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Tracking Your Website: The Basics Every Business Should Know

  • Writer: Camp Nisswa
    Camp Nisswa
  • Mar 1
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 23




Before launching your next ad campaign, changing your homepage, or running a seasonal promotion, here’s a question: Are you actually tracking what’s working?


If you’re not sure, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Many businesses jump into marketing with energy and creativity, but without a system for tracking results, it's like sailing without a compass. Whether you're a small shop in Nisswa or a fast-growing eCommerce brand, the basics of tracking your website and off-site ads can help you make smarter decisions, spend wisely, and grow faster.


 

Why Website Tracking Matters


At the most basic level, website tracking helps you understand:

  • Where your visitors are coming from

  • What they’re doing on your site

  • Which pages lead to sales, sign-ups, or other goals


Google Analytics is often the starting point. Once installed, it gives you powerful insights into user behavior, traffic sources, bounce rates, time on site, and much more.


But tools are only helpful if you know what to look for. Start by defining a few key questions:

  • How many people are visiting my site each month?

  • Which marketing channels are driving the most traffic?

  • Are people taking the actions I want them to (buying, signing up, calling, etc.)?


From there, you can begin to optimize.


 

Don’t Forget Off-Site Ad Tracking

If you're running Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, or even sponsored posts on local platforms, you need to be tracking results outside your website too.


Each of these platforms offers their own reporting tools—use them. Look at:

  • Click-through rates

  • Conversions (if integrated properly)

  • Cost per click or acquisition

  • Demographics and placement performance


Make sure you're getting what you paid for. Don’t spend your ad dollars blindly. The biggest mistake businesses make is assuming the ads are working just because they’re running. If you're not pulling the data, you won’t know what’s actually driving results—and what’s wasting your money.


Even better: connect your website tracking with your ad platform. Facebook Pixel, Google Ads conversion tracking, and TikTok Pixel all let you feed data back into the platform. This helps the algorithm optimize for better results over time.


If you're not feeding results back, the platforms are flying blind—and so are you.


UTM Tagging: A Simple, Powerful Tool for Clarity


UTM tags are small pieces of text added to the end of your URLs to tell your tracking tools where your traffic is coming from. When someone clicks that link, the data is passed into Google Analytics (and other platforms) so you know exactly what drove the visit.


For example:

https://campnisswa.com?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=wintergearlaunch


Benefits of UTM tagging:

  • Know which campaign drove the most traffic or conversions

  • Separate paid ads from organic posts on the same platform

  • Compare email newsletters, influencer links, and more

  • Gain visibility across ALL your marketing—not just what the platform tells you


Use them everywhere: in ads, email campaigns, influencer partnerships, even social bios. And be consistent. A simple spreadsheet or UTM builder can keep your naming clean and your reports accurate.


 

Don’t Overlook Email Campaign Tracking


It’s not just ads and websites—you should be tracking your email campaigns too. Whether you're using Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or another tool, every platform gives you insights like:

  • Open rates

  • Click-through rates

  • Unsubscribes

  • Revenue per email (if linked to sales)


Make sure it’s working. Are people opening your emails? Are they clicking? Are they buying? Every campaign should have a goal, and every goal should be measured.


 

Why We Care About This Stuff at Camp Nisswa

Camp Nisswa may be rooted in the lakes and trails of the Nisswa Lakes Area, but its vision is backed by over 14 years of marketing expertise and 35 years of business experience.


This education is shared to help local businesses thrive. We believe in supporting the community, sharing knowledge, and making a real impact in the place we love.


We’ve built brands from scratch, launched campaigns on zero-dollar budgets, scaled with real investment, and guided businesses through every stage of growth. From email flows and ad funnels to grassroots efforts right here in the Lakes Area—we’ve done it. And through it all, one thing is clear: tracking is the key to long-term success.


That’s why everything created at Camp Nisswa—from blogs to reels—is built with intention and strategy. The kind that comes from real-world experience and real results.

Let’s lift each other up—and in doing so, build an even stronger community.


 

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be a data nerd to track your website and ads. You just need to know what to watch, how to name it, and how to tie it all back to your goals.

Start small:

  • Install Google Analytics

  • Set up key events and conversions

  • Add UTM tags to your links

  • Review your ad and email platform reports


Make sure you’re getting what you paid for. Marketing is an investment. With the right tracking in place, you’ll know exactly what’s working—and have the data to do more of it.


And if you're in the Nisswa area and want to brainstorm ideas or just talk shop, don't be shy. The next great marketing idea might be one good coffee or lakeside chat away.

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