Before you start ogling your reports, there are a few things you absolutely must do to your data as soon as you install Google Analytics on your website (and, of course, you make sure it’s installed correctlty)  This stuff isn’t sexy or fun (unless you’re someone like me) but they are things you must do as a newbie to get clean, accurate and relevant data you can actually use. Ready? Take a deep breath and read on. There will be a test later.

Step One: Filter your internal traffic.

Unless you are using Google Analytics for your office intranet or looking to track an internal audience (say, if you work for a library or schooll) you’ll want to have a profile that excludes the web traffic that comes from within your office. If you’re looking to track the web traffic coming from an e-mail or social media campaign, for example, you won’t want the web traffic from  the folks  in your office (or you) unintentionally inflating your numbers. So exclude it! The easiest way to do this is  by filtering out your own (or your office’s)  IP address.  Here’s how:

1. Go to the “Analytics Settings” page and click “Filter Manager”
2. Name your Filter
3. Choose the “Predefined Filter” radio button
4. Choose “Exclude all traffic from an IP address”
5. Enter your office IP address in the “IP address” field. You’ll need to use regular expressions here. For example,if your IP address is:

192.168.1.114

in Google Analytics, you’ll enter it as 192\.168\.1\.114

as I did below for my personal blog:

So now some of you are thinking “holy crap this is confusing.”  I don’t blame you.  RegEx is not easy. If you are still confused by regular expressions and/or you have absolutely no clue what I am talking about, there are many online resources should you want to DIY it: you can either check out Regular Expressions Info for more background information. Or grab your friendly neighborhood IT person. Or drop me a line.

Outside of the Regular Expressions part, these steps are pretty easy to follow and absolutely necessary when you want to start using your reports later on, trust me. I highly recommend setting up a new profile for your filtered data so that you’ll have your raw data handy in case you ever need  it.

Now you can move on to the real fun stuff. setting up Goals, which I will get to next week.

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Many managers share the same questions and concerns when it comes to social media – usually issues of crisis communication/message control, privacy and time management. In my experience, there are three first steps you can take to help alleviate social media skittishness in an organization:

1.) Conduct a staff wide “Intro to Social Media” Training
Social media “power users” sometimes assume that the basics of Facebook, Twitter, etc are common knowledge; conducting an intro to social media training can get your staff on the same page and speaking the same language before you move into developing a social media strategy for your company.

At this training you can not only cover basic definitions and descriptions of social media tools and tactics, but also address some of the concerns that staff members may have about issue of privacy, managing negative feedback and professional vs. personal use of social media sites.

Depending on the size and culture of your organization, you may have to conduct this training more than once. Especially if you are a newer staff member, you may be eager to “blow some minds” with all the great possibilities of social media, but for many companies, the two-way approach of communications that social media thrives on is very different from they’ve historically communicated with their customers/supporters. Be patient, and put yourself in the role of educator for your staff.

2.) Develop internal and external social media policy/guidelines for your company
Once your initial training is complete and most staff members are speaking the same social media language (or at least trying to,) you can start to approach the challenging task of setting up internal and external policies for social media use. Having such guidelines are an effective way to set your company’s social media rules of engagement to help guide your staff, and are also an effective response to any pushback you may recieve from staff members concerned about issues of crisis management and negative feedback.

You’ll want to get buy-in from your highest ranking staff member on these guidelines; without top down support such guidelines are difficult to maintain and uphold. Also you’ll want the input of staff members from multiple departments, not just communications and marketing, since any or all staff members may be called upon to engage with customers via social media, you’ll want everyone’s concerns and needs addressed.

Intel’s social media guidelines are a great template for any organization.

3.)Organize a social media working group that meets regularly to share ideas and resources

This is especially effective for large organizations that may have multiple departments initiating social media strategies. My current employer adopts this approach and the monthly meetings are a great way to keep the other 50+ members for our group in the loop; it opens up points of opportunity to collaborate on social media projects and share news and findings. There’s so much going on in the social media world that it’s impossible for any one person to keep up with it all, so regular working group meetings can keep staff members up to date with new tech/legal/social changes with Facebook or Twitter, and also any internal changes to social media policy that may affect the work of other departments.

These are three ideas that have helped me as a social media staff member in different organizations; what approaches have worked for you?

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Fall is approaching and I am looking forward to participating in ChicagoCOUNTS, a netSquared unconference taking place on September 12, which will pair technology professionals and non-profits from around Chicago. Once again, I’ll be talking about web analytics and I am really thrilled, since NPO professionals and web analytics really seem to click, in my experience. Be sure to join us on September 12 and to follow ChicagoCOUNTS on Twitter. – Keidra

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

I spoke about (what else?) web analytics on the panel “Your Stats are a Business Asset” with Adria Richards, Stephanie Stiavetti, and Nancy Martira. We talked about everything from Google Page Rank to bounce rate to social media analytics to a standing room only crowd. It was an hour of lively conversation and smart questions that I hope we will get to repeat next year! It was great to see such enthusiasm about web analytics from such a large crowd. The Web Farm loves you, BlogHer! - Keidra

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Web analytics in a nutshell

So what is web analytics, exactly? To make a long story short, web analytics is a tool to help you to understand how visitors use your website. This is, of course, crucial if you’re using your website/online marketing to achieve your company’s business goals (marketing, sales, etc.)

You can’t get into every user’s head as they visit your site and ask them “is this content useful to you?” or “do you find our online registration form tedious?” but web analytics is the next best thing.

It’s one tool (among many –  including usability testing, focus groups, surveys, etc.) to help you get into the head of your online customer and really respond to their needs and wants.

Information Overload?

Web analytics software generate metrics – or measurements – of website traffic. Most webanalytics software can spit out gobs and gobs of website traffic metrics. It’s pretty overwhelming, which is why some companies that try to embrace web analytics quickly throw up their hands in frustration after looking at all that data.

It’s about goals

This stuff can be complicated. To dig through all these reams of numbers to find the nuggets of information that will help your business takes more brainpower than tech power.

Web analytics can help you measure visitor traffic and improve the performance of your website, but exactly what to measure depends on what your site is and what you want people to do there. If you’re looking to get started with web analytics but don’t know where to begin, start with three basic questions:

• What is my organization’s site for?
• What do I want visitors to do when they visit my site?
• What do I want my website to do better?

Sound familiar? These are very similar to questions that Emily mentioned in part one of our web redesign series. But it’s important! Based on your answers, you can identify the metrics that matter the most to you and your organization, and whittle down those gobs and gobs of metrics to the critical few that you’ll want to keep tabs on to help make business decisions. Of course, The Web Farm can help you with that part.  </shameless plug>

If you’re a non-profit,  or a commerce-based site, or a content-based news site, these metrics will be very different. In this case, one size does not fit all.

You’ve got the power!

Until recently, only larger companies with big online marketing budgets could afford web analytics tools. Software and training was out of reach for most small businesses and non-profits.

But in the past few years free and cheap companies like Mint, Clicky, Yahoo! Web Analytics and of course Google Analytics have leveled the playing field so that web analytics solutions are available for smaller outfits who have a presence on the web.

It’s en exciting time! You’ve got more at your fingertips than ever before to create a fantastic web presence that makes your users happy and in turn, makes your business successful.

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Before you start sourcing web designers and developers, let’s talk nuts and bolts. And yes, I’d recommend hiring BOTH a designer and a developer. They are experts in different, yet overlapping fields. It takes almost genius-level intelligence to do both as one person. The design process is rich and content-driven. And web development technology changes at light speed, is multi-faceted and extremely precise. (We’ll talk more about hiring vendors in another post.)

So where do you start?

First, think about why you came to this decision to redesign. Did your developer leave you high and dry with no access to update files? Is the design outdated? Have you switched markets or audiences? Keep these answers in the back of your brain throughout the whole process. They help to keep your scope in check.

Step ONE: Do some user testing to establish a baseline

Conduct user testing to find out what is and isn’t working on your current site. What you think is obvious might not be so obvious to your users. Use the results to guide the redesign process: new content, new structure, new design elements, new workflows, new wireframes.

User testing entails: figuring out what you want to learn; determining your own organizational goals; writing tasks, scenarios and questions for specific segments of your audience; letting them attempt the tasks; asking questions; gathering and interpreting that data. Hopefully someone can take that data and interpret it visually. That’s a big talent.

You don’t have to test hundreds of people. Six people per task is just fine.

What you get back from user tests:

• video, which is golden because it not only shows you what people are doing, but their body language and physical actions. Sometimes what users say the do is not what they actually do.
• a data about what they did, didn’t or couldn’t do
• and answers to your written questions.

Why should you hire a professional to do this?

Firstly, an outside professional is going to be a monumentally more objective listener than anyone in your organization could be. Your website is your baby. To us, your website is someone else’s baby who we want to clean up and return.

Secondly, professional user testers not only know the best questions to ask, but they know how to extract and interpret data. And as a super bonus, The Web Farm offers visual reports, like revised wireframes and page designs.

Thirdly, professional user testers have years of experience and have most likely dappled in all kinds of websites. They know what’s best. They can make recommendations. It’s their job to know what works.

But if you are going to try to do it yourself, here’s where to start:

After you’ve figured out what your goals are and what you want to measure, create a persona your testers need to assume. So: you are a journalist looking for information about our group/organization/business. Then, write some good questions. Make sure you not only have a few easy yes/no questions, but also some good open-ended questions that aren’t leading. Then you can start asking away.

5 Quick Questions to Ask Users:

1. At first glance, what is this site about?

2. Can you find where you need to go?

3. Can you quickly find where to contact a human being?

4. Are there too many links or buttons? Too few?

5. What can you tell about the people behind the site?

Write as many as you’d like, but don’t overwhelm your users. Questions should be tailored to what you want to learn but open-ended question will reveal surprising insights.

Then:

Doing more user testing after you have a few home page designs hammered out is also a good idea. No sense designing a whole site around something that isn’t quite reaching your goals and audience, right?

COMING SOON:

PART TWO: Use and interpret your analytics

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2010: Web Analytics 101 at OfficePort Chicago

Come have a drink and learn about web analytics from your friends at The Web Farm. We promise it won’t hurt!

Do you have Google Analytics (or a similar free analytics tool) installed for your website? Learn how to do more than just ogle pageview traffic every day. The instructors at The Web Farm love this stuff and we want to help you learn more.

Learn:

• What exactly IS web analytics anyway?
• What stuff like pageviews, unique pageviews and bounce rate actually mean.
• How to use  web analytics to make your website better.
• How to create web analytics reports your boss will care about
• Where to go to learn more and get really dangerous with this stuff

This workshop is for small business owners or non-profit professionals who are new to online marketing, or who eyeing a revamp of their web presence. Come with questions!

Instructors: The Web Farmers – Keidra Chaney, web analytics and social media specialist AND Emily Lonigro, online branding and user testing specialist
Location: OfficePort Chicago, 9 W. Washington, just west of State
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Format: Interactive presentation, thoughtful Q&A and tasty drinks
Cost: $20 per person, FREE WINE!

NOTE: After you register, make payment via PayPal

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

If you’re a member of Chicago networking group Big Ooga, we’ve got something special just for you!

Intro to Web Analytics: What it is, how to get started and what to measure

What is web analytics? It is a way to better understand your website’s visitor behavior by monitoring and analyzing website traffic. It’s a valuable tool for an organization with an online presence. Learn tips and tools how to incorporate web analytics as part of your organization’s online communications, marketing, or fundraising strategy. The instructors at The Web Farm make this in-depth topic not only informative, but fun! We love this stuff!

Learn:

• Technology and fundamental thinking of Web Analytics (in a nutshell)
• How to create measurable goals for your online marketing
• Analytics planning and implementation in your workplace
• Resources for training and education

Instructors : The Web Farmers: Keidra Chaney, web analytics and social media specialist AND Big Ooga Member Emily Lonigro, online branding and user testing specialist.
Location: Big Ooga HQ, 641 S. Wesley, Oak Park 60304
Time: 1-3:30 PM
Format: Private Gathering, Interactive Presentation & Thoughtful Q&A
Maximum: 20 people
Cost: $30 per person, $20 for Big Ooga Members (promocode:  BIGOOGA)

Take the chill out of your Sunday afternoon with enlightening information, lite faire & libations. There will be time to mingle and sip.

(After you register, make payment via PayPal)

MORE ABOUT THE BIG OOGA >

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Friend: “So the next time I need a website for something, I can come to you guys to design it, right?”

Me: “Well, not exactly…”

Friend: “What do you mean, you’re a web design firm. Right?”

Me: “Actually, no. We’re not.”

Friend: “Well, what exactly do you do, then?”

Excellent question. At The Web Farm, our approach to the web and the online world is a little different. Our professional background is in web design, content and implementation, yes, but there are many tools that are just as important and we want people to learn what they are and how to use them.

We are consultants and instructors that teach the tools of online marketing, branding and strategy: the secret formula that turns a good-looking website into a powerful tool to convey your organization’s message and turn visitors into true supporters of your brand and mission.

The online world is pretty competitive these days. It takes more than an attractive website to get people’s attention – and to keep it. Large companies and organizations like Amazon, Zappos, and others use sophisticated marketing and design tools and spend loads of money to optimize their web presence and stay on top of the online game. We teach you those tools at a fraction of the cost and then hand over the keys.

Some of these tools include:

• Search Engine Optimization
• Web Analytics
• Usability Testing
• Social Media Strategy

So you have no clue what any of this stuff is and why it would be beneficial to you. That’s OK, that’s why The Web Farm is for!

There’s no shortage of creative and talented web designers and programmers out there that can make your website look and run great. Our job is to assist them – and you – in creating a website that not only looks great but also will convey your message/mission to your audience in an effective and irresistible way. How do we do this?

• We offer a range of consulting packages where we can help you with your social media strategy, analytics, search engine optimization, content development and user testing. Take a look >
• We’ll have some after-work and weekend workshops on a variety of topics, to get you up to speed on what you need to know. More of those coming soon >
• We also speak at conferences, too. All across the U.S.

So call The Web Farm when:

• Your company is considering a website redesign but don’t know where to start.
• You have this thing called Google Analytics installed somewhere on your site but have no idea how to use it or what it does.
• You have a great looking website or great content but you want more people to see it/use it.
• You want to get started with social media but aren’t sure how it works or why it would be beneficial at all.

We’re here to help, so contact us if you want to learn more.

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

A couple of years ago, the answer would have been “it depends.” When Facebook first introduced fan Pages back in 2007, they left much to be desired in terms of functionality and giving organizations the ability to truly engage with Facebook users. (For example, in the very early stages of Facebook fan Pages, administrators could not send “blast” style messages to fans in-boxes, a feature available in Facebook groups). Pages seemed to serve the role of a promotional platform, rather than an engagement tool.

Profile, Group or Page? The Definitions
In the past year or so, the developers at Facebook have made strides in adapting the functionality of profiles, groups and pages to serve user needs:

Profiles continue to be best for individuals who are looking to personally connect with others.
Groups are ideal for bottom-up social networks around common interests (fan clubs, volunteers, etc.)
Pages have now evolved into a powerful tool for organizations and companies who want to connect with supporters, but who also have very specific marketing goals that require further insight on users.

Facebook Insights: Learn More About Your Fans
The key tool that makes Facebook fan pages so valuable to organizations doing social media marketing is Facebook Insights, which provides page administrators with information on user demographics and activity on Facebook. If you’re a marketing data geek, this is juicy stuff: the average age, gender, and location of your users. Additional information includes page views, photo views, and “interactions” such as comments and “likes.”

If you work for a company looking to truly benefit from Facebook’s ability to connect with users, there is no better tool to use than Facebook Insights. And if you’re a marketer that regularly reports progress on your Facebook traffic and interaction to your company (and if not, you should!) Facebook makes this report-ready data available in a downloadable .csv or a Microsoft Excel (.xml) file. In my experience I’ve found this data extremely useful in reporting company progress with social media marketing efforts to higher-ups, through weekly updates on Facebook activity and fan counts.

To be sure, Facebook Insights is an imperfect tool, and it you are one for drilling down into segmented data (traffic and interaction by age, or location for example) you won’t find it here. Yet.

Facebook developers continue to evolve and improve the effectiveness of Facebook Insights, and I am confident that as more organizations use this tool to aid in their social media marketing goals, we’ll see more improvements in the future. Recently, Facebook Insights added pageview information by individual post – a godsend for anyone with a content-rich Facebook page and want to assess the popularity and impact of posts by content, something administrators could only speculate about before.

Don’t Forget Goals!
A final word about reporting and Facebook Insights. As with all web metrics, Facebook Insights are only as valuable as the marketing goals and objectives you apply them to, so I urge you to really look at your overall marketing goals and strategy and see how these juicy stats can lend insight. If you haven’t established measurable goals for your social media marketing efforts, there’s no better time to go back to the drawing board and start. How do you do this? Well, that’s for another blog post!

• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later