Your New Year Marketing Measurement Checklist: Start Tracking What Actually Matters

Marketing Analytics

You know that feeling when everyone’s talking about “new year, new goals” and one of your new goals is actually track data in your business this year…

But then when you try to start, you quickly start to wonder if you should be tracking… well, everything. 🫠

Maybe you’re staring at your Google Analytics thinking “what even am I looking at?” 🤯

Let me offer a reframe – what if this year, instead of trying to measure ALL the things, you focused on tracking what actually matters for your business? 

Developing a marketing measurement strategy doesn’t have to be complicated! 

The beauty of a clear marketing measurement framework isn’t just about having pretty charts (though those are nice!). 

It’s about knowing exactly which of your marketing efforts are bringing in dream clients and which ones you can confidently put down without your business falling apart.

Let’s walk through exactly what you need to set up and track to make this your year of data-driven decisions!

Set Your Marketing Measurement Foundation

Before we dive into what to measure, let’s make sure you have the right marketing measurement tools in place. 

Think of this like setting up your GPS before a road trip – you need the right equipment before you can figure out where you’re going!

Here’s what you need to have in place:

Don’t let this list overwhelm you! These tools are not super complicated and will take you just a few hours to get set up! 

Essential Marketing Measurement Metrics to Track

Let’s break this down into four main categories that matter for most businesses. 

You don’t have to track everything in each category – pick what makes sense for YOUR business!

# 1. Visibility Metrics – These metrics tell you how people are finding you. 

Here are a few examples of what your visibility metrics might look like:

  • Website traffic sources (where are your visitors coming from?)
  • Social media reach (how many new humans are seeing your content?)
  • Search engine visibility (what keywords are bringing people to your site?)

# 2. First Touch Point Metrics – This shows how people first interact with your business.

Sometimes people skip this step and go right from your visibility metric to your booking or sales metric – this isn’t anything to worry about. 

Take this as a good sign that your website and/or sales pages are doing their jobs! 

Here are a few examples of what your first touch point metrics might look like:

  • Initial contact methods (are they DMing you? Filling out your contact form? Calling you?)

# 3. Booking/Sales Metrics – These are the metrics that are tied directly to your revenue. 

Here are a few examples of what your booking or sales metrics might look like:

  • Conversion rates (what percentage of visitors take your desired action?)
  • Sales page performance (how many people visit vs. purchase?)
  • Booking system analytics (how are people moving through your booking process?)

# 4. Nurture Metrics – These metrics show how you’re building relationships. 

Here are a few examples of what your nurture metrics might look like:

  • Email engagement rates (are people opening and clicking?)
  • Return visitor behavior (how often do people revisit your site?)

Making Sense of It All: Your Marketing Dashboard

Now, you might be thinking “Great, but how do I keep track of all this without losing my mind?” 

This is where a marketing dashboard becomes your best friend!

Your dashboard should include:

  • Your most important metrics from each category above
  • Visual representations of your data (charts are your friend!)
  • The option to compare results (week over week, month over month, year over year if possible)
  • A space to record notes about what’s working and what isn’t

You don’t have to track everything daily. Set up a regular review schedule that works for you – maybe it’s weekly for some metrics and monthly for others. The cadence in which you record your results is determined by the speed in which you get said results. 

Think about it this way – You can’t track something that isn’t moving. So, if your website is brand new and not generating a ton of traffic, maybe it’s more productive for you to look at the results monthly rather than weekly. 

Turn Your Marketing Measurement Strategy Into Action 

Having data is great, but knowing what to do with it is really the juice!!

Here’s how to make your metrics work for you:
1. Set benchmarks for each metric you’re tracking
2. Review your data regularly (put it in your calendar!)
3. Look for patterns and trends
4. Make one change at a time based on what you see
5. Track the results of those changes

Now, let’s talk about what NOT to do with your marketing data: 

  • Don’t track metrics just because you think you “should”
  • Avoid getting lost in vanity metrics (looking at you, Instagram likes!)
  • Don’t forget to consider seasonal changes in your data
  • Never make big decisions based on tiny data sets 

Your Quick-Start Marketing Measurement Checklist

Ready to get started with tracking your data in 2025? 

Here’s your simplified checklist:
✓ Set up Google Analytics 4
✓ Connect Google Search Console
✓ Install Meta Pixel
✓ Choose ONE metric from each of the Essential Marketing Metrics to track
✓ Set up a simple way to record your data
✓ Schedule monthly check-ins to review and adjust

Remember, friend – measuring your marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. 

Start small, be consistent, and focus on the metrics that actually matter for YOUR business.

Want help setting your marketing measurement up? 

I’ve got you! 

📊Analytics Uncomplicated is for you if you’re comfortable with tech and ready to set up your own marketing analytics tools with step-by-step guidance. Perfect for DIY business owners who want to get their marketing measurement tools set up quickly. 

📊The DIY Marketing Measurement Bundle is for you if tech isn’t scary and you know you can set up your marketing analytics and install your own dashboard yourself, with a little bit of self study guidance. (the Website Traffic Dashboard Template is included!)

📊 A Custom Marketing Analytics Dashboard is for you if you are ready to get started using your marketing data to make better decisions for your business, but tech makes you a little bit sweaty and you’d rather hand over the implementation to someone else. 

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