need to set up a way that works for you so that you can measure your marketing experiments.
- Try – this is where you execute your marketing experiment.
- Tweak – by reviewing your tracking method you can determine what tweaks you need to make to improve on your last experiment, so that you can try again!
Your Next Steps to Tracking Your Marketing Data
Ready to really know what’s driving your revenue so that you can spend more time doing the things that are important? Here’s what to consider:
Start with your current pain points
What information do you wish you had?
What decisions are you struggling to make without better data?
Look at your business goals
Where do you want your business to be in the next 6-12 months?
What data would help you get there?
Consider your resources
Do you need a more robust tracking system?
Would a custom dashboard make your life easier?
Is it time to bring in some expert help?
You don’t need to implement everything at once!
Just like you wouldn’t jump from a go-kart straight to a NASCAR race, take your marketing measurement upgrades one step at a time.
Download the Marketing Measurement Playbook for step-by-step guidance on implementing everything we’ve covered & more!
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