Mission 1: Set up Google Analytics on my Blog
Mission 2: Delve Deeper into Google Analytics and Establish Funnels, Tracking and Segmentation
Mission 3: Decipher the Meaning of the Text and Evaluate the Blog
Mission 1 and Mission 2 have been accomplished, but now Mission 3 is upon me. The first step of Mission 3 was to gain an understanding of the different terms that are used to segment data. For example, a funnel is no longer something I use in the kitchen; it’s the process one takes to reach a certain point (BridgeWorks, 2009).
Funnels are a means to attain a goal on a site, and tend to be a common application for ecommerce sites (BridgeWorks, 2009). Yet, can funnels be applied to content-driven sites? I believe it could, and this meant I needed to take a closer look at my blog, and the goals I had established for it. These goals, which have been added to Google Analytics, are the following:
1. Track the number of visitors to the site
2. Track page views
3. Track overall time on the site
I thought these goals were pretty straight forward and would indicate whether or not my overall goal for the blog -a go-to source of information on digital media - was being accomplished.
I selected the number of visitors to the site for a few reasons. First, I wanted to see how many people were actually reading this blog, apart from my WVU classmates and professors. Too, I wanted to see if loyalty was being established for my site. As indicated in this presentation, loyalty is one of the biggest indicators of success for a non e-commerce Website (Kaushik, 2007).
Unfortunately, since establishing the goals for my site, I have only had one visitor and two unique page views. This could be because I have not updated the blog since then (Note to self: Update more frequently). Also, I believe I need to get the word out about the blog more. I need to tell friends and Twitter followers, who seem to have an interest in marketing and all things digital media, about the blog to increase visitors and comments. This way the blog will be a conversation generator and not simply a place to post class assignments.
Mission 1 and Mission 2 have been accomplished, but now Mission 3 is upon me. The first step of Mission 3 was to gain an understanding of the different terms that are used to segment data. For example, a funnel is no longer something I use in the kitchen; it’s the process one takes to reach a certain point (BridgeWorks, 2009).
Funnels are a means to attain a goal on a site, and tend to be a common application for ecommerce sites (BridgeWorks, 2009). Yet, can funnels be applied to content-driven sites? I believe it could, and this meant I needed to take a closer look at my blog, and the goals I had established for it. These goals, which have been added to Google Analytics, are the following:
1. Track the number of visitors to the site
2. Track page views
3. Track overall time on the site
I thought these goals were pretty straight forward and would indicate whether or not my overall goal for the blog -a go-to source of information on digital media - was being accomplished.
I selected the number of visitors to the site for a few reasons. First, I wanted to see how many people were actually reading this blog, apart from my WVU classmates and professors. Too, I wanted to see if loyalty was being established for my site. As indicated in this presentation, loyalty is one of the biggest indicators of success for a non e-commerce Website (Kaushik, 2007).
Unfortunately, since establishing the goals for my site, I have only had one visitor and two unique page views. This could be because I have not updated the blog since then (Note to self: Update more frequently). Also, I believe I need to get the word out about the blog more. I need to tell friends and Twitter followers, who seem to have an interest in marketing and all things digital media, about the blog to increase visitors and comments. This way the blog will be a conversation generator and not simply a place to post class assignments.
Speaking of social media, one of my segments is for people who reached the site via a social media site, such as Twitter. I thought it would be interesting to see if people were viewing the site from a post or a retweet. In addition, another segment I established was for those who found the blog via a search engine. Throughout this process, I am trying to increase the search engine optimization on this site, and I thought it would be beneficial to see if those efforts have proven fruitful.
Tracking overall time is another factor I like to measure. This way I can see if people are finding the information useful. The more time one spends on a site, the more information he or she is digesting. This is another sign of success according to Kaushik (Kaushik, 2007).
Finally, page views were important. This way, I can see what topics are of most interest to my visitors. This principle can also be applied to any other marketing campaign. The most popular content on Websites translates into where consumer interest lies and can be the foundation for stronger, more targeted sales and marketing programs. Page views also demonstrate if my visitors are funneling through the site in the manner in which I hope or have mapped out. By looking at the page views, I can see if my funneling strategy needs to be re-designed to ensure the site's goals are being met.
Tracking overall time is another factor I like to measure. This way I can see if people are finding the information useful. The more time one spends on a site, the more information he or she is digesting. This is another sign of success according to Kaushik (Kaushik, 2007).
Finally, page views were important. This way, I can see what topics are of most interest to my visitors. This principle can also be applied to any other marketing campaign. The most popular content on Websites translates into where consumer interest lies and can be the foundation for stronger, more targeted sales and marketing programs. Page views also demonstrate if my visitors are funneling through the site in the manner in which I hope or have mapped out. By looking at the page views, I can see if my funneling strategy needs to be re-designed to ensure the site's goals are being met.
The hardest part about adding goals, funnels and segmentation to my site was the process of me sitting down and actually thinking about what I wanted to track for my blog. What do I want visitors to read and learn about? How do I want visitors to find the blog? These were just a few of the questions I took into consideration.
Once I had answered these questions, I was able to see the behind-the-scenes direction for my blog. I wanted to be able to see the pages viewed as well as whether or not people were using the links to exit the blog, and if they were returning. These answers also helped me to develop the funnels for my site. I was able to see if they go from the home page to the most recent blog. I also reversed that to see if they go from the most recent posting back to the main home page to view other postings. The basis for selecting this funnel was to determine whether or not my blog was meeting its goals as an educational resource.
I did experience some difficulty in establishing these funnels, but as I selected them, I was able to see the true value of funnels and the fact they could be placed on non-ecommerce sites. It was just taking a different approach to thinkin about the process. I look forward to adding funnels to the analytics reporting for some of my current B2B clients.
This process is in its infancy, but as time goes on, I do see more goals being met, and even greater data being captured for this blog. I wish there was more data to report, but I believe I have laid the proper foundation for Web analytics and have gained a deeper understanding for how this process works. I would have loved to see some early results, but I now know how to get these results and look at these numbers, which may prove to be more valuable in the end.
Why is that?
The most important thing though is I am learning that these are more than numbers; they are tools that can determine overall success of a company’s marketing efforts. It shows me areas of enhancement and improvement that can be applied to my daily job and help my clients achieve Web success.
References
BridgeWorks Creative (2009). Four Rules to a Thriving Ecommerce. BridgeWorks Newsletter. Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://www.bridgeworkscreative.com/news/?p=128
Kaushik, A. (2007). “Google Analytics - Non-Ecommerce Sites: Beyond Averages.” Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgXDUuAK77M&feature=PlayList&p=7A545E796C2CFA72&index=1
Why is that?
The most important thing though is I am learning that these are more than numbers; they are tools that can determine overall success of a company’s marketing efforts. It shows me areas of enhancement and improvement that can be applied to my daily job and help my clients achieve Web success.
References
BridgeWorks Creative (2009). Four Rules to a Thriving Ecommerce. BridgeWorks Newsletter. Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://www.bridgeworkscreative.com/news/?p=128
Kaushik, A. (2007). “Google Analytics - Non-Ecommerce Sites: Beyond Averages.” Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgXDUuAK77M&feature=PlayList&p=7A545E796C2CFA72&index=1
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