Google Analytics Confusing Me

[Accounting Solutions]

I have set up google analytics and put a filter on so it doesnt record me going to me own site directly.

I can see where the traffic is coming from, but one of them is called (direct)/(none).

Can anyone tell me what this means?

thanks
Jodie

[QVA - Emma]

Hi Jodie,

It means visitors have typed in your domain directly into their browser to visit your site, therefore not using a search engine or referring site.

If someone sees your website on headed paper or has it bookmarked etc they will visit your site this way.

Kind Regards

Emma

[Accounting Solutions]

Thanks Emma,
I thought that would be it, so I dont know whether its a good thing or its picking my ip up.
I have had the site up for approx 2weeks, no letterheads have gone out, apart from a few leaflets I left in a park cafe when I was walking the dog. So I find it hard to believe that 31% of the traffic is from this source. Does it sound right? Dont get me wrong if it is then great

[QVA - Emma]

It's possible it depends how many visits you are talking about 31% of 10 is around 3 visits.

It is usual in the start to get a high percentage of direct traffic and the more off line marketing you do the higher the figure. 31% is quite low so your site must be doing well in the search engines or you have a lot of referring sites?

Emma

[Jay08]

Could be things like Twitter, I dont think Twitter shows up as twitter in Google Analytics. On our live help Twitter shows as direct link. Noticed some unknown search engines to do the same.

[QVA - Emma]

Could be things like Twitter, I dont think Twitter shows up as twitter in Google Analytics. On our live help Twitter shows as direct link. Noticed some unknown search engines to do the same.

Hi Jay,

Twitter does show as a referring site - this may be from tweets only and not from your profile, sorry I cannot clarify further.

Bing sometimes shows up as a referring site and sometimes as a search engine.

Emma

[Accounting Solutions]

total of 120 visits so far. only 8% from search engine, most if from referrals. Is 120 ok for a couple of weeks or dreadful? Not paid for any advertising yet

[Matt1959]

think you'll find for someone like yourself who is selling a service, its not the number of visits thats important its the relevancy of the visitors. For example, as a service provider, I get average of 6 visits a day and most of my work comes from those visits! Another thing, rather than blanket coverage everything going when it comes to advertising, I try one thing at a time, that way, especially with direct visits, you can see what ads are working and what are not and you get to know instinctively the reason people are visiting the site.

[Itani]

any amount of traffic to a new website is good in my eyes. This shows that your website is getting seen in different places. Some people have websites for months and struggle to get any traffic at all. You just need to work on converting those visitors into sales