Trying to reach customers online can feel like you’re screaming into the void. There could be dozens, hundreds, or thousands of potential customers who hear you, pop into your online shop, and silently depart. You’ll never even know they were there unless you’re looking at the data.

Renato Cruz Sogueco, AAF, PFCI, vice president of digital strategy and education at BloomNet, suggests business owners use Google Analytics, a free tool that tracks website data. Knowledge is power, and the knowledge Google Analytics imparts can help businesses increase sales and optimize marketing, he says.

“If you’re motivated to make sure that, as a florist, you have an optimal website experience and you want to make the most money out of it, it’s pretty easy,” says Sogueco, winner of SAF’s Paul Ecke Jr. award for exemplary devotion to profession, industry and community–in Sogueco’s case, his commitment to helping florists navigate digital strategy. “The only way to develop this skill is to use it.”

Direct Traffic

The first thing you should look at in Google Analytics is acquisition, says Sogueco. This shows how people are getting to your website. For example, organic traffic shows how many users are clicking on the website from a search engine. If organic traffic is low, you can review keywords and rework your site to improve rankings, says Sogueco.

Social traffic shows how many users came to the website from a social media link. Sogueco says even seemingly social media savvy florists may be surprised to find their social traffic lower than expected.

“A lot of people feel they’re doing their best in social, but they don’t bother to embed links,” says Sogueco. “You may be posting a lot and engaging your community, but you’re not giving anybody a landing spot.”

He recommends using links so social media users are directed to the content you’re posting about. For example, if you’re promoting Christmas arrangements, insert a link to that specific webpage rather than your homepage.

“Any time a consumer has to work for something, they’re not going to buy it as quickly as you want,” says Sogueco.

See Conversion Rates

Another important data set in Google Analytics is conversion rates. This shows how many website visitors actually purchased your products. Rachel Martin, owner of Ballard Blossoms in Seattle, says this is essential data.

“It doesn’t matter if you have 10,000 hits in a month,” says Martin. “It only matters if it’s qualified buying traffic.”

Conversion rates are often low, Sogueco says, averaging about 3 percent in the industry.

“So for every 100 people who visit your site, only three of them buy,” he says.

Increase conversion rates by monitoring and using the data to make changes. If you initiate a marketing campaign, check to  see whether it’s driving sales. If it’s not, Sogueco says you can rework the campaign or spend your money and time elsewhere. If it is working, you can lean into the campaign for even greater profits.

Keep Tabs on the Data

Sogueco suggests business owners check Google Analytics regularly and request reports to be sent at specific intervals, such as every week or every month. When the email shows up, take a few minutes to review the reports, he says.

“If you see something in there that startles you and prompts you to act, then you can go into Google Analytics and investigate further,” he says.

Martin doesn’t have the time to look at Google Analytics reports herself, so she pays someone to review the data, summarize useful information, and advise her. This enables her to spend more time tweaking her website to increase conversions, she says.

She warns, though, that sometimes the data isn’t perfect. Once, she noticed that her Google Analytics sales data was slightly less than what was actually coming in. After consulting with marketing experts, she learned that some customers may be using software such as ad blockers or web browsers that prevent Google Analytics from tracking them.

Change is Coming

If you’re using the Google Analytics predecessor, Universal Analytics, prepare to embrace the new. Beginning July 1, Universal Analytics will stop processing new data. According to Google, the old data will still be accessible “for at least six months.” Google suggests Universal Analytics users proactively create a Google Analytics property and export all Universal Analytics data.

Sogueco urges businesses not to wait until the last minute to make the switch. He recommends setting up a calendar alert for late February so florists can utilize the slower months between Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day and get comfortable with changes.

To determine whether you need to switch, check the property ID in your analytics account. If the ID begins with “UA,” you’re using Universal Analytics. If the ID only contains numbers, you’re already using Google Analytics.

Get more guidance on how to improve your SEO here. For a deeper dive, take SAF’s online course,  SEO: The Basics.

Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.