Web Analytics: The Search For Meaning

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Adapt or Die Marketing (Founder: 2009-present)

NVI 2007-2009

Canalytics / Acquisio (now known as W.illi.am) 2007

Efundraising 2006

CARBON 60 DESIGN / Tchirts.com 2003-2005

Ebay Power Seller 2001-2002

EMAIL SPAM (2000: Hey, it was legal back then!)

AGENDA

Why do you have a website? Website KPIs

Dashboards and their mis-use

REPORTS: The importance of drilldown

Advanced segmentation

Custom Variables

Conclusion

Website KPIs

Definine desired outcomes for your website

• Inform/Create Brand or Public Awareness • User Interaction/Community Building

 • Subscriptions/Free or Paid Memberships

 • Generate Qualified Leads

 • Online Sales

Possible Desired Outcomes

What Tools do You Really Need To Track Your Desired Outcomes?

Vs.

Have they been properly implemented?

Complex Implementations and Non-qualified Staff Inaccurate Tracking

=

This is where the fun Begins!

The Perfect Dashboard For Your Business!

The Perfect Dashboard For Your Business!

Web Reporting Vs. Web Analysis

Web Analysis: Delivers next steps for your business based on data.  Web Reporting: Just numbers 

Web Reporting Vs. Web Analysis

Web Analysis: Delivers next steps for your business based on data.  Web Reporting: Just numbers   

Web Analysis: Requires expertise and Segmentation and insight Web Reporting: Requires a computer and a printer

Compare KPIs between segments

• Visitor Type (logged in Vs Non-member, male vs female

• Referring Source (Type, Keyword, Campaign) 

• Geographic locations

• Content Viewed (landing pages, English Vs French)

• Actions taken (Goal completions) • Metrics (Bounce rate, Pageviews)

 • Products (If eCommerce)

Stop printing reports! DRILLDOWN

Segmented by referrer

Stop printing reports! DRILLDOWN

Actionable Data!

Sales performance by refferer

Segmenting language content with advanced segments

French content only

Segmenting language content with advanced segments

English content only

Segmenting language content with advanced segments

Choose your desired segments to compare against each other.

Most reports and graphs will now show both segments

Not many sales in English as compared to French

There are Obvious Performance Differences

Most reports and graphs will now show both segments

Not many sales in English as compared to French *All stats have been modified to protect anonymity.

Create Custom Variables at 3 levels

• Tag Visitor across multiple sessions

• Tag Content (Specific Pages)

• Tag Sessions (Login=True?)  

Ideas to Tag at Visitor Level

Once user is cookied they will never see this page again.   Tagging user with a Custom Variable at the visitor level on first visit will track subsequent visit appropriately even though they have not chosen "Male" or Female".

Tag all signups of a subscription membership so that they are tagged every visit

Another Idea to Tag at Visitor Level

Once user signs up they will never see "sign-up" page again.  The visitor is already converted. Tagging user with a Custom Variable at the visitor level on first visit will track subsequent visits as "member" even though they have not logged in or repurchased a membership.

Ideas to Tag at Session Level

Tagging "log-in" vs. "not-logged-in" Are users tagged as "members" at the visitor level bothering to log in on each session?  Is this alarming?

Ideas to Tag Content/Pages

Tag author article pages with author's name:

• Who are the most popular authors?

• Which authors drive traffic to the site?

• Which author pages attract more user participation?

• Etc.

Optimizing Performance With Web Analysis

In traditional marketing, 50% of your investment goes to waste.   How do we know which half was not qualified? Segment and view differences of your KPIs.  Reduce investment in less performing campaigns, increase spending in high performance campaigns

Use Demographic Info Whenever Possible

Some advertisers like Facebook allow you to create campaigns through demographics (Gender, Marital status, Education level, etc.):

Use Demographic Info Whenever Possible

Create campaigns with different demographics. Brainstorm potential demographic of your targets and create separate campaigns for each.   So for example if you sell school supplies and you are having a "Back to School Sale," on computers, possible targets could include:

• Married Women aged 45-60 (potential mothers of High school and college kids)

• Married Men aged 45-60 (potential fathers of High school and college kids)

• Males and/or Females currently in College

Tracking Demographic Info with GA

Tag your referral links from Facebook with the demographic information using Google's URL Builder:  http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?answer=55578

Compare Performance of campaigns

• Are married women with kids more likely to buy a computer than currently enrolled college students?

If so, can how can you target married women outside of Facebook and through other advertising sources?

• Compare dates:  Are college kids more "last minute" with their purchases?  How can you leverage that for the next "back to school" season?

• Is there a difference between the male and female students?

Conclusion

• Stop Web Reporting.  Do Web Analysis.

• Be creative: Segment.  Don't be afraid to test and brainstorm new ways to drill down through the reports.

• Invest:  If you're on the web, Web Analysis is a crucial part of your business.  Not investing in the expertise and the tools can be costly.

• Have a plan to measure before launching a campaign

• Be Flexible and Move quickly:  Your competitors have access to the same advanced tools.  If you're not using them you'll be left behind.

Its a competitive world out there.

It's time to...

Q&A: Ask Away!