Bend WebCAM - Making Smarter Decisions with Google Analytics

Making Smarter Decisions with Google Analytics

Caleb Whitmore

@analyticspros

© 2012, Caleb Whitmore & Analytics Pros, Inc.

About Caleb

• Founder & CEO, Analytics Pros

• Founder, GAUGE the Google Analytics User Conference

• Founder, the Best Practices Conference

• On Twitter @analyticspros


http://www.analyticspros.com/?utm_source=bendWebCAM&utm_medium=presentation&utm_campaign=smarter-decisions&utm_content=analytics-pros-about-caleb

http://www.gaugecon.com/?utm_source=bendWebCAM&utm_medium=presentation&utm_campaign=smarter-decisions&utm_content=gauge-conference



http://best.analyticspros.com/?utm_source=bendWebCAM&utm_medium=presentation&utm_campaign=smarter-decisions&utm_content=best-conference

http://best.analyticspros.com/?utm_source=bendWebCAM&utm_medium=presentation&utm_campaign=smarter-decisions&utm_content=best-conference

http://www.twitter.com/analyticspros

I Wrote a book about Google Analytics

Get a copy: http://goo.gl/nKwPI


http://goo.gl/nKwPI


http://www.analyticsengine.net/?utm_source=bendWebCAM&utm_medium=presentation&utm_campaign=smarter-decisions&utm_content=analytics-pros-company

http://www.analyticspros.com/?utm_source=bendWebCAM&utm_medium=presentation&utm_campaign=smarter-decisions&utm_content=analytics-pros-company



http://www.gaugecon.com/?utm_source=bendWebCAM&utm_medium=presentation&utm_campaign=smarter-decisions&utm_content=analytics-pros-company

Our Services

Media

Optimization

Platform

Optimization

Digital Measurement & Insights

• Data driven...

• Organic & Paid Search

• Social media

• Cross-channel optimization

• Attribution Modeling

• Data Analysis & Reporting

• User experience & key process analysis

• A/B testing

• Multivariate testing • Web + Mobile + Social

• Strategy + Implementation

• Governance & Administration

• Training

• Reporting, Analysis, Staffing


What We’ll Talk About


Even More Reports…


But do they really help us?


Which half of 50% is better?

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.”

-John Wanamaker


A Promise “Data and Analytics can make things better”


What Marketing Worked?


Can you tell which is better?


Failure? The 7 Causes of Digital Analytics Failure


Why Digital Analytics Efforts Fail

1. No Strategy

2. No Plan

3. Bad Implementation

4. Data Overload – analysis paralysis

5. Distrust of data

6. Barriers to reaching data

7. Lack of action after insights


What Can Be Done?

To NOT Fail


Digital Analytics Success Model

Strategy

Goals

Questions

Plan

Capability

Team

Toolbox

Process

Insight

Analysis

Meaning

Answers

Action

Prioritization

Toolbox

Results


Strategy


Lifecycle Phases


Strategy & Planning


Business Goals

Supporting Questions

Data to Answer Questions

Required Implementation to

get the Data

Report Configuration &

Access

Data Analysis & Answers


Goals: Align With Your Business


Business Goals




get the Data


Access



Ask the Right Questions


Tip

Ask Business Questions, NOT Metrics


Example

Metric Question

How many views to Page X?


Example

Metric Question

How many views to Page X?

Business Question

Which promoter is a better partner?


Business Goals




get the Data


Access



Business Goals




get the Data


Access



Business Goals




get the Data


Access



Business Goals




get the Data


Access



Capability


Implementation


Team


Team: Get the Right Coverage


What’s Your Structure?


The Rockstar


Team Structure


The Business Strategist


Team Structure


The Super-Developer


Team Structure


The Data Miner


Let’s Go Dig Up

Some Data!

Team Structure


The Analysis Ninja


Team Structure


What’s Your Structure?


Team Structure


Insight & Action


Analysis & Optimization


Two Ways to Win

How did this

bucket get so

empty?


Action: Having The Right Toolbox



Google Analytics





CrazyEgg

www.crazyegg.com © 2012, Caleb Whitmore & Analytics Pros, Inc.

http://www.crazyegg.com/


4Q

www.4qsurvey.com


http://www.4qsurvey.com/

User Report

www.UserReport.com


http://www.userreport.com/


not



Optimizely

http://www.optimizely.com/ © 2012, Caleb Whitmore & Analytics Pros, Inc.

http://www.optimizely.com/?utm_source=analyticspros

http://www.optimizely.com/?utm_source=analyticspros

Digital Analytics Success Model

Strategy

Goals

Questions

Plan

Capability

Team

Toolbox

Process

Insight

Analysis

Meaning

Answers

Action

Prioritization

Toolbox

Results


7 Google Analytics Essentials

in 7 minutes © 2012, Caleb Whitmore & Analytics Pros, Inc.

#1 Implementing GA What to do, and NOT do…

learned the hard way!


Plain Vanilla… It’s Not for You

Image source: http://atencentgemjar.wordpress.com/ © 2012, Caleb Whitmore & Analytics Pros, Inc.

http://atencentgemjar.wordpress.com/

The GA Tag Comes in Many Flavors

Image source: http://valuestream2009.wordpress.com/ © 2012, Caleb Whitmore & Analytics Pros, Inc.

http://valuestream2009.wordpress.com/

The Settings that Matter

• There are over 55 documented settings for the tag


The Settings that Matter

• There are over 55 documented settings for the tag

• Top settings to consider:

– Cookie Domain setDomainName

– Campaign Anchors setAllowAnchor

– X-domain Linking setAllowLinker


This is Bad…

• If your website is www.zenithvineyard.com


Data Quality Checking Tools

• Audit your site data for quality

– Internal referrals?

– Suspicious “direct” landing deep within your site?

– Odd exit pages with high rates?

• Use tools:

– www.analyticscheckup.com

– www.observepoint.com


http://www.analyticscheckup.com/

http://www.observepoint.com/

Caleb’s Implementation Tips

• Plan your business requirements

• Implement the GA tag correctly for your website(s) – Consider domain names (sub-domains, 3rd party

domains)

– Place the tag on all pages

– Use the setAllowAnchor feature

• You may want to take a course, read a book, or hire an expert to assist – don’t skip on this!


Related Resources

• Books – Performance Marketing with Google Analytics

(Whitmore, Tonkin, Cutroni): http://goo.gl/nKwPI – Advanced Web Metrics (Clifton): http://goo.gl/8f9ui – Google Analytics (Cutroni): http://goo.gl/yXq6j – Web Analytics 2.0 (Kaushik): http://goo.gl/94Bhu

• Training – Online GA Conversion University: http://goo.gl/gBVYg – Google Seminars for Success: http://goo.gl/Cx87U – GAUGE Google Analytics User Conference (next one is

in NYC Oct 17 - 18): http://goo.gl/nqDQI


http://goo.gl/nKwPI

http://goo.gl/8f9ui

http://goo.gl/yXq6j

http://goo.gl/94Bhu

http://goo.gl/gBVYg

http://goo.gl/Cx87U

http://goo.gl/nqDQI

#2 Google Analytics Goals

Without a goal, what’s the point?


A “typical” Goal

Typical GA Goal


Goal Essentials

Goals with a Framework


Goal Examples: Simple Framework


Related Resources on Goals

• Caleb’s goal planning worksheet: http://goo.gl/Ivcxm

• Great blog post by Avinash Kaushik: http://goo.gl/gpLD4


http://goo.gl/Ivcxm

http://goo.gl/gpLD4

#3 Campaign Tagging

Traffic Source Identification


Traffic Source Segmentation

• Screenshot showing traffic source data mediums report with +/- view


Identify Traffic Sources Against…

• Goals

• Transactions

• Landing pages

• Campaigns by Geography

• Everything!


Just to be clear…

• Google Analytics can track any kind of marketing – not just Google AdWords

– Email marketing

– Microsoft AdCenter paid search

– Display ads run anywhere

– Social Media traffic

– Even offline campaigns


Tracking Your Marketing

• What to know: – Email will show up as “direct” unless it is specifically

tagged

– Banners & links will show up as “referring” not “banner”

– Offline campaigns can be tracked using vanity URL’s and tracking codes

– Paid search must be tagged, otherwise it gets mixed in with organic search


GA’s Oder of Operations

1. Check of Campaign Tags (utm_etc…)

2. Look for Referrer – Search Engine =

organic/search engine/keyword

– Referring Site = referring domain / page

3. Lump into “direct/none”


Campaign Links: How They Work

• In web addresses, the parts after a question park are called “query parameters”. Sometimes your webserver does something special with them.

www.example.com/page?id=1234 • If your webserver doesn’t recognize the query

parameter, it ignores it. These addresses both go to the same page:

www.example.com/page www.example.com/page?myname=johnsmith

© 2012, Analytics Pros, Inc.

Campaign Links: How They Work

• So even better than making up labels, we can use some labels that Google Analytics recognizes:

www.example.com/page?utm_medium=email &utm_source=newsletter

&utm_campaign=spring-2010

• These represent the medium, source, and campaign.

• You don’t have to build these URLs by hand.


URL Builder

URL Builder

A Better URL Builder

• Excel-based

• Automate the process

• Ensure consistency

Get it here: http://goo.gl/qpzDF


http://goo.gl/qpzDF

#4 Segmentation

Going beneath the surface of your data




6 Ways to Segment in GA

1. Standard report drilldowns

2. Report secondary & pivot dimensions

3. Custom Reports & Dashboards

4. Advanced Segments

5. 3rd party tools

6. Data Export API tools


Standard Report, No Drilldown

What’s the cause?


Standard Report w/Drilldown

Organic & Referral Spiked


Secondary Dimension Segmentation

Shows Visits, Bounce Rates for each Keyword – but how do landing pages impact this?


Secondary Dimension Segmentation

Shows Visits, Bounce Rates for each Keyword – but how do landing pages impact this?


Pivot Segmentation


Pivot Segmentation


Pivot Segmentation


#5 Geographic Analysis

Where Your Customers Are


Geography

Default graphic weighted by Visits


Geography

Change color weighting to use another metric


#6 Technology Analysis

From Your Customers’ Perspective


Internet Explorer Analysis

• Bounce Rates for IE versions vary wildly

• IE 9.0 users really have a hard time


Other Technology Analysis

• Analyze goal and experience factors

– Conversion rates

– Time on Site

– Pages/Visit

• Analyze other technical factors:

– Screen Resolution


Screen Sizes Report


Screen Resolution Example

Example report using Next Analytics for Excel plug-in: http://goo.gl/fAkTm


http://goo.gl/fAkTm

#7 Entrance Point Analysis

Where’s the Front Door?


Entrance Point Analysis

• Your website’s “front door” is probably NOT the main point of entrance


Where Do People Enter?


Entrance Point Questions to Ask

• How porous is your site?

– Most traffic comes/goes from non-portal pages?

– Portal pages make up the majority entrance/exit points?

• What is the impact on key metrics?


Entrance Point Impact on Key Metrics

• Custom Report showing landing page key metrics


The Latest and Greatest

What’s New in Google Analytics

that you should be using


Real-Time Reports


What can Real-Time do?


Remarketing Lists with GA Data

• MUST use this feature!!

• Enables creation of AdWords remarketing lists based on Google Analytics data

• Details at http://www.google.com/analytics/features/remarketing.html


http://www.google.com/analytics/features/remarketing.html

http://www.google.com/analytics/features/remarketing.html

Remarketing Lists in GA


GA for Mobile

• You NEED to be measuring your apps

– User Experience

– Marketing performance

– Engagement & value

• GA Mobile App reporting:

– Familiar interface, tuned for mobile app data


Quick Poll

• Are you measuring mobile app?

– Not measuring my app

– Already using Google Analytics app tracking

– Using other free mobile analytics solution such as Flurry

– Using other paid web/mobile analytics solution


Attribution Modeling

• Create multi-touch, multi-channel attribution models to test value changes

• Example:

– Discount last “direct” visit

– What changes in value attribution across marketing channels?

Note: Attribution Modeling is only available in GA Premium Edition


Attribution Modeling


Un-sampled Data

• Download all your data without sampling

• Get a clear (accurate) picture of metrics

• Export large datasets for data warehouse integration

http://www.analyticspros.com/blog/google-analytics/sampled-vs-unsampled-data/


Note: Unsampled Data is only available in GA Premium Edition

http://www.analyticspros.com/blog/google-analytics/sampled-vs-unsampled-data/?utm_source=ama-webinar&utm_medium=slides&utm_campaign=ga-success









More Premium-Only Features

• Enhanced advertising measurement

• More Custom Variables

• Faster, more up-to-date data

• 24x7 Support, SLA’s

• Resellers provide enhanced support, training, and consulting services beyond the product


Why Think About Premium?

• Do potential gains exceed the required investment?

• Does your scale require more data – 10mm+ hits/month – 500k+ visits/month

• Do you need SLA assurances & support?

• More at www.gopremium.biz


”We didn’t realize how many answers

to our questions were already buried in

our data until we partnered with

Analytics Pros to implement Google

Analytics Premium.”

- EJ Kalafarski, VP of Product,

Onswipe

http://www.gopremium.biz/

Google Tag Manager

• Marketing tag management platform

• Increases marketing agility – Launch new tags in

minutes

• Full QA/Testing built-in

• Google scale & reliability

• http://www.google.com/tagmanager


http://www.google.com/tagmanager

3rd Party Apps for Data Analysis

• Vast ecosystem of apps

• Make faster, better use of GA

• Rules for a good app:

– Does something that GA itself doesn’t do well

– Directly hooks into GA data

– Deepens the analysis you can do on your data

– Enhances sharing of data


Report Shortcuts

• http://analytics.blogspot.com/2012/08/get-to-your-data-faster-announcing.html


http://analytics.blogspot.com/2012/08/get-to-your-data-faster-announcing.html











Android App for GA Reports


• http://analytics.blogspot.com/2012/06/data-at-your-fingertips-announcing.html

http://analytics.blogspot.com/2012/06/data-at-your-fingertips-announcing.html









Google Docs Integration

• http://analytics.blogspot.com/2012/08/automate-google-analytics-reporting.html


http://analytics.blogspot.com/2012/08/automate-google-analytics-reporting.html








Thanks Questions?


Caleb Whitmore @analyticspros

Documents

Bend WebCAM - Making Smarter Decisions with Google Analytics