Goal setting and funneling are two very important web-terms every business owner should be familiar with. Goal setting is the process of tracking and analyzing website visitors based upon a set of predetermined goals.Each goal is represented by a specific webpage. Any time one of these webpages are visited, your analytics software records a goal attainment. Say for instance you run a mortgage company. You might then select the webpage which contains your “request a quote” form as a goal. Funneling is the term used to describe the optimal flows of traffic through your site. The funnels are nothing more than a collection of specified webpaths which are used to measure how effectively your website directs its flow of traffic. The end-point of each funnel is a goal.

Analyzing the stats generated by your analytics software allows developers to more intelligently shape website development. This process takes time and coupled with effective search engine marketing can yield exciting new results for website owners.