Sept 15 2012 bxb show me the numbers

Show me the numbers: Grow your business with metrics

Susan Mernit Oakland Local at BXB 2012

September 2012 For more like this, go to oaklandlocal.com/content/

trainings and see slideshare.com/mernit

What we’re discussing

•  How can I look at core metrics and use them to grow what I do?

•  What are the basic tools and <ps to work with?

•  How do I make decisions based on metrics data? •  What are best prac<ces to follow working with metrics in an ongoing way?

•  What are some good <me management prac<ces around metrics repor<ng

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QuesIons Answered

How can I look at core metrics and use them to grow what I

do?

What are the basic tools and <ps to work with?

How do I make decisions based on

metrics data?

What are best prac<ces to follow

working with metrics in an ongoing way?

What are some good Ime management pracIces around metrics reporIng?


GeKng started with metrics •  Web analy)cs is the measurement, collecIon, analysis and reporIng of internet data for purposes of understanding and opImizing web usage


Metrics are CORE for any small site operator

Core measurement tools

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Google Analytics

Facebook & Facebook Insights

Twitter & Tweetreach

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• Google Analy)cs dashboard measures site data including • Traffic • Audience • Content • Geography

EssenIal GA metrics to evaluate

–  Time spent

–  Pages viewed –  Returning vs. new visitors –  Referral source –  LocaIon –  Unique visitors –  Page views –  PlaWorms


But it’s a matrix: Metrics are most meaningful in relaIonship to one another

Watching the GA connecIons to drive site growth

•  Google AnalyIcs factors: – Referral traffic: Where are the most engaged users coming from? (referral traffic/Ime spent metrics)

– Content behaviors: What is average )me spent per story? How do content stats per story (NOT averages) relate?

– Content: What keywords drive traffic for my site? – What are top entrance pages (correlate with search engine traffic)


Decisions based on Google AnalyIcs

•  Type of content (topics, trending issues, cost) •  Geographic focus (review of locaIon & mission)

•  Social media markeIng outreach: Focus on top social media referral sources based on – Top referrers – Best Ime spent metrics from specific referrers – Campaign reviews (newslecers)


LocaIon: Checking geographic focus

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The LocaIon tab (under Audience Demographics) shows where your audience is from—essen)al for sales/funders

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Understanding Mobile

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Under Audience, Google Analytics will tell you what percentage of your audience Is via mobile—and which platforms


GA: Checking content & interest vs. referrals


IMPACT: Improve understanding of top content and referral sources

Other core metrics tools

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Measures Facebook page data

Measures tweet impact

Facebook Insights

Facebook Insights Likes Comments

Twitter Followers Retweets Tweet reach

Facebook Insights-‐Admins can access

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Insights is the equivalent Of Google Analy)cs for Business—not personal-‐Facebook pages—need 30+ followers Data is exportable—correlate with Google Analy)cs in your analyses


Use the FB demographics data!


Who’s talking shows demographics—key for adverIsers—and for targeIng content

Facebook provides INSTANT feedback

Content & Audience

•  What’s popular (views)

•  What’s being referred (viral) •  Who is your audience

(followers & demographics)

Ads & social marke)ng

•  Tracking response on social markeIng/promoIon posts

•  Tracking likes & reposts


Apply Facebook data to recruit new adverIsers, fine tune your content, define audiences, drive traffic to website

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Tweetreach is a criIcal Twicer metrics tool

•  Shows most retweeted

•  Shows top retweeters

•  Shows top tweets and how far each reach


Oakland Local: Tweetreach

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How many people are you reaching via TwiNer—and who are they? Tweetreach gives you data



Tweetreach report First screen


Tweetreach data dive—who’s ContribuIng to your stream?

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Workflow and process best pracIces

Source: http://fobango.com

Create a reporIng dashboard to track stats over Ime-‐ Excel

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Spreadsheet tracking key metrics month by month, quarter by quarter.

Build or download a template to collect data

Check data weekly All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Your dashboard should track

•  Google Analy)cs •  Unique visitors •  First Ime vs. repeat visitors •  Time on site •  Pages per visit •  Bounce rate •  Top 10 Content (by page views or by unique visitors) •  Number of comments (conversion goal) •  Number of member blog posts (conversion goal) •  New members (conversion goal) •  Top referring sources

Let’s discuss: how does this work as a weekly/daily report?


Your dashboard should track

•  Facebook Insights •  Followers •  Demographics •  LocaIon

•  Likes/virality •  Tweetreach

•  Top Tweets •  Top Tweeters •  Most retweeted

Let’s discuss: how does this work as a weekly/daily report?


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Want to learn more? Videos on the Official Google AnalyIcs YouTube Channel

are a quality resource.


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Putting knowledge To work—

Source: http://blog.podio.com All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Things to Ask & Try

When do you check stats?

•  Daily or weekly – 30 minutes or less

– Look at basic weekly stats • Top content • Top referrers • Time spent/bounce metrics

•  Monthly –  90 minutes

–  Review all stat sources –  Build a monthly report –  Compare 6 month trend data

•  Google AnalyIcs •  Facebook Insights •  Tweetreach


PuUng info to work-‐-‐Start with basic analysis

Planning

•  What is your site’s greatest strength according to Google AnalyIcs?

•  Example: High number of returning visits, high Ime spent on pages metrics

•  Use stats to portray your strengths-‐Create a 1 pager •  What is a problem you see in your site that Google

AnalyIcs shows you?

–  Example: High bounce rate, poor referrals from social media despite puKng investment there

–  Use stats to portray-‐-‐Create a 1 pager 29 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Workflow: Monthly reporIng?

•  What does a monthly report about your site look like? – Construct a monthly report across all data sources highlighIng metrics you consider meaningful/important

– Make some inferences/asserIons and test them


Followup

•  Should we have a peer learning circle? –  If yes, contact [email protected]

– More on metrics (including the basics): hcp://slideshare.com/susanmernit

– 1:1 discussions and training possible—contact [email protected]


Self Improvement

Sept 15 2012 bxb show me the numbers