Measuring Online Success -- Bruce L Geisert

Slide 1: Measuring Success BRUCE L. GEISERT IT CONSULTANT SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 B R U C E G E I S E R T @ M I N D S P R I N G . C O M

Slide 2: Why do we measure stuff? Because it’s expected! Executive reports; Hits on site; Current Status of users; Identify trends over time; Validate User Activities; Success measurement; To get nice charts!

Slide 3: What is Information “Information is the reduction of uncertainty.”

Slide 4: Key Points Information for action, not for reports; Tie information into strategy; Keep it Simple; Review information on regular basis; Simple tools for data collection. Be realistic!

Slide 5: Simple is better

Slide 6: Planning your information Questions to Answer: Are we meeting our goals? Where are users going? How can we improve user experience? Start with what you want to know, not what to measure: Tie metrics into planning activities; Set expectations & Targets (i.e. market expectations); Write a reporting plan for the project. Anticipate information rather than react; Viet Nam Example:

Slide 7: Define Activities and Measurements

Slide 8: What to measure Metrics and measurement for success; Define what goals to measure; Setup tools to measure and report information from the start; Review performance and metrics at least monthly;

Slide 9: Planning the information

Slide 10: Summary information

Slide 11: Snapshots

Slide 12: Team Review of data Team review of metrics Setup a group to review information on a regular basis. Meet once a month, and actively discuss information; Embrace reviewing reports, rather than as a task; AOL Example of Team Review:

Slide 13: Tools for measuring success Google Analytics/Web Trends Conversion goals; Ad sense; Server side data: WebLog Expert; Site Performance: OP Manager; Webwatch; VisualRoute; GLP Example of Review for decisions:

Slide 14: Site Performance

Slide 15: Important data: measure daily

Slide 16: User Experience

Slide 17: ROI, what ROI? ROI in the context of web-sites: For non-profit, foundation, Government groups, what is ROI? Inputs: Time, staff, development, recurring costs; Outputs: Goals, targets, Marketing is NOT a nasty word; Promotion of site; Links to your friends; Make it easy to link to your site (i.e. Badges); NGO advertizing;

Slide 18: Take away messages Tie information into strategy; Plan what to measure, not how to measure; Review your information monthly; Use tool to measure performance; Create new opportunities through marketing;

Slide 19: -- The End --