Best Practices in using Google Analytics, Compete.com, Alexa.com, and SiteTrail.com to do internal analysis as well as competitive assessments. We review the fundamental terms you need to understand and a general framework for measuring your website's success against your business goals

1. WEBSITE
MEASUREMENT
Boot Camp: Week 1

2. Three universal truths:
• It is better to be good at one thing, than bad at five.
• You are not your audience.
• Participation is not optional.
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3. Just focus on your CORE
• Create
• Observe
• Reframe
• Experiment
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4. Create
• How would you describe
your brand?
• How are you going to
communicate it?
• Channels
• Voices
• How will you know if it’s
working?
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5. Observe
• How are people
interacting with you?
• Are they doing what
you want them to?
• What can you change
to get better results?
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Image source:
http://smallchange.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/joke_scale.jpg

6. Reframe
• What should you stop?
• What should you continue?
• What should you start?
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7. Experiment
• What are you
assuming about your
audience?
• How can you see if
your assumptions are
correct?
• What’s easiest to start
with?
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8. HOW WE MEASURE
Common terms and metrics
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9. Ants in your house
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10. Ants = people, House = website.
You = homeowner.
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What are your
customers taking?
What are they
attracted to?
Where are they in
your house? Are they
in the walls or
otherwise not visible
in the “room?”
How are you going to
respond? Relax? Or
freak out?

11. Understanding terminology
• Views: every time a page is refreshed or a new page is viewed
• Visits: total time spent in one continuous session
• Visitors: person-level based on computer IP
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10:00 AM 2:00 PM 2:15 PM

12. sources
• Referrers – Where someone was before they came to your site
• Entry page – The first page they view on your site
• Exit page – The last page they view on your site
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13. Data Available: Technique
• GO LOOK AT THE WEBSITE!!!
• What do you think the conversion goals are?
• Can you find them?
• Log into your database / interface
• You should draw down data relevant to what your conversion goals
• Generally falls into four categories:
• Volume: How much traffic to you get?
• Source: Where is the traffic coming from?
• Search: What are customers searching for?
• Revenue: What is your website ROI?
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14. TOP 5 WEBSITE METRICS
Understanding the most important reports in Google
Analytics
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15. #5: Your Bounce Rate
• The bounce rate tells you what percentage of your website visitors only view one page of your
site before leaving. It is on your main login page.
• YOU WANT YOUR BOUNCE RATE TO BE LOW (LESS THAN 35%)
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16. #4: Your traffic mix
• When your traffic is out of balance, your website is at risk.
• YOU WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE A MERCEDES LOGO
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17. #3: How people find you
• Use the organic search result to find out how people get to your site.
• IDEALLY YOU WILL HAVE A 50/50 MIX OF BRANDED AND UNBRANDED
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18. #2: What they’re looking at
• You should know what parts of your site are active and which are
dusty.
• NORMALLY YOUR HOME PAGE IS ALWAYS THE TOP RANKED
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19. #1: How mobile visitors interact
• 2012 was the year the tablet outsold the PC
• How mobile is your traffic and are you prepared?
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20. BONUS: If social media is actually doing
anything for you
• Check the social media report…
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21. Sample Dashboard
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22. Sample Dashboard
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23. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
How to see what your competitors are up to
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24. No data available: Process and Tools
1. Visit the website as a customer
2. Compete.com, Alexa.com, Sitetrail.com
3. Google
4. Search the “big three”
• Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
• Or socialmention.com
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25. 25
Woodbury Outfitters’ Digital Pulse Report
Summary:
Unique website visitors: 159.93% (yearly)
Website bounce rate: 52.60%
• Healthy increase in website traffic, yet high
bounce rate may be a result of poor user
experience.
• Site traffic rises during the fall months and
peaks during the winter (most likely a
result of deer season)
• While social channels remain fresh and up-
to-date, website content is outdated
Quick Wins:
• Move newsletter opt-in above the
fold on website to keep visitors
engaged year-round
• Adjust featured products on home
page to reflect the current season
• Use social channels to drive
audience to promotion specific
landing pages on website
• A social widget on website for
evangelists to counter the few
negative reviews that do exist
Channel Volume Type
Website 71,408 Visitors
Facebook 3,279 Likes
Twitter 314 Followers
Website pages optimized for search: 0
Sources: Compete.com, Alexa.com, Sitetrail.com, Google, Facebook, Twitter
Website traffic from winter to summer: 48.3%

26. QUESTIONS?
Lay them on me!
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