Sept 15 2012 bxb show me the numbers

Show me the numbers: Grow your business with metrics Susan Mernit Oakland Local at BXB 2012 September 2012 For more like this, go to oaklandlocal.com/content/ trainings and see slideshare.com/mernit

What we’re discussing •  How can I look at core metrics and use them to grow what I do? •  What are the basic tools and <ps to work with? •  How do I make decisions based on metrics data? •  What are best prac<ces to follow working with metrics in an ongoing way? •  What are some good <me management prac<ces around metrics repor<ng 2 All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org

QuesIons Answered How can I look at What are the basic How do I make core metrics and use tools and <ps to decisions based on them to grow what I work with? metrics data? do? What are best What are some good prac<ces to follow Ime management working with pracIces around metrics in an metrics reporIng? ongoing way? 3 All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org

GeKng started with metrics •  Web analy)cs is the measurement, collecIon, analysis and reporIng of internet data for purposes of understanding and opImizing web usage Metrics are CORE for any small site operator 4 All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org

• Google Analy)cs dashboard measures site data including • Traﬃc • Audience • Content • Geography knightdigitalmediacenter.org 6

EssenIal GA metrics to evaluate –  Time spent –  Pages viewed –  Returning vs. new visitors –  Referral source –  LocaIon –  Unique visitors –  Page views –  PlaWorms But it’s a matrix: Metrics are most meaningful in relaIonship to one another 7 All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org

Watching the GA connecIons to drive site growth •  Google AnalyIcs factors: –  Referral traffic: Where are the most engaged users coming from? (referral traffic/Ime spent metrics) –  Content behaviors: What is average )me spent per story? How do content stats per story (NOT averages) relate? –  Content: What keywords drive traffic for my site? –  What are top entrance pages (correlate with search engine traffic) All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 8

Decisions based on Google AnalyIcs •  Type of content (topics, trending issues, cost) •  Geographic focus (review of locaIon & mission) •  Social media markeIng outreach: Focus on top social media referral sources based on –  Top referrers –  Best Ime spent metrics from speciﬁc referrers –  Campaign reviews (newslecers) All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org 9

Other core metrics tools Facebook Insights Twitter Likes Followers Comments Retweets Tweet reach Facebook Insights Measures tweetMeasures Facebook impactpage data 13

Facebook Insights-‐Admins can access Insights is the equivalent Of Google Analy)cs for Business—not personal-‐Facebook pages—need 30+ followers Data is exportable—correlate with Google Analy)cs in your analyses 14 All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org

Facebook provides INSTANT feedback Content & Audience Ads & social marke)ng •  What’s popular (views) •  Tracking response on social •  What’s being referred (viral) markeIng/promoIon posts •  Who is your audience •  Tracking likes & reposts (followers & demographics) Apply Facebook data to recruit new adverIsers, fine tune your content, define audiences, drive traffic to website All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 16

Tweetreach is a criIcal Twicer metrics tool 17

Workﬂow and process best pracIces Source: http://fobango.com knightdigitalmediacenter.org 22

Create a reporIng dashboard to track stats over Ime-‐ Excel Spreadsheet trackingkey metrics month bymonth, quarter byquarter.Build or download atemplate to collectdataCheck data weekly23 All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org

Your dashboard should track Let’s discuss: how does this work •  Google Analy)cs as a weekly/daily report? •  Unique visitors •  First Ime vs. repeat visitors •  Time on site •  Pages per visit •  Bounce rate •  Top 10 Content (by page views or by unique visitors) •  Number of comments (conversion goal) •  Number of member blog posts (conversion goal) •  New members (conversion goal) •  Top referring sources All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org 24

Your dashboard should track Let’s discuss: how does this work as a weekly/daily report? •  Facebook Insights •  Followers •  Demographics •  LocaIon •  Likes/virality •  Tweetreach •  Top Tweets •  Top Tweeters •  Most retweeted All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org 25

When do you check stats? •  Daily or weekly •  Monthly – 30 minutes or less –  90 minutes –  Review all stat sources – Look at basic –  Build a monthly report weekly stats –  Compare 6 month trend • Top content data •  Google AnalyIcs • Top referrers •  Facebook Insights •  Tweetreach • Time spent/ bounce metrics All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org 28

PuUng info to work-‐-‐Start with basic analysis Planning •  What is your site’s greatest strength according to Google AnalyIcs? •  Example: High number of returning visits, high Ime spent on pages metrics •  Use stats to portray your strengths-‐Create a 1 pager •  What is a problem you see in your site that Google AnalyIcs shows you? –  Example: High bounce rate, poor referrals from social media despite puKng investment there –  Use stats to portray-‐-‐Create a 1 pager All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org 29

Workﬂow: Monthly reporIng? •  What does a monthly report about your site look like? –  Construct a monthly report across all data sources highlighIng metrics you consider meaningful/ important –  Make some inferences/asserIons and test them All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org 30

Followup •  Should we have a peer learning circle? –  If yes, contact susan@oaklandlocal.com –  More on metrics (including the basics): hcp://slideshare.com/susanmernit –  1:1 discussions and training possible—contact susan@oaklandlocal.com All rights reserved. Houseoﬂocal.org 31

Sept 15 2012 bxb show me the numbers

Hack the Hood

Sept 15 2012 bxb show me the numbers