Have you ever been asked to report on pageviews to a particular page of your site (or your entire site) and realized that without context or benchmarking the number seemed hollow? I can recall numerous times I’ve presented Web stats like this and no one but I have asked, so what?
There are many ways to translate your Web stats into actionable items. While putting together a Web metrics dashboard last week, I figure I would include this quick and easy way to turn your web analytics reporting data into items you can follow-up on.
Tip: Try segmenting your traffic types, i.e. direct, referrals, organic search, CPC, new visits, etc. and then pull data points for each one. If done right, you should be able to answer the following questions at the drop of a hat and look like a Web Analytics rock star. I’ve listed some general questions with a follow-up action item that may represent a bullet on your own report punch list.
1) What visitor type has the highest bounce rate?
Action Item: Do I need to refine my CPC campaign ads or landing pages, etc.?
2) What visitor type hangs out on your site the longest and where do they go?
Action Item: Is our messaging targeting the ‘right’ audience? Are my KPI’s correct?
3) What visitor type visits your site most often?
Action Item: Should I spend more effort on blogs and other social media?
You can see that many other relevant questions may come up depending on your reports and business model. The questions above are general in nature but you may be surprised at how little your team or boss may know about your site in terms of user segmentation.
Furthermore, once you have your metrics, put them into further context with benchmarking tools. This should help turn those simple pageview numbers into a compelling presentation that you can take action on.
Good luck,
-L
