300 likes | 978 Views
Web Analytics. Wei Fang Head of Digital Services Rutgers University Law Library. Web Analytics. Web Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of Internet data for the purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage. --- Web Analytics Association (2006).
E N D
Web Analytics Wei Fang Head of Digital Services Rutgers University Law Library
Web Analytics • Web Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of Internet data for the purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage. --- Web Analytics Association (2006)
Why Web Analytics • Paper based surveys • Online surveys • Web analytics • Objective • Accurate • Up-to-date
Methods • Counters • Cookies • Log Files • Collected by severs • Web Analytic Services • Client-side data collection (Page tags), done by JS. • Or Packet-sniffing • There will always be errors in Web analytics' data and it is hard to tell what the margin of error is.
Tools • Sever log files Apache Extended log file format Apache Common log file format Microsoft IIS W3C Extended log file format Microsoft IIS NCSA Common log file format Microsoft IIS log file format Sun ONE Web Server (iPlanet) log file format Netscape Web Server log file format WebSTAR Common Log Format (CLF) log file format WebSTAR Extended Log Format (ExLF) log file format Standard Common log file format Standard Combined log file format Windows Media Services W3C log file format Microsoft Windows Firewall log file format Squid log file format ……… 64.190.42.82 - - [13/Jun/2008:09:17:26 -0400] "GET /coah/1989/19890806.pdf HTTP/1.1" 200 53089 "http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Angus+Harmony+Township" "Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.0.3705)"
Tools • Local Applications • Depend on OS • Usually require fees
Tools • Server-based services for Web analytics • Such as Analog, Webalizer, AWStats, etc.
Tools • Analytics in A Box (AIB)from Google • Software (Urchin) and Hardware (Coradiant) • Uses Packet-sniffing instead of serer log and page tags • Runs behind firewall • Monitors Web site activities and server performances
Tools • Web-based services for Web analytics • Google Analytics http://www.google.com/analytics/ • Lyris http://www.lyris.com/company/ • StatCounter http://www.visistat.com/ • VisiStat http://www.visistat.com/
Target Total Visitors Non-Bouncing Visitors Bounced Visitors Stayed Abandoned 2-3% Source: the e-tailing group, April 2007
Google Analytics • Acquired Urchin in March, 2005 (http://www.google.com/urchin/) • Google Analytics collects server activities and store data on its servers, whereas Urchin is downloadable and can be used to analysis log files locally • Free with an active Adword campaign or if your site is less than 5 million pageviews per month per account (Google Analytics TOS, 2010)
Data Accuracy • Not real-time, about 2 to 24 hours delay • Slow loading time • Redirect • Setup: page not taged • Static page VS. Dynamic page • Tracking code placement </body> • sitescanga.com • JS errors • Misinterpretation
Reports • Annual reports • Activities of one article or an area • Redesign Web Site • Visitors’ computers • Network load • Tune up performance • Purchasing new equipment • Expending network
Dimensions and Metrics D1 Visitor : ga Date D1 Visitor : ga Connection Speed D1 Visitor : ga Browser D1 Visitor : ga Network Location M1 Visitors : ga Visits
Dimensions and Metrics M1 Visitor : gatimeOnPage M1 Visitor : ga visits Date Date Date Browser Browser Browser Connection Speed Connection Speed M1 Visitor : ga exits Connection Speed D5 Internal Search D3 Content : gapageTitle M1 Visitor : ga visits D1 Visitor M1 Visitor : ga entrances Network Location Network Location Network Location
Dimensions and Metrics • 2-pair combinations • Metric to metric • Dimension to metric • No Dimension to Dimension • Custom report for queries that have more than 2 fields http://code.google.com/intl/en/apis/analytics/docs/gdata/gdataReferenceValidCombos.html#queryValidation
Data Output • Why • Use other statistical programs to process data • Archive • Share with others • Formats • PDF, XML, CSV, CSV for Excel and TSV • Google Analytics API • Data Export API
References • Google Analytics Developer’s Guide • Using Google Analytics for Improving Library Website Content • Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics