This framework helps businesses move from abstract strategies to concrete, data-driven actions by focusing on Key Performance Questions (KPQs) tied to business outcomes and user behaviours.
Start with Strategy, Not Tools
A big mistake as beginner, is diving into the data without knowing what you should be looking for. The first mindset shift is that with most endeavours, to figure out the what, you start by getting clarity on Why.
The “Why”: Business Outcomes
The ultimate purpose of a website is to achieve business outcomes, eg.
- Grow Sales
- Increase Leads
- Build Community
Clarity on these outcomes is the first step and helps narrow your focus.
The “How”: User Behaviours
Outcomes are achieved when users perform specific behaviours on your site, eg.
- Visit your site
- Browse your pages
- Purchase, sign-up, contact you, etc.
These are the critical actions that lead to the desired outcomes.
The Purpose of Tools
Analytics tools (like GA4 or Looker Studio) are not just about numbers; they are about getting answers to important business questions. These questions are derived from your Outcomes and the Behaviours required to achieve them.
The Questions AnD Actions (QnA) Cycle
This cycle forms the heart of the framework, ensuring that data collection and analysis are purposeful and lead to action.
Key Performance Questions (KPQs): What do you need to know?
Based on your desired Outcomes and the User Behaviours that drive them, formulate specific questions. These are your KPQs.
Outcome Questions
Focus on the end result. (e.g., “What is our overall sales conversion rate?”).
Behaviour Questions
Focus on the steps leading to the outcome. (e.g., “Are users finding the information they need on our product pages?”).
Answers <- Knowledge <- Data: How do KPQs narrow down the data?
KPQs are crucial because they dictate the specific data you need to collect and analyze. Instead of getting lost in a sea of metrics, KPQs force you to identify the relevant data points.
or example, if a KPQ is “Which marketing channels are most effective at driving qualified leads?”, you immediately know you need to look at:
- Metrics: Lead numbers, lead-to-MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) rate, conversion rates per channel.
- Dimensions/Segments: Traffic source, medium, campaign.
- Data Source(s): GA4, CRM.
Without the KPQ, you might track website traffic broadly, but the question focuses you on the quality and source of that traffic concerning lead generation.
Actions: What will you do with the answers?
The answers (Knowledge) derived from the data must lead to tangible actions.
ITDO – If Trigger then Diagnose and Optimise
- If Trigger: Define a clear condition based on a KPI that signals a need for action (e.g., “If Cart Abandonment Rate increases by 10% MoM”).
- Then Diagnose: Specify the diagnostic steps to understand the “why” behind the trigger (e.g., “Then review session recordings for users dropping off at the checkout stage”).
- And Optimise: Suggest concrete optimization tactics to improve performance (e.g., “And A/B test simplifying the checkout form”).
The Behaviour Story ARC
User behaviours often follow a narrative arc. Understanding this helps in structuring your KPIs.
Aware
How do users discover you or become aware of a problem you solve?
- KPQ Examples: “Are we getting traffic?”, “Where is our traffic coming from?”
- Measurement: Often automatically measured by platforms (e.g., impressions, clicks, sessions).
Review
What actions do they take to evaluate your offer?
- KPQ Example: “Are users engaging with our site/content?”
- Measurement: Often automatically measured (e.g., page views, time on page, bounce rate), but deeper engagement (e.g., video views, specific feature interaction) might require custom setup.
Convert/Complete
What is the final step to achieve the Outcome?
- KPQ Example: “Which traffic sources are leading to conversions?”
- Measurement: Basic conversions (e.g., a thank-you page view) might be simple to track, but more complex conversions (e.g., multi-step forms, specific purchase values) usually require customized setup (e.g., enhanced e-commerce tracking in GA4, CRM integration).
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Choose three to five core KPIs to pay attention to at any given time. This avoids overwhelm and ensures focus on what’s most important to the business. These KPIs directly help answer your KPQs.
Evolution of KPIs
The KPIs you choose initially may evolve as your understanding deepens and business priorities shift.
Balance Across the ARC
Your selected KPIs should provide a balanced view across the Aware, Review, and Convert/Complete stages of the user journey.
Putting It All Together: The Flow
- Define Business Outcome(s): What does success look like? (e.g., Increase MRR)
- Identify Core Offer(s): What product/service achieves this outcome? (e.g., Pro Subscription Plan)
- Map User Behaviours (ARC): What must users do? (Aware, Review, Convert/Complete)
- Formulate Key Performance Questions (KPQs): What do you need to know about these behaviours and outcomes?
- Identify KPIs: Select 3-5 metrics that directly answer your KPQs, covering the ARC.
- Determine Data & Tools (AnD):
- Data: What specific data points/metrics are needed?
- Dimensions/Segments: How should this data be broken down for context?
- Tools: Where will this data come from? (GA4, CRM, etc.)
- Define Action Triggers (ITDO):
- If Trigger: What change in a KPI signals an issue or opportunity?
- Then Diagnose: How will you investigate?
- And Optimise: What actions will you take?