Wednesday 26 September 2012

Analytics - essential practices

This paper from UXmag provides 10 essential steps to setting up and using analytics properly. To be honest, I think the first 4 aren't really about analytics at all - more about an effective, focused website.



But that's the thing. I'm working with lots of people beginning to use Google Analytics and the key reason they don't get anything really useful out isn't because they don't know how to work it; it's because they don't really know what their site is for.

(Back to the Elements of User Experience then...)

While some of the steps in this paper aren't really achievable by many common-or-garden web publishers ('establish a steering committee' for example) there are plenty of great tips. And I think that getting the bigger picture can help you to get an idea of how much you're likely to be able to achieve with the time and influence you have.

Some key points that jumped out for me:

  • With literally hundreds of things that can be measured, the focus must be on quality over quantity. it is critical to only report on what directly impacts your business goals. 
  • Web analytics must be viewed as a process, not a tool.
  • Establish a reporting system and don’t simply rely on the canned reports from your analytics software.

And I love the quote they use from (the ever quotable) Winston Churchill:

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”

Successful Analytics: 10 Essential Practices - PDF download from uxmag.com 

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