2. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Katrin Mathis
Freelance consultant and conceptual designer based in Freiburg, Germany
B. Sc. in OnlineMedia from Hochschule Furtwangen University
MBA in Service Innovation and Design student (part-time) from September
Google Analytics and AdWords Qualified Individual
7+ years of experience with international clients
3. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
What is Web Analytics?
Web Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of Internet data
for the purpose of understanding and optimizing Web usage.
(Web Analytics Association)
4. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Web Analytics User Experience
What is analyzed Behavior - „what“ Intentions and motives - „why“
Methods Quantitative Qualitative
Goal Help organization meet goals Help users achieve goals
How data is used Top down Bottom up
Kinds of data Statistical data Conceptual data
Background Engineering or math Social sciences, humanities, arts
Web Analytics vs. User Experience
Source: Louis Rosenfeld (2011): Search Analytics for Your Site. Rosenfeld Media.
7. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Key Performance Indicators
Definition of 5 - 8 individual key figures per department
SMART = Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely
e.g. „Increase traffic by 25% until the end of the year“
Fluctuations vs. true trends
Compare values to targets
8. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Conversion Goals
Macro and micro goals, e.g.
Purchases
Contact form
Registrations
Newsletter subscription
Downloads
Comments
Clicks on outbound links
9. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Goal Definition
Up to 4 x 5 = 20 goals per profile
Per session conversion goals can only be reached once
11. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Goal Definition - Goal Funnels
Up to 10 steps, e.g.
Shopping cart
Address
Payment
Confirmation
page
Image: http://www.google.com/intl/de/analytics/features.html
12. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Goal Definition - Engagement Goals
15. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Site Search
Tracking of internal search, e.g.
http://www.n-tv.de/suche/?at=m&q=test
Activation in profile settings
16. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Site Search Reports
Overview
Visits with Search
Total Unique Searches
Results Pageviews / Search
% Search Exits
% Search Refinements
Time after Search
Search Depth
Usage
Visits with/without Site Search
Search Terms
Search Term
Site Search Category
Pages
Start Page
Destination Page
18. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
<a href=‘/document.pdf‘
onClick =‘_gaq.push([‘_trackPageview‘, ‘/downloads/document-xy.pdf‘]);‘>
Jetzt Downloaden</a>
Virtual Page Views
Tracking of actions that are not page views,
e.g. Downloads or outbound Links
Tip: Integrate script that tracks automatically all downloads and outbound links
Tip: File into categories, e.g. /downloads und /links
Request tracked, not completion!
Number of page views increased by virtual page views!
19. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
<a onclick=“_gaq.push([‘_trackEvent‘, category, action, label, value]);“>...</a>
Event Tracking
Tracking of objects (e.g. Video) and interactions (Play, Pause etc.)
category
action
label (Optional)
value (Optional)
In contrast to virtual pageviews events do not generate additional page views
Image: http://analytics.blogspot.de/2011/04/new-google-analytics-events-goals.html
20. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
_gaq.push([‘_trackSocial‘, network, socialAction, opt_target, opt_pagePath]);
Social Media Tracking - Social Plugins
Google +1 Button tracked automatically
Plugins of other networks require manual tracking
network
social action
opt_target
opt_pagePath
21. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
_gaq.push([‘_setCustomVar‘, index, name, value, scope]);
_gaq.push([‘_getVisitorCustomVar‘, index]);
_gaq.push([‘_deleteCustomVar‘, index]);
Custom variables
Up to 5 custom variables per page view or event
index
name
value
scope
1: Visitor
2: Session
3: Page
22. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
E-Commerce Tracking
Enable in profile settings
Integration of _addTrans(), _addItem(), _trackTrans() on
confirmation page after _trackPageview()
While goal conversions are only counted once per session, all e-commerce
transactions are counted.
28. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Look for trends
Tip: Choose same week days when comparing periods of time
29. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Tip: Calender
By default 1 months until previous day
Reports of current day often already available
30. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Tip: Annotations
Annotations for single days
Visible to all users of that profile or private tied to a single login
Use identifier in teams, e.g. (KM)
Annotations show up as baloons in the graph
38. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Time on site and Bounce rate
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3
Time on site
Exit
Page 1
Exit
Time on site = 0
Bounce rate = 100%
40. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Advanced segments
Apply up to 4 segments at once
Similar to profile filters but
are easier to create and to compare
can also be applied to historical data
47. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Shortcuts
Saves shortcut to standard and custom reports including
Open tab
Sorting
Advanced segments
Graph settings
Filter
Number of rows
Tied to login, so far no possibility to share
48. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Intelligence Events
Daily, weekly and monthly events
Google Analytics calculates expected range from historical data
Upon deviations from this expected range intelligence events are created
Importance indicator and filter
Helps to promptly discover anomalies and start further investigation
54. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Validate your MVP
Standish group: 64% of features never or rarely used
MVP = Minimum viable product
Announcement of a new feature
„Fake“ feature
Basic version of a new feature
Wizard of oz testing
56. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Content Experiments
1. Create variation pages
2. Choose conversion goal and
percentage of participating
visitors
3. Add test code
Image: http://support.google.com/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1745152&topic=1745207&ctx=topic
57. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Content Experiments
Image: http://support.google.com/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1745152&topic=1745207&ctx=topic
Winner at the earliest after
2 weeks
Conversion rate of variations
Compared to original page
Chances to beat original page
58. Google Analytics and UX, #uxce13 @katrinmathis
Value of Web Analytics for UX
Web analytics can start on a small budget and scale
Produces high fidelity data about natural use of product
Identify problematic areas for qualitative testing and quantify their impact
Quantify the ROI of usability/UX