CNM 101: Google Analytics… But Make it Fun and (Actually Useful)

Story by: Colophon Editor
December 10, 2025

You know what our calmest, happiest clients have in common? They spend zero minutes stressing over dashboards and 100% of their time running their business.

One owner we worked with used to open four different analytics tools every morning. Now he checks Google Analytics for 90 seconds once a month and is more informed than when he was buried in reports.

The analytics paradox: adding more tools and dashboards can make it harder to know what to do, wasting time on unnecessary tabs instead of fixing real issues.

Minimum viable analytics system: One monthly report (and link to review when you need it). Three simple questions to answer while there. It’s straightforward and designed to give you clarity without stress.

1. Are people showing up?
2. How are they finding me?
3. What pages are they staying on? Which are they bouncing from?

Answering these three questions helps create real actions to inform your marketing strategy (and your website & marketing team).

Are reports overwhelming you, and do you act on any of them, or are you just collecting data without purpose?

Stop overcomplicating your analytics and start focusing on the insights that truly matter to your growth and success.

P.S. Curious how we set up every new site so Analytics actually works (and stays simple) from day one? Here’s our straightforward process we’ve used for 20+ years: Colophon’s Website Development Process.

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