This is for the business owner who has a website and social media presence but has no real idea what's working, what's not, and where their customers are actually coming from. Maybe you've heard of Google Analytics but never set it up properly. Maybe you glance at your Instagram insights occasionally but don't really know what the numbers mean. Maybe you've made marketing decisions based on gut feeling because you simply don't have the data to do it any other way.

You're not alone — most small businesses are operating in the dark when it comes to their online performance. Not because the tools don't exist, but because nobody ever set them up correctly or explained them in plain language.

The Performance & Analytics Setup fixes that. I install the tracking, connect the platforms, build the dashboard, and teach you how to use it — so that from this point forward, every decision you make about your online presence is backed by real data instead of guesswork.

What's Included (and Why Each Piece Matters)

Google Analytics 4 Setup & Configuration

Google Analytics is the industry standard for understanding what's happening on your website — but it's useless if it's not installed correctly, and the majority of small business websites either don't have it at all or have it set up wrong.

I'll handle the full installation and verification so data is being captured accurately from day one. Beyond the basics, I'll configure event tracking for the actions that actually matter to your business — page views, button clicks, form submissions, bookings, purchases, or whatever the key conversion points are for your specific situation. This means you won't just know how many people visited your site. You'll know what they did when they got there, where they dropped off, and whether they took the action you wanted them to take.

Everything is aligned with your actual business goals, not generic metrics that look impressive but don't tell you anything useful. If your goal is getting more people to book a consultation, we track that. If your goal is getting more people to call, we track that. The analytics are built around what matters to you — not what Google defaults to showing you.

Google Search Console Integration

Google Search Console is a free tool that shows you something Google Analytics can't — how people are finding you through search. It tells you exactly which search terms are bringing people to your site, how often your site appears in search results, and how your search visibility is trending over time.

I'll connect and verify your site with Search Console, make sure your sitemap is submitted so Google can properly index your pages, and establish baseline performance benchmarks so you can measure improvement going forward. This is one of the most valuable free tools available to any small business, and almost nobody sets it up. Once it's running, you'll be able to see things like "people are finding me by searching for 'best chiropractor in Austin'" — and that kind of insight directly informs where to focus your marketing efforts.

Social Media Analytics Audit

Your social media platforms have built-in analytics that can tell you a lot about your audience and content performance — but only if your accounts are set up correctly. A surprising number of small businesses are running personal accounts instead of business accounts, have incomplete profiles, or simply don't have their analytics properly configured.

I'll review your Instagram, Facebook, and/or TikTok accounts and make sure everything is set up to capture the data you need. This includes verifying that business account features are fully activated, that insights and performance data are properly accessible, and that there are no gaps in what's being tracked. I'll also identify any measurement blind spots — things you should be tracking but currently aren't — so nothing slips through the cracks.

This isn't about vanity metrics like follower count. It's about making sure you can see the numbers that actually tell you whether your content is reaching the right people and driving real engagement.

KPI Identification & Alignment

KPI stands for key performance indicator — but in plain English, it just means the specific numbers that tell you whether your business is moving in the right direction. The problem is that every business is different, so the metrics that matter for a restaurant are completely different from the metrics that matter for a consulting firm or an online store.

This is where we sit down together in a strategy session and figure out which 5–8 metrics actually matter for your specific business model. We'll align each metric with a real business outcome — revenue, lead generation, client retention, or growth — so nothing in your dashboard is there just because it looks interesting. Every number earns its place by connecting to something you care about.

I'll also document your baselines — where your numbers are right now — so you have a clear starting point to measure progress against. Without knowing where you started, you can't know how far you've come.

Custom Dashboard Creation

This is the centerpiece of the whole setup — a single, centralized dashboard that pulls together everything we've configured into one clean, visual overview.

Built using Google Looker Studio (or an equivalent tool), the dashboard integrates your website analytics and social media metrics into one place. No more logging into five different apps and trying to piece together a picture of how things are going. You open one dashboard, spend five minutes, and know exactly where you stand.

The design prioritizes simplicity and clarity over complexity. I use clean charts, color coding, and straightforward labels so you can glance at it and immediately understand what's going well and what needs attention. It's formatted as a weekly overview so you can build a habit of checking in regularly without it feeling like a chore.

This dashboard is yours — it lives in your Google account, updates automatically, and you can access it anytime from any device. Even if you stop working with me, the dashboard keeps running.

Walkthrough & Training Session

A dashboard is only useful if you know how to read it. After everything is set up and live, I'll do a recorded Loom walkthrough or live Zoom session where I walk you through every section of your dashboard, explain what each metric means in the context of your business, and show you how to spot trends and patterns.

More importantly, I'll give you a decision framework — a simple way of thinking about your numbers that tells you when things are healthy, when something needs attention, and what to actually do about it. The goal isn't to turn you into a data analyst. It's to give you enough understanding that you can check your dashboard, quickly assess how things are going, and make confident decisions about where to spend your time and money.

If it's a recorded session, you can rewatch it anytime. If it's live, I'll record it for you so you always have it as a reference.

Written Metrics Playbook

Finally, you'll receive a concise written document — your metrics playbook — that serves as a reference guide you can come back to anytime. It covers what each KPI means and why it was chosen for your business, what healthy performance looks like so you know what "good" actually means for your specific numbers, warning signs that indicate something needs attention or optimization, and clear action triggers — specific thresholds or patterns that tell you it's time to make a change.

Think of it as the instruction manual for your data. When you're staring at your dashboard six months from now and wondering "should I be worried about this number?" — the playbook gives you the answer. It's also invaluable if you ever bring on a team member, virtual assistant, or marketing hire, because it documents your entire measurement framework in one place.

What You Walk Away With

By the end of this service, you'll have Google Analytics properly installed and tracking the actions that matter on your website, Google Search Console showing you exactly how people find you through search, social media analytics fully configured and capturing meaningful data, a clear set of KPIs tied directly to your business goals, a custom dashboard you can check in under five minutes, the knowledge to read your data confidently and make informed decisions, and a written playbook you can reference anytime — or hand to a team member as your business grows.

Most analytics setups are completed within 5–7 business days. The training session happens after everything is live so you're learning with real data, not hypothetical examples.

Investment

$500–$1,000 depending on the number of platforms being configured, the complexity of your tracking needs, and any custom dashboard requirements.

Optional Monthly Add-On: Ongoing Analytics Reporting

Once your system is in place, I can monitor your metrics and send you a monthly plain-English performance summary with specific recommendations for what to adjust. This is for business owners who want someone keeping an eye on the numbers and translating them into action items — without having to learn data analysis themselves.

$300–$500/month depending on the number of platforms and depth of reporting.

FAQs

I'm not a numbers person. Will I actually understand any of this? That's exactly who this service is built for. I don't set up analytics for data analysts — I set them up for busy business owners who just want clear answers. Your dashboard will use simple charts, plain labels, and color coding that makes it obvious what's going well and what needs attention. On top of that, you'll get a live walkthrough where I explain everything in plain language, plus a written playbook you can reference anytime. If you can read a weather app, you can read your dashboard.

What's the difference between this and the Content Strategy & Analytics service? This service focuses purely on building your tracking infrastructure — installing the tools, configuring the data, creating the dashboard, and teaching you how to use it. It's a one-time setup. The Content Strategy & Analytics service is an ongoing monthly engagement that includes content planning, posting frameworks, and performance reporting on top of analytics. Think of it this way: this service builds the measurement system. Content Strategy & Analytics uses that system to guide an ongoing marketing strategy. Many clients start here and add the monthly service later.

I think I already have Google Analytics on my site. Do I still need this? Probably. Most small business websites have Google Analytics installed but not configured correctly — which means the data it's collecting is incomplete, inaccurate, or tracking things that don't actually matter. I'll audit what you have, fix what's broken, set up proper event tracking for the actions that drive your business, and build a dashboard that makes the data usable. Even if the foundation is there, there's almost always significant cleanup and configuration work needed to turn it into something genuinely useful.

What tools do you use? Will I need to pay for expensive software? Everything is built on free or low-cost tools. Google Analytics 4 is free. Google Search Console is free. Your dashboard is built in Google Looker Studio, which is also free. Social media analytics use the built-in insights on each platform. I'm not going to sell you software subscriptions you don't need. The tools I set up live in your accounts, which means you own everything — no ongoing fees and no dependence on me to access your own data.

What does "event tracking" mean? Events are the specific actions visitors take on your website — things like clicking a button, submitting a contact form, booking an appointment, watching a video, or completing a purchase. By default, Google Analytics only tracks basic page views. Event tracking goes deeper and captures the actions that actually matter to your business. For example, if your goal is getting people to book a consultation, I'll set up tracking so you can see exactly how many people clicked your booking button, where they came from, and whether they completed the booking. It turns your analytics from "people visited your site" into "here's what they actually did."

What's a KPI and how do you decide which ones to track? KPI stands for key performance indicator — it's just a fancy term for a number that tells you whether your business is moving in the right direction. We figure out your KPIs together during a strategy session where I ask about your business goals, how you get clients, and what success looks like for you. A therapist in private practice might track website visits, contact form submissions, and which pages people spend the most time on. An online store might focus on product page views, cart additions, and purchase completion rates. Every business is different, and your KPIs should reflect that — not just default to whatever Google decides to show you.

What does the dashboard actually look like? It's a clean, visual one-page overview that you can check in about five minutes. You'll see your key metrics displayed in simple charts and graphs — things like website traffic trends, where visitors are coming from, which pages are most popular, social media engagement rates, and conversion tracking for your most important actions. Everything is color-coded and labeled in plain English. I'll share a sample layout during our discovery call so you can see exactly what to expect.

How long does the setup take? Most analytics setups are completed within 5–7 business days. The first few days are configuration and installation, then I build the dashboard and prepare the playbook, and the final step is your walkthrough session. The training happens after everything is live so you're learning with real data flowing in, not hypothetical examples.

Will you do the walkthrough live or is it a recording? Your choice. I can do a live Zoom session where we go through everything together and you can ask questions in real time, or I can record a detailed Loom walkthrough you can watch and rewatch at your own pace. Either way, you'll have a recorded version to reference later. Most clients prefer the live session for the initial walkthrough since they can ask questions on the spot.

What's the "metrics playbook" and why do I need it? The playbook is a short written document — think of it as the instruction manual for your data. It explains what each KPI means, what healthy performance looks like for your specific business, what the warning signs are if something needs attention, and what actions to take when certain thresholds are hit. Six months from now when you're looking at your dashboard and wondering "is this number good or bad?" — the playbook gives you the answer. It's also incredibly useful if you ever hire a team member, virtual assistant, or marketing manager, because it documents your entire measurement framework in one place.

What happens after the setup is done? Do I need ongoing support? The system is designed to run on its own — your dashboard updates automatically, and the playbook gives you everything you need to interpret the data independently. That said, many clients find they want someone reviewing the numbers regularly and translating them into recommendations. That's where the optional monthly analytics reporting add-on comes in — I monitor your metrics and send you a plain-English summary each month with specific suggestions for what to adjust. It's completely optional, and you can add it anytime.

What if I have multiple business locations or websites? We can absolutely set up tracking across multiple properties. The scope and pricing will depend on how many sites and platforms are involved — we'll discuss the details during the discovery call and I'll include everything in your proposal so there are no surprises.

Can you set up tracking for my email marketing too? If you're using an email platform like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or similar, I can integrate email campaign tracking into your dashboard so you can see how your emails drive traffic and conversions alongside your other metrics. Let me know during our call and I'll include it in the scope.

I don't have a website yet. Can you still set up analytics? For the full setup, you'll need at least a basic website since Google Analytics and Search Console are website-based tools. However, I can set up and audit your social media analytics as a standalone service if that's where you are right now. If you're planning to build a site soon, consider the Digital Infrastructure Package — it includes the website build and analytics setup together.

What if I want to switch to a different analytics tool later? Everything I set up uses industry-standard tools — Google Analytics, Search Console, and Looker Studio — that are widely supported and will work with virtually any other tools or platforms you might add in the future. Your data stays in your Google account and you're never locked into a proprietary system. If you do decide to add or switch tools down the road, the KPI framework and playbook I've built will still apply regardless of the platform.

Is my data private and secure? Everything is set up within your own Google account and social media accounts. I'll need temporary access during the setup process, and I'll walk you through exactly what permissions are required before we begin. Once the project is complete, you can adjust access levels however you'd like. I never share client data or use it for any purpose other than your project.

Data-driven tracking systems and centralized reporting for service-based businesses.

• Google Analytics 4 setup and event tracking

• Google Search Console integration

• Social media analytics audit

• KPI identification (5–8 business-aligned metrics)

• Custom performance dashboard (Looker Studio)

• Dashboard walkthrough session

• Written metrics playbook