Google Analytics Returning Visitors Explained
Google Analytics Returning Visitors Explained
Returning Visitors Defined
Returning visitors in Google Analytics are visitors who have returned to your site within a 2-year period on the same device. If they return after the 2-year window, they will be counted as a new visitor. This gets complicated though as it is dependent upon Google’s tracking snippet . If the cookie is present, the visitor is returning. If not present, the visitor is new. If the same user visits from different devices, each visit is a new visit rather than a returning visit. Even multiple browsers on the same device can lead to new visitor counts rather than returning visitor. Adding in deletion and blocking of cookies will further count a visitor as new vs. returning. It’s important to remember that even though the definition of returning visitor is simple the reality is more complex causing the number to be lower than the actual number.
Returning Visitors Report
To find the information on returning visitors, go to Audience>Behavior>New vs. Returning. Here you can compare how many returning visitor sessions there are compared to new visitor sessions. You can also see the bounce rate, pages viewed per session and session duration. If goals have been set up, you can also see if your goals are being reached whether it is a newsletter sign-up, purchase or call to action (CTA) button click.
Value of Returning Visitors
According to Muralidhar, it is possible that returning visitors are becoming loyal. They are aware of your brand and are easier to convert as well. According to Akhtar, a study by Brilliance found returning visitors place 65.16% more in their carts than new users and they have a 75% higher chance of purchasing. So while getting new visitors is certainly important, working to increase returning visitors has quantifiable value making it a metric to watch.
How to Use Returning Visitors Data
Looking at returning visitor numbers gives insights into how well an audience is being built and retained. As you look at the report ask questions such as:
- What content are returning visitors accessing? Should more similar content be created? Should a CTA be included?
- Are new or returning visitors bouncing from particular pages? Do those pages need revisions or other optimization?
- Is there a drop in returning visitors? Can looking at segments determine who is being lost or what content may be contributing?
If you have recently started an email newsletter, pushed for social media followers, started push notifications, created new content and distributed it in appropriate forms across channels, started a loyalty program or retargeted ads, then strategies are in place to gain returning visitors .
Assessing the number of returning visitor sessions and their behaviors after a new campaign has launched can give insights into the success of the campaign. It is possible that returning visitor page views, session duration and conversions will increase but it is also possible that they will decrease from something as simple as a new layout on a page. Returning visitors may bounce if they don’t like the change. It’s vital to keep asking questions and digging deeper to explain as best as possible why behaviors have changed for better or worse and what the next steps should be.
Additional Thoughts to Consider
Remember how returning visitor sessions are counted and that many returning visitor sessions may actually be counted as new visitor sessions. In addition, don’t add the number of new and returning visitors to gain a total visitor session number. It is likely that some users are in both categories and therefore the sum is not an accurate metric.
This was a very interesting read. Tracking returning visitors can be tricky as you mentioned because the same visitor has the potential to bounce around to other sites and them come back to the original site that was visited. I was surprised to read that there is a 2 year window for returning visitors. My thought would be the time period that differentiates a returning visitor from a new visitor would be much shorter in order to have more recent data to draw from. If this number proves not to be the most accurate metric to use, why do you think companies use it as a metric in the first place?
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that a cookie in general expires after two years and if it is refreshed with a new hit the clock starts over at zero. I think companies may choose to use it as a benchmark to see if the number of returning users is trending up or down and returning users tend to convert at a higher rate.
ReplyDeleteHi Sheryl,
ReplyDeleteThose are some great stats around how returning visitors are more likely to purchase and spend more! For sites where users are likely to create an account there is an option to help capture returning visits a little better. Site owners can create user IDs. When users log in the user ID is linked back up to their session data. As long as the user is signing in and your site is consistently passing the User ID back to Google Analytics, you can get a better picture of returning user's journey, especially in the Cross-Device Report (Google, n.d.).
All the best!
-Danielle Rohe
References
Google. (n.d.). About the user-ID feature - analytics help. Analytics Help. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3123662
Great post! I found many of the same issues with assessing unique visitors more generally, in that there will be some people counted twice due to changing devices, browsers, or clearing cookies. An article I read said (about unique visitors) that when it comes to worrying about the double-counted folks, “the deviation is negligible and shouldn’t make much of a difference unless you’re working with a very small sample size." Here's the link: https://www.datadrivenu.com/unique-visitors-in-google-analytics/
ReplyDelete