Welcome
to Interconnect and thanks for stopping by! As we begin to explore web metrics (also
called web analytics), it is important to understand what this even means. So,
let us get right to it.
Web
analytics allows companies or individuals to measure the success of their
online presence. Or as the Web Analytics Association (WAA) puts it: “Web
Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of Internet
data for the purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage” (2008). This
definition applies most notably to company websites, whether for e-commerce
purposes or not, but to blogs and other social media, as well. The primary goal
of web analytics is to track fiscal return on investment (ROI) for companies.
In addition, web analytics allows marketers to track and analyze user and
customer behavior, so as to tailor marketing initiatives and justify and optimize
digital marketing budgets. In all, web analytics provides companies with
valuable data that they can then use to improve websites and overall business.
According to Reed College of Media at West Virginia
University (2016), “Web Analytics essentially provided the linkage between
Marketing, Revenue, Site, and People.” See the graphic below.
Figure 1: Web analytics provides the
connection between Marketing, Revenue, Site and People (Reed College of Media,
WVU, 2016).
As you can see, it is through web analytics, and
specifically thoughtfully chosen metrics, that companies can measure the impact
of their online efforts. But I bet you are now wondering, “What are metrics?”
Metrics are quantitative measures, and there are two types
of web analytics metrics – counts and ratios – per the WAA (2008). A count is
“the most basic unit of measure; a single number, not a ratio,” and a ratio is
“a derived metric, obtained by dividing one number by another” (WAA, 2008). From
page views to click-throughs and bounce rates to conversions, there are numerous
metrics that fall under six distinct categories: foundational, visit
characterization, visitor characterization, engagement, conversion and miscellaneous.
Now that we are all clear on the purpose of web analytics
and what metrics are, including the categories they may belong to, why don’t we
explore the “engagement” category. Specifically, how engagement metrics are
used to identify issues and help businesses accomplish goals.
There are four engagement metrics. They include page exit
ratio, single page visits (bounces), bounce rate and page views per visit. These
terms “describe the behavior of visitors while on a website,” and “they are
often used to infer a visitor’s level of interaction, or engagement, with the
site” (WAA, 2008).
Now some will say there is no way to measure engagement online.
I beg to differ. Looking specifically at bounce rate, this metric is key and
can effectively gauge online engagement for a company. While business goals
most often include generating traffic to a website, the key is to keep users
and customers on the site. This helps to maximize brand engagement. Avinash
Kaushik, author of Web Analytics 2.0,
explains that bounce rate is “the percentage of sessions on your website with
only one page view” (2010). Of course, to keep a positive level of engagement,
companies want their bounce rates low. However, finding out that your bounce rate
is high helps to identify internal issues, such as online content that is not
resonating with users and customers or the placement of a call-to-action button
is ineffective, thereby decreasing conversions. Thus, gathering and analyzing bounce
rate data about your users and customers will help improve intended business
goals.
Take for instance, Robert Greiner’s website.
His site’s bounce rate “went from an embarrassingly high 86% to a much more
favorable 1.5% in a matter of two days” (Greiner, 2012). How did he do it? He
implemented a responsive design for his site. Without knowing his bounce rate,
he would not have been able to continuously engage with his readers. Greiner
states (2012), “At the end of the day, anything you can do to increase the comfort
level of your users is always a good thing.”
Click here to
see an infographic on how to decrease your bounce rate (Patel, 2014). Compiled
by Quick Sprout, a business and marketing content blog, the infographic offers
great information on why bounce rates matter and additional case studies on reduced
bounce rates (Patel, 2014).
Also,
be on the lookout for part two of this post as we explore yet another metric category:
conversion.
References
Greiner,
R. (2012, October 11). Reduce your bounce rate by implementing a responsive
design [Blog Post]. RobertGreiner.com. Retrieved from http://robertgreiner.com/2012/10/reduce-your-bounce-rate-by-implementing-a-responsive-design/
Kaushik,
A. (2010). Web analytics
2.0: The art of online accountability & science of customer centricity.
Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Patel,
N. (2014, April 17). How to decrease your bounce rate [Infographic].
QuickSprout.com. Retrieved from https://www.quicksprout.com/2014/04/17/how-to-decrease-your-bounce-rate/?display=wide
Reed College of Media, WVU. (2016). Lesson 1: Intro to web analytics and the basics of web analytics. eCampus.WVU.edu. Retrieved on May 21, 2016, from: https://ecampus.wvu.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_64077_1&content_id=_2976590_1&framesetWrapped=true
Web Analytics Association (WAA). (2008, September 22). Web analytics definitions. Retrieved on May 22, 2016, from: http://www.digitalanalyticsassociation.org/Files/PDF_standards/WebAnalyticsDefinitions.pdf
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