GA4, also known as Google Analytics 4, is a tool that all business owners should use to track conversions on their website and where these conversions are coming from. The more insight you can gather about how users interact with your website, the better equipped you are to make informed decisions about your marketing and business strategies. Using GA4, you can build custom reports that display the page path taken by a user before they submit a contact form, providing valuable information about which pages are most effective and which need improvement.
In this blog, we will discuss how to use the Explore feature of GA4 to see which pages users visited before submitting a contact form, and how Boston Web Marketing can help create, integrate, and utilize Google Analytics for your business.
Why Is Contact Form Tracking Helpful for Businesses?
Contact forms are one of the most important tools for businesses to connect with their audience and track leads. By setting up your form submissions as a key event, you can see how many people are filling out the form, which pages they visited before submitting, and even the specific actions they took on your website. This data can help businesses understand their audience’s behavior and make informed decisions to improve their website content and conversion rates.
What is the Difference Between the Reports & Explore Tab in GA4?
The Reports tab in GA4 displays preset reports that provide a general overview of your website’s performance, including user engagement, traffic sources, and conversions. These reports provide a quick understanding of your website’s overall metrics.
On the other hand, the Explore tab allows you to create custom reports by combining different dimensions and metrics. This gives you more flexibility in analyzing specific aspects of your website’s performance. If you are looking to track the path users took on your website before converting, for example, you can create a custom report using this feature.
How Can I Use the Explore Feature in GA4 to Track Conversion Paths?
To use the Explore feature in GA4 to track contact form conversion paths, you can follow these steps:
Access the Explore Tab in GA4
The first step is to ensure you have access to the GA4 account that is linked to your website. Once you have access, open the GA4 dashboard and click on the “Explore” tab located in the left menu of the page.
Select Path Exploration
When landing on the Explorations page, you have three options to explore: Free Form, Funnel, and Path. For tracking contact form conversion paths, select “Path.”
Start Over with a Blank Report
A default report will appear when the Path option is selected, but it is important to begin with a blank report to ensure accurate data. To do this, click the “Start Over” button located in the top-right corner of the page.
Select the Contact Form Key Event for the Ending Point
Since the goal is to track which paths lead to the submission of a contact form, select the key event that is set up for tracking form submissions as your “Ending Point.” In most cases, contact forms are tracked using ‘Thank You’ page sessions, as these pages are only visited after the form is completed. If this is how yours is set up, select ‘Page Title and Screen Class’ and choose the title of your ‘Thank You’ page.
View the Pages Users Visited & Create Steps to the Starting Point
After you have selected your Ending Point, this will automatically display which pages users visited before reaching your ending point. You can also click on these pages to see the specific steps users took to reach that page from their starting point.
How Can I Get More Contact Form Submissions by Tracking Conversion Paths?
As mentioned above, tracking conversion paths can help you understand the steps users took before submitting a form. This gives key details on how to optimize your website for better lead generation and increased form submissions. By seeing the top-converting pages, you can use the structure and metadata they contain to improve underperforming pages. Additionally, analyzing the conversion paths can also reveal any potential roadblocks in the user journey that may be causing users to drop off before reaching the form submission page.
Get a Free Quote from Top-Rated Experts at Boston Web Marketing for Using GA4 for Tracking & Increasing Conversions
At Boston Web Marketing, we are committed to helping businesses improve their online presence to grow their overall success. We use the latest tools and strategies to drive more traffic, leads, and conversions for our clients, including Google Analytics. Depending on your specific business goals, we can help you implement and utilize GA4 to track and increase conversions on your website. Whether you’re an e-commerce site looking to boost sales or a service-based business seeking to increase leads, our team can help! To learn more, get a free quote, contact us online, or call us at 857.526.0096.