We all know web analytics is important to track website performance. But how do we move beyond “tracking” to making informed decisions? In order to find answers, gain analytics insights, we need to ask the right questions. Data alone is meaningless. It only counts if it affects decision making. In this session, learn to pair key metrics with meaningful questions including: How do we decide what content to publish on our website? How do we decide if our web content is effective? How do we prioritize web projects? - http://www.epublishmedia.com
1. Making Better Decisions
with Web Analytics
Rick Allen
Babson College
F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business
Canadian Post-Secondary Web Conference
May 27, 2010
Rick Allen • @epublishmedia #pseweb • #analytics
4. This is not a talk
about data.
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5. This is a talk about
web strategy.
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6. What I’m talking about
1. Using analytics data in context
is a process
2. Ask the right questions to find
the right answers
3. Align web strategy with web
metrics
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7. It’s Not a Step
Objectives Metrics
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8. It’s a Process
Objectives Questions Metrics
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9. It’s a Process
‣ Define objectives
‣ Ask questions
‣ Establish metrics and KPIs
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10. Web analytics
Business Effective Key
goals decisions metrics
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13. “ Often numbers don't speak as
loudly as they should because
you are missing one simple
ingredient: context.
Avinash Kaushik
Author, Web Analytics 2.0
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14. “ Data doesn't automate
[design and content]
decisions...Data will never
replace human judgment.
Colleen Jones
Content Science
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23. How do we
decide where to
target ads?
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24. How do we
decide where to
target ads?
How do we know
if our website is
effective?
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25. Aligning web
strategy with
key metrics
and KPIs
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26. How do we
decide what
new content
to publish?
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27. New Content
that you need content strategy.
Response Metric(s)
Determine if people Keyword searches
successfully find content
Create content that Track referring websites
caters to new audiences and search engine traffic
Create attractive content Track and compare
using appropriate types content types
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28. How do we
decide what
content to
update?
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29. Update Content
that you need content strategy.
Response Metric(s)
Determine if content is Exit and bounce rates
engaging or confusing
Gauge content quality–is New vs. returning visitors
it useful?
Determine if recent Track newly updated
updates increase or pages
decrease traffic
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30. How do we
prioritize web
projects?
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31. Project Priorities
that you need content strategy.
Response Metric(s)
Prioritize updates by Site traffic and unique
impact on web strategy visitors
Quickly correct 404 Error page reports
errors and broken links
Publish during peak Traffic cycles
traffic periods to
maximize visibility
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32. How do we
decide what
technology to
support?
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33. Technical Support
that you need content strategy.
Response Metric(s)
Optimize site for user Technical capabilities
technical capabilities
Determine if content is Flash and JavaScript
accessible by visitors
Determine optimal page Screen size and network
dimensions and file size speed
limits
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34. How do we
decide where
to target ads?
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35. Targeting ads
that you need content strategy.
Response Metric(s)
Track volume and quality Map overlay
metrics by region
Modify campaign target Track email campaigns
regions by user interest
Cater ad campaigns to Track online and offline
relevant, high-quality ads
customers
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36. How do we
know if our
content is
engaging?
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37. “ The more a user engages with
a page, the more relevant he
or she finds it...a user
engages with a page if she
clicks a link on it.
Audience, Relevance, and Search
Authors, James Mathewson, Frank Donatone, Cynthia Fishel
@epublishmedia #pseweb
38. Engaging Content
that you need content strategy.
Response Metric(s)
Track page views, visits, Traffic (within date range)
repeat visits
Track % of users who User comment rate
comment on content
Track length of time Time on page
users remain on pages.
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39. How do we
measure
success?
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40. Measuring Success
that you need content strategy.
Response Metric Types
Track goal conversions, Business metrics
exits, leads, subscribers
Track repeat visits, pages Usability metrics
per visit, bounce rate
Track inbound links, SEO metrics
Google index, page
ranking
@epublishmedia #pseweb
41. Recommendations
‣ Gain support for analytics through
education (and shame).
‣ Track KPIs to measure performance over
time based on goals.
‣ Understand what analytics can't tell you.
‣ The best way to understand what your
web visitors want is to ask them.
‣ Start now and don't stop.
@epublishmedia #pseweb
44. Rick Allen
@epublishmedia
http://www.epublishmedia.com
Rick Allen • @epublishmedia #pseweb • #analytics
Hinweis der Redaktion
- How do we decide what new content to publish?
- How do we decide what content to update?
- How do we decide what new content to publish?
- How do we decide what content to update?
- How do we decide what new content to publish?
- How do we decide what content to update?
- How do we decide what new content to publish?
- How do we decide what content to update?
- How do we prioritize web projects?
- How do we decide what technology to use?
- How do we prioritize web projects?
- How do we decide what technology to use?
- How do we prioritize web projects?
- How do we decide what technology to use?
- How do we prioritize web projects?
- How do we decide what technology to use?
- How do we decide where to target ads?
- How do we know if our content is effective?
I want to pause on this last question for a second. I would argue that analytics alone acn’t answer that question. You have to include a qualitative analysis. But analytics is needed to help answer that question.
- How do we decide where to target ads?
- How do we know if our content is effective?
I want to pause on this last question for a second. I would argue that analytics alone acn’t answer that question. You have to include a qualitative analysis. But analytics is needed to help answer that question.
- How do we decide where to target ads?
- How do we know if our content is effective?
I want to pause on this last question for a second. I would argue that analytics alone acn’t answer that question. You have to include a qualitative analysis. But analytics is needed to help answer that question.
- How do we decide where to target ads?
- How do we know if our content is effective?
I want to pause on this last question for a second. I would argue that analytics alone acn’t answer that question. You have to include a qualitative analysis. But analytics is needed to help answer that question.
1. Tracking what people look for on our site gives us insight into what content visitors consider valuable. We can also learn if they find that information or not.
2. Understanding who are visitors are--where they come from--allows us to provide more relevant content.
3. Monitoring visitor engagement for copy vs. images vs. video vs. Flash we can create content in a format that is most effective for the message and the audience.
Even more important than creating new content, how do we properly maintain our existing content? How do we know what’s important?
1. Understand how visitors value our content by tracking exit rate and bounce rate. When they land on a page, do they stay and dig deeper or leave because the content was confusing or not what they expected?
2. Understanding if a visitor is new or returning is a gauge on the quality of the content. If it‚Äôs valuable, people will return. If it’s useless, people won’t return. Good to know, right?
3. When we update a page and include a call-to-action are people more or less responsive?
How do we know what’s important? What changes will have the greatest impact and ROI?
1. Understanding where our traffic is on our site, and who those visitors are allow us to properly set priorities. If the admissions events page is attracting 4x as many unique visitors (most of which are prospective students) as our about page, that’s likely a higher priority. More challenging comparison might be prioritizing an admissions events page and a SEM landing pages.
2. Correcting broken links and misinformation is a high priority.
3. If our peak web traffic is weekdays from 1pm-3pm, we should consider that time to publish news and events. If we are making a significant upgrade, we should choose a day and time that has the least amount of traffic.
How do we know what’s important? What changes will have the greatest impact and ROI?
How do we know what’s important? What changes will have the greatest impact and ROI?
How do we know what’s important? What changes will have the greatest impact and ROI?