Website Evaluation Michael Lambur, Ph.D. eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader Virginia Tech ACE/NETC June 9, 2009 Des Moines, IA

Session agenda Indentify the purpose of your website and translate into evaluation questions Decide how to collect data Connecting with your users

Indentify the purpose of your website and translate into evaluation questions

Decide how to collect data

Connecting with your users

Identify the purpose of your website and translate into evaluation questions What do you want to achieve with individuals who visit your website? Convey information Create awareness Increase knowledge Change behaviors

What do you want to achieve with individuals who visit your website?

Convey information

Create awareness

Increase knowledge

Change behaviors

Identify the purpose of your website and translate into evaluation questions Convey information and create awareness What is the volume of access on the site? What do they access? How long do they spend on the site? Where do they come from?

Convey information and create awareness

What is the volume of access on the site?

What do they access?

How long do they spend on the site?

Where do they come from?

Identify the purpose of your website and translate into evaluation questions Convey information and create awareness How did you discover this website? How often do you access information on the web on this topic? How useful is this information? How would you rate the usefulness of this information compared to other websites/information sources?

Convey information and create awareness

How did you discover this website?

How often do you access information on the web on this topic?

How useful is this information?

How would you rate the usefulness of this information compared to other websites/information sources?

Identify the purpose of your website and translate into evaluation questions Increase knowledge To what extent did individuals’ interacting with the website increase their knowledge/learn more about the topic?

Increase knowledge

To what extent did individuals’ interacting with the website increase their knowledge/learn more about the topic?

Identify the purpose of your website and translate into evaluation questions Change behaviors To what extent did individuals’ interacting with the website change their behaviors on the topic?

Change behaviors

To what extent did individuals’ interacting with the website change their behaviors on the topic?

Collecting data Analytics (site usage) Google Analytics Feedback from users Online survey applications (Zoomerang, Survey Monkey, InstantSurvey, Snap) Interviews and focus groups (telephone, Adobe Connect)

Analytics (site usage)

Google Analytics

Feedback from users

Online survey applications (Zoomerang, Survey Monkey, InstantSurvey, Snap)

Interviews and focus groups (telephone, Adobe Connect)

Google Analytics

Online survey applications InstantSurvey

InstantSurvey

Connecting with your users This may be your biggest challenge! This will depend the purpose of your site and how you maintain contact with users Registration Webinars, chats, and other engagement strategies Imbedded links to online surveys

This may be your biggest challenge!

This will depend the purpose of your site and how you maintain contact with users

Registration

Webinars, chats, and other engagement strategies

Imbedded links to online surveys

Connecting with your users After years of erosion it now appears that the destination web era is drawing to a close. This is a trend that digital thinkers like Om Malik have long noted. In fact the numbers prove it. Steve Reubel, “The End of the Destination Web Era.” Micropersuasion. Available at http://www.micropersuasion.com/2009/05/the-end-of-the-destination-web-era.html

After years of erosion it now appears that the destination web era is drawing to a close. This is a trend that digital thinkers like Om Malik have long noted. In fact the numbers prove it.

Steve Reubel, “The End of the Destination Web Era.” Micropersuasion. Available at http://www.micropersuasion.com/2009/05/the-end-of-the-destination-web-era.html

Resources Dillman, Don. A. (2007). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ. www.instantsurvey.com www.surveymonkey.com www.zoomerang.com www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnect/

Dillman, Don. A. (2007). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ.

www.instantsurvey.com

www.surveymonkey.com

www.zoomerang.com

www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnect/

Resources http://is4.instantsurvey.com/creation/preview.isp?u=8669&preview=yes&SurveyId=54409&h=EovG_CRATo6-QPSJot7tPQ

http://is4.instantsurvey.com/creation/preview.isp?u=8669&preview=yes&SurveyId=54409&h=EovG_CRATo6-QPSJot7tPQ