Web Analytics
BY:
GAURAV MITTAL
DoMS - NIT-TRICHY
Introduction
Web analytics is a quantitative indicator of
behaviour of visitors to a website.
Web analytics involves identification of visitor,
analyzing the reason of visit and tracking his/her
movement within your website until the time he/she
leaves the website.
Web analytics provides a clear picture of the
performance of a website so that the website owner
can devise strategies to maximize acceptability of
the website.
Web analytics mainly comes in two flavours in
terms of collection of visitors' data.
collecting data from server log file
tagging each webpage with java script
And also a combination of the two
What is Web Analytics
The study of visitor, navigation, and traffic patterns
to determine the success of a given web site
Data Sources
Server Logs
Visitor’s Data
Search Engine Data
Defined Conversion Funnels
Methodologies
Log File Data Capture Methodology:
The traditional way of capturing data for web
analytics
Created when a visitor requests for a web page via
the URL typed in the browser, the request is served
from the web servers, simultaneously the server
creates an entry into the web log for the request.
Contd.
JavaScript Tagging Data Capture
Methodology
Visitor types the URL to trigger the request for web
page, the web server renders page along with a piece
of JavaScript code appended in every page of the
site. When the page loads, it executes JavaScript thus
sending visitor information to a third party (Web
analytics host server). The results are seen via a web
interface, which is also real time.
Contd.
Both web analytics methods will be able to gather
several other important information, notable among
which are as under.
- The length of time a visitor spends in seeing a
website.
- The keyword phrase used to arrive at the website.
- The unique IP address and therefore the country
from where the visits generated.
- The arrival and exit pages.
Logfile vs. Page Tagging:
Data transfer to and from web server is always
recorded in server's logfile with clockwork precision.
It is possible for a suitable program to extract logfile
data and arrange them in a meaningful display.
Web analytics programs - Webalizer, Awstats,
Contd.
Between the two web analytics techniques certain differences
exist.
- Logfile analysis is usually already available in the server.
Page tagging is an outsourced option, which means that
visitors' data is captured by provider's remote server. You
can view them only in provider's website.
Google Analytics and ClickTracks are examples of page-
tagging web analytics.
- Since page tagging requires javascript to be installed on
every webpage, there is always a possibility that some
visitors' browsers do not allow the script to run. Not so with
logfiles.
Contd.
- Logfiles enter transfer of all files, including images
and scripts, and therefore certain parameters like
hits and page views are not as accurate as with page-
tagging web analytics.
- While logfiles record visits by search engines, page
tagging does not.
- Logfile web analytics record failed visits too. Page
tagging takes a request into account only when a
webpage is successfully displayed.
How to Use Web Analytics Effectively
Determine Needs
Identify Goals
Define Metrics
Collect Data
Record Data
Implement Improvements
Start Again
Step 1: Determine Needs
Visitor’s Goals
Businesses’ Bottom Line
Step 2: Identify Goals
Key Activities
Website types
- E- Commerce Sites
- Content Sites
- Lead Generation Sites
- Self Service Sites
Step 3: Define Metrics
Clear
Quantifiable
Step 4: Collect Data
Log Files
Page Tagging
Step 5: Record Data
Base Line
Priorities Among Component
Break Down into Smaller Actions
Step 6: Implement Improvement
Conversions are CRITICAL
A/B /C Testing
- only one variable
- Precise process of Diverting Traffic
- Significant Change
Step 7: Start Again
Continuous Monitoring
Benefits of web analytics
Web analytics is a constantly available feedback from
your visitors. Footprints that they leave in the wake
of their visits are a great pointer of relative strength
and weakness of your website.
It is only from web analytics that you get to know
which keyword phrases are most relevant to your
web content, which pages are visited most, length of
visits, incoming links, demographic profile of visitors
and so on.
Challenges in the Market
1. Scalability
As data volumes increase, business analysts are becoming
overwhelmed trying to understand how it all maps together.
2. Insight-to-effort ratio
Enterprises are challenged that high-end solutions require so much
effort. At the same time, entry-level solutions typically offer little in-
depth reporting.
3. Aligning the organization to the technology
Technology is only part of the solution, organizations must coordinate
across departmental boundaries to be successful at utilizing web
analytics to impact change.
5 Key Areas important for Analytics
1. Top Referrers (How are people finding the website?)
2. Content Groups (What content are the visitors most
interested in?)
3. Top Paths (Is the navigation through the website
effective?)
4. Technical Stats (Is the site optimized and free of
errors?)
5. Qualified Visits (by product)
GeoPassage Case Study
Business Overview
World wide tour company
Customizable planning and booking of
travel based on customer interests
Traditional package tours
Destination
Theme
GeoPassage Business Challenge
Measure the effectiveness of expensive search engine
submissions and web banner advertising
Increase return visits to site
Gain a better understanding of what it takes to get
visitors to convert to customers
Increase newsletter recipient base
GeoPassage Solution
Provide information to decision makers out of the
box
Intuitive and easy to use reports
Report on dynamically generated pages
Solution for small to mid sized business with a cost-
effective solution
GeoPassage Results –
Measure effectiveness of on-line campaigns
Determined which search engines resulted in the
most traffic
Measured specific words that generated the most
visits
Optimized keyword selection which provided the most
visits
Concentrate efforts where they have the most
influence
Now a strategic tool for the marketing department
GeoPassage Results –
Increase Return Visits to Site
Used Top Destination Paths through Site and Top Exit Page
Track route of visitors through the site
Look for strengths to be exploited
Eliminate weaknesses of path navigation
Home page was top exit page
Experiment with layout and organization
Study Most Requested Pages and Top Destination Paths
Feature top destination countries on top navigation bar
Increased return visitors by 30 percent
Removed the home page as the top exit page
GeoPassage Results –
Convert Visitors to Purchasing Customers
Gain a better understanding of what needs to be
done to convert visitors to customers
Analyze New versus Returning Visitors to
determine how many visits it takes for a visitor to
book an online adventure
Typical sale is made only after the purchaser has
made 4 of 5 visits to the site previously
Increase revenue by converting more visitors
GeoPassage Results –
Increase Newsletter Recipient Base
Constant deliberation of what to feature
Examined traffic analysis reports
Most Requested pages would show what country or activity
was creating the most interest
Featured most requested information in newsletter
400 percent increase in traffic
Terms that are useful in Web Analytics
Visitors •Top Entrance Pages
Sessions •Top Exit Pages
•Bounce Rate
Pageviews
•Length of Session
Hits
•Depth of Session
Session Summary •Top Requested Pages
Referrals in General •Top Downloads
Most Popular Search Engines •Directory Drilldown
Search Terms by Engine •Browsers/Platforms
Keyword Searches
•Geographical Locations
Internal Keyword Searches
Commercial Tools used for Web Analytics
ClickTracks
Coremetrics
Google (Google Analytics)
NedStat
Omniture (Sitecatalyst)
SAS (SAS Web Analytics)
Visual Sciences (Real Time Analysis
Platform)
WebTrends
Thank You
