Understanding Users: Tools and Why
I have been meaning to write something about the importance of understanding users - even for the smallest charity/not-for-profit or social enterprise. And then in came an entry from a chap called Tom Smith who writes on what he calls 'the OTHER blog'. Whilst I'm not entirely sure what the first one is, this is a useful one nevertheless... Here's the item in question (so short so I have taken the liberty of quoting it in entirety):
"Apart from Google Analytics and any number of log reporting tools, there seems to be more online services offering ways to help you understand your users…
- Crazy Egg – visualize your visitors
- ClickTale - because every user has a story
- TapeFailure - record, review, revise
…whilst I’m a fan of using data analysis at times, other approaches to producing great sites and services might include being fab or listening to your customers."
- More useful stuff on Tom Smith's the OTHER blog.
Now, the bold text is on the original post but I think I'd have highlighted them if they hadn't already been... Still, they key to understanding your users is to use good tools to get reliable data that you can in turn analyse and finally make conclusions and act to improve.
The one most presribed from here [just a few resulting implentations: Wilderness Foundation UK, Reducing Re-Offending, The Environmentalist At Large etc. etc.] and referenced in the post-quote above, is Google Analytics. It is easy to implement (you just add a few lines of code to the web pages you want to be included in the on-going analysis). The key value is that unlike many other analysis tools, Google has managed to keep things very simple - Working clockwise from the top left (OK, the graphic is a bit small but I'm sure you get the idea):
- Visits and Page Views: Visits on the left column and page views on the right. The page view average is … P/V – the higher number of page views, the better.
- Visits by New and Returning: Good to have a consistent mix to see that you’re serving regulars and also being found by new people. This will change as the volume of data for analysis increases over time.
- Visits by Source: Often Google is the main route in, then direct typing of the address (brand recognition and recall – good stuff) - more interestingly is who else brings you traffic. Time to send a thankyou note perhaps?
- Geo Map Overlay: The bigger the dot, the more visitors from the area.
