| During the last few segments of this series we | | | | extremely helpful when doing front page refactoring |
| talked about the benefits you can get from tracking | | | | since you might find that the search engine queries |
| software, of which Google Analytics is one of the | | | | or keywords are actually relevant to your site and |
| best and free examples. We have also looked a bit | | | | yet the visitors still leave after only visiting the front |
| on how to set up an account for Google Analytics, | | | | page. It is possible your front page content is too |
| as well as some instructions on how to install it into | | | | cluttered or does not immediately present the |
| every page of your website. | | | | necessary information. |
| This time, we will be taking a dive into Google | | | | ·Average Time on Site. Your dashboard will also |
| Analytics and explore its functions. There is a lot of | | | | show the average amount of time your visitors |
| available information that Google Analytics gathers, | | | | spend on your site as a whole. The rule of thumb is |
| analyzes and computes and it can be daunting at | | | | that the higher the time a visitor spends on your site, |
| first. If you are reading this, be sure that you have | | | | the better (because your visitor is exposed to more |
| at least read part II and have your account set up | | | | of your content, might be enjoying interacting with |
| and ready to follow the examples given here. | | | | your site, or eagerly browsing through your catalogue |
| Reports Google Analytics' reports generation is one | | | | and consuming your data). However, one caveat is |
| of its powerful features and it will do you well to | | | | that this statistic can sometimes be misleading as |
| understand how to navigate and generate these | | | | some visitors will leave their browsers open while still |
| reports. These reports are available for each website | | | | pointing at your site. Cross reference this statistic |
| profile you have created. If you have made your | | | | with your pageviews to get a better picture. |
| website profiles accurately, the reports generated for | | | | ·Map Overlay. One of the coolest features on |
| each profile will be accurate as well. You can access | | | | Google Analytics is geolocation – a process by |
| the report for a particular website profile by clicking | | | | which a website visitor's ip is correlated with its |
| on the “View report” link just beside it. | | | | estimated geographic origin. Geolocation is more or |
| Dashboard Clicking on the “View report” link | | | | less accurate and this information is gathered as well |
| will take you to that particular website profile's | | | | from each visit. On the map overlay, you can see a |
| dashboard. The dashboard is a very general overview | | | | small map overlayed with information on which part |
| of your website's performance as Google Analytics | | | | of the world your visitors are coming from. This is |
| gathered. You are also able to change dashboards to | | | | most useful when you want to optimize your site to |
| your other website profiles by clicking on the | | | | better target your audience. The numbers from |
| drop-down box where it says “View | | | | gelocation are a very effective convincing tool as |
| reports.” | | | | well. |
| ·Visits. On the upper part of the dashboard is a | | | | ·Traffic Sources. The dashboard also gives |
| graph that displays the number of visits on your site | | | | information on where your visitors are coming from. |
| over time. Note that there is a distinction between | | | | You will see a pie-chart that easily describes which |
| visits and visitors: a visit means a session that was | | | | sites feed traffic into your own. This resource is very |
| initiated by a visitor of your site. There is a 30-minute | | | | helpful when trying to optimize your website for |
| window of inactivity where a visitor's visit is | | | | search engines; you will know which search engines |
| recounted. For example, if a visitor visits your site | | | | drive traffic into your sites (and perhaps optimize for |
| that is counted as one visit, but if the visitor idles or | | | | that search engine or add optimization for other |
| otherwise performs no activity whatsoever on your | | | | engines) and which sites link to yours (such as |
| site (maybe because he or she switched to a | | | | forums, blogs, discussion boards). You can also use |
| different program) for 30 minutes or more, the next | | | | this report to figure out if your search engine |
| time your visitor performs an activity (like clicking on | | | | consultant is actually driving traffic to your site due |
| a link) it will be considered a new visit. | | | | to his own methods and not because of other, |
| ·Page views. Aside from showing you an overview | | | | irrelevant means. |
| of visits, your dashboard will also show the number | | | | ·Content. You can also get a quick, good summary |
| of page views your site has generated. A page view | | | | of your page content from the dashboard. You can |
| is the number of pages a visitor had viewed. Note | | | | determine the top drivers for page views from this |
| that this number can be skewed, especially for | | | | report. This overview is more of a compilation of all |
| ajax-heavy and dynamic webapps, since there are | | | | the other reports and it is good for gaining a quick |
| practically no new page requests with these types of | | | | insight into which sections of your site are your prime |
| sites. A visitor can have as few as only one page | | | | assets. You can then either capitalize on these |
| view per visit, even though he or she had stayed on | | | | assets by including a sales pitch or cross reference |
| your site for hours. | | | | your other pages from this asset to get otherwise |
| ·Bouce Rate. You are also able to know what | | | | unseen pages more exposure. |
| percent of your visitors only visit the front page and | | | | This is just a very brief overview of the dashboard. |
| leave, without visiting any other places in your | | | | Going even deeper into the various report generation |
| website. Most of the time, these are people who | | | | capabilities of Google Analytics will take a whole book. |
| came in via a search engine and are tentatively | | | | It is advised that you play around with the report |
| visiting to see if your website has the content they | | | | generation especially when you already have existing |
| were looking for and then leave after quickly judging | | | | data. Also, the help section at Google Analytics is a |
| that it does not. Knowing the bounce rate is | | | | very good resource for additional information. |
