Web Analytics: BY: Gaurav Mittal Doms - Nit-Trichy

Web Analytics
BY:
GAURAV MITTAL
DoMS - NIT-TRICHY
Introduction
Web analytics is a quantitative indicator of

behaviour of visitors to a website.
Web analytics involves identification of visitor,
analyzing the reason of visit and tracking his/her
movement within your website until the time he/she
leaves the website.
Web analytics provides a clear picture of the
performance of a website so that the website owner
can devise strategies to maximize acceptability of
the website.
Web analytics mainly comes in two flavours in
terms of collection of visitors' data.
 collecting data from server log file
 tagging each webpage with java script
And also a combination of the two

What is Web Analytics
The study of visitor, navigation, and traffic patterns

to determine the success of a given web site
Data Sources
Server Logs
Visitor’s Data
Search Engine Data
Defined Conversion Funnels
Methodologies
Log File Data Capture Methodology:

The traditional way of capturing data for web
analytics
Created when a visitor requests for a web page via
the URL typed in the browser, the request is served
from the web servers, simultaneously the server
creates an entry into the web log for the request.
Contd.
JavaScript Tagging Data Capture

Methodology
Visitor types the URL to trigger the request for web
page, the web server renders page along with a piece
of JavaScript code appended in every page of the
site. When the page loads, it executes JavaScript thus
sending visitor information to a third party (Web
analytics host server). The results are seen via a web
interface, which is also real time.
Contd.
Both web analytics methods will be able to gather

several other important information, notable among
which are as under.
- The length of time a visitor spends in seeing a
website.
- The keyword phrase used to arrive at the website.
- The unique IP address and therefore the country
from where the visits generated.
- The arrival and exit pages.
Logfile vs. Page Tagging:
Data transfer to and from web server is always

recorded in server's logfile with clockwork precision.
It is possible for a suitable program to extract logfile
data and arrange them in a meaningful display.
Web analytics programs - Webalizer, Awstats,
Contd.
Between the two web analytics techniques certain differences

exist.
- Logfile analysis is usually already available in the server.
Page tagging is an outsourced option, which means that
visitors' data is captured by provider's remote server. You
can view them only in provider's website.
Google Analytics and ClickTracks are examples of page-
tagging web analytics.
- Since page tagging requires javascript to be installed on
every webpage, there is always a possibility that some
visitors' browsers do not allow the script to run. Not so with
logfiles.
Contd.
- Logfiles enter transfer of all files, including images

and scripts, and therefore certain parameters like
hits and page views are not as accurate as with page-
tagging web analytics.
- While logfiles record visits by search engines, page
tagging does not.
- Logfile web analytics record failed visits too. Page
tagging takes a request into account only when a
webpage is successfully displayed.
How to Use Web Analytics Effectively
Determine Needs
Identify Goals
Define Metrics
Collect Data
Record Data
Implement Improvements
Start Again
Step 1: Determine Needs
Visitor’s Goals
Businesses’ Bottom Line
Step 2: Identify Goals
Key Activities
Website types
- E- Commerce Sites
- Content Sites
- Lead Generation Sites
- Self Service Sites
Step 3: Define Metrics
Clear
Quantifiable
Step 4: Collect Data
Log Files
Page Tagging
Step 5: Record Data
Base Line
Priorities Among Component
Break Down into Smaller Actions
Step 6: Implement Improvement
Conversions are CRITICAL

A/B /C Testing
- only one variable
- Precise process of Diverting Traffic
- Significant Change
Step 7: Start Again
Continuous Monitoring
Benefits of web analytics
Web analytics is a constantly available feedback from

your visitors. Footprints that they leave in the wake
of their visits are a great pointer of relative strength
and weakness of your website.
It is only from web analytics that you get to know
which keyword phrases are most relevant to your
web content, which pages are visited most, length of
visits, incoming links, demographic profile of visitors
and so on.
Challenges in the Market
1. Scalability
 As data volumes increase, business analysts are becoming
overwhelmed trying to understand how it all maps together.
2. Insight-to-effort ratio
 Enterprises are challenged that high-end solutions require so much
effort. At the same time, entry-level solutions typically offer little in-
depth reporting.
3. Aligning the organization to the technology

 Technology is only part of the solution, organizations must coordinate
across departmental boundaries to be successful at utilizing web
analytics to impact change.
5 Key Areas important for Analytics
1. Top Referrers (How are people finding the website?)

2. Content Groups (What content are the visitors most
interested in?)
3. Top Paths (Is the navigation through the website
effective?)
4. Technical Stats (Is the site optimized and free of
errors?)
5. Qualified Visits (by product)
GeoPassage Case Study
Business Overview
World wide tour company

 Customizable planning and booking of
travel based on customer interests
 Traditional package tours
 Destination
 Theme
GeoPassage Business Challenge
Measure the effectiveness of expensive search engine

submissions and web banner advertising
Increase return visits to site
Gain a better understanding of what it takes to get
visitors to convert to customers
Increase newsletter recipient base
GeoPassage Solution
Provide information to decision makers out of the

box
Intuitive and easy to use reports
Report on dynamically generated pages
Solution for small to mid sized business with a cost-
effective solution
GeoPassage Results –
Measure effectiveness of on-line campaigns
Determined which search engines resulted in the

most traffic
Measured specific words that generated the most
visits
 Optimized keyword selection which provided the most
visits
Concentrate efforts where they have the most
influence
Now a strategic tool for the marketing department
Increase Return Visits to Site
 Used Top Destination Paths through Site and Top Exit Page
 Track route of visitors through the site
 Look for strengths to be exploited
 Eliminate weaknesses of path navigation
 Home page was top exit page
 Experiment with layout and organization
 Study Most Requested Pages and Top Destination Paths
 Feature top destination countries on top navigation bar
 Increased return visitors by 30 percent

 Removed the home page as the top exit page
Convert Visitors to Purchasing Customers
Gain a better understanding of what needs to be

done to convert visitors to customers
Analyze New versus Returning Visitors to
determine how many visits it takes for a visitor to
book an online adventure
Typical sale is made only after the purchaser has
made 4 of 5 visits to the site previously
Increase revenue by converting more visitors
Increase Newsletter Recipient Base
Constant deliberation of what to feature

Examined traffic analysis reports
 Most Requested pages would show what country or activity
was creating the most interest
Featured most requested information in newsletter
400 percent increase in traffic
Terms that are useful in Web Analytics
Visitors •Top Entrance Pages

Sessions •Top Exit Pages
•Bounce Rate
Pageviews
•Length of Session
Hits
•Depth of Session
Session Summary •Top Requested Pages
Referrals in General •Top Downloads
Most Popular Search Engines •Directory Drilldown
 Search Terms by Engine •Browsers/Platforms
Keyword Searches
•Geographical Locations
Internal Keyword Searches
Commercial Tools used for Web Analytics
ClickTracks
Coremetrics
Google (Google Analytics)
NedStat
Omniture (Sitecatalyst)
SAS (SAS Web Analytics)
Visual Sciences (Real Time Analysis
Platform)
WebTrends
Thank You

Web Analytics: BY: Gaurav Mittal Doms - Nit-Trichy

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Web Analytics: BY: Gaurav Mittal Doms - Nit-Trichy

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Web Analytics: BY: Gaurav Mittal Doms - Nit-Trichy

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Web Analytics

Web analytics is a quantitative indicator of

And also a combination of the two

The study of visitor, navigation, and traffic patterns

Log File Data Capture Methodology:

JavaScript Tagging Data Capture

Both web analytics methods will be able to gather

Data transfer to and from web server is always

Between the two web analytics techniques certain differences

- Logfiles enter transfer of all files, including images

Conversions are CRITICAL

Web analytics is a constantly available feedback from

3. Aligning the organization to the technology

1. Top Referrers (How are people finding the website?)

World wide tour company

Measure the effectiveness of expensive search engine

Provide information to decision makers out of the

Determined which search engines resulted in the

 Increased return visitors by 30 percent

Gain a better understanding of what needs to be

Constant deliberation of what to feature

Visitors •Top Entrance Pages

You might also like