Aug 15 show me the numbers

Show me the numbers: working with metrics

Susan Mernit Oakland Local Academy

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

trainings and see slideshare.com/mernit

Agenda

•  What are web metrics and why are they useful ?

•  What are the basic tools?

•  How can I use metrics to help me in my work on a project?

•  What are best prac@ces to follow working with metrics in an ongoing way?

2 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

QuesCons Answered

What is Google AnalyCcs and how

do you start?

What is Facebook Insights and how do

I use it?

How does Tweetreach help me

measure tweet impact?

What are ways I might use this data?

What are some good Cme management pracCces around metrics reporCng?


GeKng started with metrics •  Web analy)cs is the measurement, collecCon, analysis and reporCng of internet data for purposes of understanding and opCmizing web usage


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Google Analy)cs is one of the core tools (google.com/analy@cs)

Free tool inserted on website via JS code in CSS template. Private, only visible with log-‐in.

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• Key areas of Google Analy)cs to be aware of: Audience • Traffic • Content • Geography

Use a set of metrics to evaluate

•  Google AnalyCcs core metrics: – Time spent

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


Content tab

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What were the most-‐viewed stories? How much Cme did visitors spend reading them? AnalyCcs will tell you

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Google AnalyCcs pages viewed and Cme spent

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Understanding how many people visit your web site, the amount of )me they spend in a visit, and the number of pages they look at is VERY useful data.


Unique visitors

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This data from Oakland Local (oaklandlocal.com) shows that in one week 12,490 people visited over 25,000 )mes.

Those people looked at 2.10 pages and spent 3 minutes on the site on average.


LocaCon

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The Location tab (under Audience Demographics) shows where your audience is from—both internationally and locally


Mobile: Who’s using?

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


Regional health site: Google AnalyCcs

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A free, web based tool provides invaluable data on visitors’ behaviors


Other Dashboard EssenCals

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Measures Facebook page data

Measures tweet impact

Facebook Insights

Facebook Likes Comments

Twitter Followers Retweets Tweet reach

Facebook Insights is GA for your Facebook Page


The Akronist: Facebook Insights

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Insights is the equivalent Of Google Analy)cs for Business—not personal-‐Facebook pages


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Another core too—Tweetreach Measures TwiZer Posts, Account Reach and Influence

(tweetreach.com)

•  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 TwiZer—and who are they? Tweetreach gives you data


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User Engagement: Quality of attention

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

Ques)ons to answer

Planning

•  What is your site’s greatest strength according to Google AnalyCcs? •  Use stats to portray-‐-‐Create a 1 pager

•  What is a problem you see in your site via GA –  Use stats to portray-‐-‐Create a 1 pager


QuesCons to answer 2

•  What does a monthly report about your site look like? – Use GA to put a 1 pager together and post to Basecamp and/or mail to [email protected]


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The EssenCal Tool of the Trade

Source: http://fobango.com

ReporCng Dashboard

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

Build or download a template to collect data


Dashboard plan for yoursite.com

•  Unique visitors •  First Cme 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?


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Videos on the Official Google Analytics YouTube Channel

are a quality resource.


Next steps

•  Produce a report (use the dashboard or make your own)

•  Talk through your site performance in 1:1 with Susan (opConal), need to provide GA access.

•  Custom quesCons: – SegmentaCon

– Campaigns – Custom reports


Help & Support services

•  Classes & training: Oakland Local Business Academy, hdp://oaklandlocal.com/content/trainings

•  Sign up for our monthly newsleder: [email protected]; filled with Cps and references for beder social markeCng & online presence

•  ConsulCng packages for small business services: [email protected]

•  Contact us! –  Susan Mernit, [email protected] –  Kwan Booth, [email protected]

–  Debi Mason, [email protected]

All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 28

Technology

Aug 15 show me the numbers