The Importance of Tracking Website Activity
As we stated in our previous e-newsletter, tracking website activity and evaluating the results of your website marketing is a complex task. A website statistics package is a good place to start. We highly recommend Google Analytics and include it with all our website development projects. We have evaluated the data tracking and report features and find it to be powerful and efficient for reviewing website analytics.
Relevant & Insightful Reporting Tools
Google Analytics will enable you to gather and interpret data that is unreachable without a comprehensive statistics package. Some of the more popular usage measurements are listed below.
Exectuive Overview
Measures basic information such as visits and pageviews over time (for example: hours, days, weeks, months, or a period you specify), visits by new and returning visitors, geographical overlay (pinpoint user's location by town anywhere in the world) and source of site traffic (for example: other websites, search engines, etc.).
Conversion Data
Conversion data will enable you to measure the effectiveness of your website based on the goals that you determine. A goal is defined as a website page which a visitor reaches once they have made a purchase or completed another desired action, such as a registration or download. Using this data, you can determine whether your website is effectively meeting your objectives, or it may need an adjustment to produce better results.
Marketing Summary
The Marketing Summary will show you the top sources of your website traffic, the top keywords that are leading to your website, and the top campaigns that lead to your website (direct entry, referral, or “organic” search engine traffic are each considered a campaign).
Content Summary
The Content Summary will show you the top pages visitors use to enter your website and the top pages they use to exit your website. It also shows the top “content” pages which are the pages where the most time was spent.
Site Overlay
The Site Overlay takes a snapshot of pages on your website and places visual traffic meters over components which get clicks, such as text links and linked images. It offers an easy way to visually interpret where customers are clicking.
An Invaluable Website Tool
In addition to the basic tools listed above, Google Analytics can slice the information to give you even more insight and control over your data. You can find out how often visitors return to your website. You can view the segmentation of your site visitors in various ways, such as by geographical location, new versus returning visitors, and much more. Delving even farther in, you will find marketing conversion information, average dollars spent per visit, various ROI measures, in addition to user-defined measures if you need them.
Easy and Effective for Basic or Advanced Users
Don't be intimidated by all the tools available to you in this powerful statistics package. The most basic website information is simply presented for basic research needs. If you decide to take a more active approach, you have the option to do so.
Relevant & Insightful Reporting Tools
Google Analytics will enable you to gather and interpret data that is unreachable without a comprehensive statistics package. Some of the more popular usage measurements are listed below.
Exectuive Overview
Measures basic information such as visits and pageviews over time (for example: hours, days, weeks, months, or a period you specify), visits by new and returning visitors, geographical overlay (pinpoint user's location by town anywhere in the world) and source of site traffic (for example: other websites, search engines, etc.).
Conversion Data
Conversion data will enable you to measure the effectiveness of your website based on the goals that you determine. A goal is defined as a website page which a visitor reaches once they have made a purchase or completed another desired action, such as a registration or download. Using this data, you can determine whether your website is effectively meeting your objectives, or it may need an adjustment to produce better results.
Marketing Summary
The Marketing Summary will show you the top sources of your website traffic, the top keywords that are leading to your website, and the top campaigns that lead to your website (direct entry, referral, or “organic” search engine traffic are each considered a campaign).
Content Summary
The Content Summary will show you the top pages visitors use to enter your website and the top pages they use to exit your website. It also shows the top “content” pages which are the pages where the most time was spent.
Site Overlay
The Site Overlay takes a snapshot of pages on your website and places visual traffic meters over components which get clicks, such as text links and linked images. It offers an easy way to visually interpret where customers are clicking.
An Invaluable Website Tool
In addition to the basic tools listed above, Google Analytics can slice the information to give you even more insight and control over your data. You can find out how often visitors return to your website. You can view the segmentation of your site visitors in various ways, such as by geographical location, new versus returning visitors, and much more. Delving even farther in, you will find marketing conversion information, average dollars spent per visit, various ROI measures, in addition to user-defined measures if you need them.
Easy and Effective for Basic or Advanced Users
Don't be intimidated by all the tools available to you in this powerful statistics package. The most basic website information is simply presented for basic research needs. If you decide to take a more active approach, you have the option to do so.