Practical Web Analytics for User Experience: How Analytics Can Help You Understand Your Users

256 Pages·2013·4.47 MB·English

by  Michael Beasley

Practical Web Analytics for User
Experience
How Analytics Can Help You Understand
Your Users
Michael Beasley
UX Designer, ITHAKA, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Table of Contents
Cover image
Title page
Copyright
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter 1. Introduction
What Is Web Analytics?
User Experience And Web Analytics Questions
Web Analytics And User Experience: A Perfect Fit
About This Book
Google Analytics
Part 1: Introduction to Web Analytics
Chapter 2. Web Analytics Approach
Introduction
Get To Know Your Website
A Model Of Analysis
Showing Your Work
Context Matters
Sometimes The Data Contradict You
Key Takeaways
Chapter 3. How Web Analytics Works
Introduction
Log File Analysis
Page Tagging
Metrics And Dimensions
Interacting With Data In Google Analytics
Key Takeaways
Chapter 4. Goals
Introduction
What Are Goals And Conversions?
Conversion Rate
Goal Reports In Google Analytics
When Do You Use These Reports?
Finding The Right Things To Measure As Key Performance Indicators
What Can You Measure On A Website That Can Constitute A Goal?
Going Beyond The Website
Tying It Together
Key Takeaways
Part 2: Learning about Users through Web Analytics
Chapter 5. Learning about Users
Introduction
Visitor Analysis
Key Takeaways
Chapter 6. Traffic Analysis: Learning How Users Got to Your Website
Introduction
Source And Medium (Dimensions)
Organic Search
Search Query Analysis
Referral Traffic
Direct Traffic
Paid Search Keywords
Key Takeaways
Chapter 7. Analyzing How People Use Your Content
Introduction
Website Content Reports
Key Takeaways
Chapter 8. Click-Path Analysis
Introduction
Focus On Relationships Between Pages
Navigation Summary
“Visitors Flow” Report
Analyzing How Users Move From One Page Type To Another
Key Takeaways
Chapter 9. Segmentation
Introduction
Why Segment Data?
How To Segment Data
What Are The Ways You Can Segment Data?
Useful Ways To Segment For UX Questions
The Tip Of The Iceberg
Key Takeaways
Chapter 10. Pairing Analytics Data with UX Methods
Introduction
Personas
Usability Testing
Usability Inspection
Design And Design Objectives
Key Takeaways
Chapter 11. Measuring the Effects of Changes
Introduction
Choose What To Measure
Types Of Changes
Changing Many Things At Once
Reporting
Key Takeaways
Part 3: Advanced Topics
Chapter 12. Measuring Behavior within Pages
Introduction
Google Analytics In-Page Analytics
Click Analytics Tools
Making Clicks Measureable In Page Tagging Analytics Tools
Analyzing Event Data
Virtual Pageviews
Key Takeaways
Chapter 13. A/B Testing
Introduction
Designing An Experiment
Monitoring And “Winning”
Key Takeaways
Chapter 14. Analytics Profiles
Introduction
Profiles
What Are Profile Filters?
Key Takeaways
Chapter 15. Regular Reporting and Talking to Stakeholders
Introduction
Reporting Culture
Making The Case For Usability Activities
Key Takeaways
Chapter 16. Web Analytics in the Near Future
Introduction
Mobile Application Analytics
Cross-Device Measurement
Better Measurement Of On-Page Behavior
Connecting To Other Data Sources
The Continuing Dominance Of Google
Things Will Keep Changing
Index
Copyright
Acquiring Editor: Meg Dunkerley
Editorial Project Manager: Heather Scherer
Project Manager: Priya Kumaraguruparan
Designer: Greg Harris
Morgan Kaufmann is an imprint of Elsevier
225 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA
Copyright © 2013 Andrew Michael Beasley. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights
reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
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This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright
by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein).
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new
research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research
methods or professional practices, may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and
knowledge in evaluating and using any information or methods described
herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of
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have a professional responsibility.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Beasley, Michael, 1980–
Practical web analytics for user experience: how analytics can help you understand your
users / Michael Beasley.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Web usage mining. 2. Internet users—Attitudes. 3. Web sites—Development. I. Title.
ZA4235.B43 2013
006.3—dc23
2013010542
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-0-12-404619-1
Printed in the United States of America
13 14 15 16 17 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For information on all Morgan Kaufmann publications visit our website at
www.mkp.com
Acknowledgments
This book exists because of the help of several people. I’d like to thank the people who
have read this book and offered feedback along the way: Daniel O’Neil, Christina York,
and Mark Newman whose technical review made this book considerably better;
Andrew Grohowski and Barbra Wells, who was also the person who got me thinking I
could write this; the people at Pure Visibility—Dunrie Greiling, Linda Girard, Jeremy
Lopatin, Bill Smith, and more—who pushed me and helped me learn and gave me the
space to make mistakes; awesome clients like Lisa Ocasio and Harmony Faust who
asked the questions that made me dig deeper and find new ways to use data; Veronica
Machak for listening to me complain and taking my first professional photo; Emily
Merchant for being my writing buddy and also listening to me complain; and Melissa
Bowen, who supported me and helped me clear the time I needed to work and, of
course, listened to me complain. And thanks to Mom and Dad for the love and support
over the years.