Web Analytics: A Guide for Higher Education Marketers ©Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. 2008 Adult Students: You Best Option for Enrollment Growth The Aslanian Group Boston, MA November 29-30, 2008

Two approaches to web analytics… (1) The “beat reporter” approach Follow everything happening, all the time (2) The “investigative reporter” approach What’s important to know? Why is that the case? The marketing director assigns the story. Melissa Burdon, http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/30/web-analytics-report/ Select “most important” or “need to know” items from everything that’s possible.

(1) The “beat reporter” approach

Follow everything happening, all the time

(2) The “investigative reporter” approach

What’s important to know? Why is that the case?

The marketing director assigns the story.

Melissa Burdon, http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/30/web-analytics-report/

Select “most important” or “need to know” items from everything that’s possible.

Thanks for sharing experiences… Notes and experiences shared by… Juniata College Gabe Welsch, Assistant Vice President of Marketing Rick Stutz, Coordinator of E-Communications St. Edward’s University Carmella Manges, Director of E-marketing University of Missouri Lori Croy, Director of Web Communications University of Richmond Eric Palmer, Director of Web Services

Notes and experiences shared by…

Juniata College

Gabe Welsch, Assistant Vice President of Marketing

Rick Stutz, Coordinator of E-Communications

St. Edward’s University

Carmella Manges, Director of E-marketing

University of Missouri

Lori Croy, Director of Web Communications

University of Richmond

Eric Palmer, Director of Web Services

Why use Google Analytics? “ Google's products are free, well-maintained, have a great support base, and in this case specifically, way more robust and easy to use than the other options out there.” “ Google is easy to implement, easy to understand and easy to get others to use because of the name recognition factor. Because the name Google was attached to the analytics, people who received the data also had an immediate ‘trust’ factor that what was provided was valid.”

“ Google's products are free, well-maintained, have a great support base, and in this case specifically, way more robust and easy to use than the other options out there.”

“ Google is easy to implement, easy to understand and easy to get others to use because of the name recognition factor. Because the name Google was attached to the analytics, people who received the data also had an immediate ‘trust’ factor that what was provided was valid.”

Problems with Google Analytics… Concern over Google’s access to your data. “ The service could go away at any point. Save your log files for in-house analysis.”

Concern over Google’s access to your data.

“ The service could go away at any point. Save your log files for in-house analysis.”

Key metrics recommended… Page views “ We buck the myth that page views are a dead metric” for key pages that “feed our conversion funnel.” Average time on a page “ If you have a 3 minute video on a page, and users are spending only 15 seconds on it, you might consider improving it.” New visitors vs. repeat visitors

Page views

“ We buck the myth that page views are a dead metric” for key pages that “feed our conversion funnel.”

Average time on a page

“ If you have a 3 minute video on a page, and users are spending only 15 seconds on it, you might consider improving it.”

New visitors vs. repeat visitors

Google is determining key pages… Graduate Undergraduate Admissions Schools & Colleges Athletics Departments Human Resources Degree Programs

Graduate

Undergraduate

Admissions

Schools & Colleges

Athletics

Departments

Human Resources

Degree Programs

Track interest in degree programs…

Key metrics recommended… Response to a marketing activity “ An email is sent out to admitted students encouraging them to join a forum to talk to other admitted students. Did it generate sign-ups? If so, what other pages did those users visit? Where did they come from? How long did they spend on the forum, and more importantly, what percentage of them posted?”

Response to a marketing activity

“ An email is sent out to admitted students encouraging them to join a forum to talk to other admitted students. Did it generate sign-ups? If so, what other pages did those users visit? Where did they come from? How long did they spend on the forum, and more importantly, what percentage of them posted?”

Key metrics recommended… Browser compatibility every 6 months “ We are starting to notice more mobile browsers (iPhone, blackberry, etc) so this is a trend to watch. It will require a mobile web strategy eventually.”

Browser compatibility every 6 months

“ We are starting to notice more mobile browsers (iPhone, blackberry, etc) so this is a trend to watch. It will require a mobile web strategy eventually.”

Major challenge to success… Separating internal web traffic Learning curve to translate stats to practical recommendations for admissions, alumni Getting departments across campus to adopt an analytics program Good working relationship with IT staff

Separating internal web traffic

Learning curve to translate stats to practical recommendations for admissions, alumni

Getting departments across campus to adopt an analytics program

Good working relationship with IT staff

What does a marketer need to know? Google Analytics has 80+ programmed reports about website data… More data than you need to know

Do you need to know 47 screen resolutions?

Or 30 browser variations?

Marketing information from this page? http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/iMBA.shtml

Let’s make a list… Where did visitors come from? How many were new? What did they do? Watch the video Print the page Email to someone Follow a link? MBA curriculum Costs FAQs Take an action? Ask for information Apply for admission

Where did visitors come from?

How many were new?

What did they do?

Watch the video

Print the page

Email to someone

Follow a link?

MBA curriculum

Costs

FAQs

Take an action?

Ask for information

Apply for admission

Check points to start…set goals Your web marketing goals might include… Watching a video Reading a blog Taking an online campus tour Completing an inquiry form Registering for a campus program Subscribing to a newsletter Applying for admission

Your web marketing goals might include…

Watching a video

Reading a blog

Taking an online campus tour

Completing an inquiry form

Registering for a campus program

Subscribing to a newsletter

Applying for admission

Check point to start… filter out internal use Data on internal use is always there. After you set the filter, you’ll never see it. Essential to get internal use out of your marketing information.

Data on internal use is always there.

After you set the filter, you’ll never see it.

Essential to get internal use out of your marketing information.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Percent visits by media type… What’s making people visit your website? Organic search? Paid advertising? Email marketing? Print advertising? How does this match with your marketing efforts?

What’s making people visit your website?

Organic search?

Paid advertising?

Email marketing?

Print advertising?

How does this match with your marketing efforts?

Percent visits by source… Results for “Organic Search” Google dominates, more than among use in the general population How important are other activities to bring people to your website?

Results for “Organic Search”

Google dominates, more than among use in the general population

How important are other activities to bring people to your website?

Percent of new vs. returning visitors Are your marketing efforts bringing new visitors to your website? Where did the new visitors live? Cities? Regions (states)? Countries?

Are your marketing efforts bringing new visitors to your website?

Where did the new visitors live?

Cities?

Regions (states)?

Countries?

Average time on your site… Average time on site is 1.38 minutes Is this good or bad? Depends on why they visited These visits were to see Link of the Week page Bounce rate: 72.9% Looked at one page and left

Average time on site is 1.38 minutes

Is this good or bad?

Depends on why they visited

These visits were to see Link of the Week page

Bounce rate: 72.9%

Looked at one page and left

Average time by segments… By source of the traffic… By search keywords

Popularity of individual web pages… What pages are visited most often? How long do people stay on them? Do they exit from these pages or move to other pages? Identify pages you’d like people to visit that are being ignored

What pages are visited most often?

How long do people stay on them?

Do they exit from these pages or move to other pages?

Identify pages you’d like people to visit that are being ignored

Entry pages where people start… Bounce rate is a key metric here

Keyword marketing information… If you advertise online, segment keywords to show the “non-paid” results. Compare these to words you use in advertising. Decide if you should change your paid search terms

If you advertise online, segment keywords to show the “non-paid” results.

Compare these to words you use in advertising.

Decide if you should change your paid search terms

What happens with your own search? Marketing research What are people looking for on your site? What words do they use to find it? Does your “search” give the right answer? Are your “Quick Links” accurate?

Marketing research

What are people looking for on your site?

What words do they use to find it?

Does your “search” give the right answer?

Are your “Quick Links” accurate?

Advice on starting an analytics program… “ Get started - set up a site and start to learn how to read the stats - stats are being wasted for every day you don't try this out.”

Getting up to speed and staying there…

A good place to start…

A book and a blog to continue…

Keeping up to date… ClickZ MarketingProfs

Glossary for reference…

Thank You! Bob Johnson, Ph.D. President and Senior Consultant Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 226 Chauncey Court Marshall, MI 49068 248.766.6425 [email_address] Customer Carewords Research for Online Marketing Success: http://www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com/customercarewords.html