Web Analytics Metrics Standards
Web Analytics Metrics Standards
Listed below are the Web Analytics Metrics Standards Released by Web Analytics Association.
Web Analytics Definitions
During the second half of 2006 the Web Analytics Association Standards committee embarked on an effort to define what was agreed upon as the three most important metrics – Unique Visitors, Visits/Sessions & Page Views.
The Standards committee determined that these three metrics make up the foundation for most web analytics definitions. In addition, since many other metrics rely on an understanding of these three, the decision was made to focus on these
metrics first
TERM: Page Views
Type: Count
Universe: Aggregate, Segmented
Definition/Calculation:
The number of times a page (an analyst-definable unit of content) was viewed.
Comments:
Most web analytics tools allow the client to specify what types of files or requests qualify as a “page.” Certain technologies including (but not limited to) Flash, AJAX, media files, downloads, documents, and PDFs do not follow the typical page
paradigm but may be definable as pages in specific tools.
TERM: Visits/Sessions
Type: Count
Universe: Aggregate, Segmented
Definition/Calculation:
A visit is an interaction, by an individual, with a website consisting of one or more requests for an analyst-definable unit of content (i.e. “page view”). If an individual has not taken another action (typically additional page views) on the site within a
specified time period, the visit session will terminate.
Comments:
Different tool providers use different methodologies to track sessions. Ask your tool
provider how this metric is computed. A typical time-out period for a visit is 30
minutes, but this time period is configurable in many web analytics applications
TERM: Unique Visitors
Type: Count
Universe: Aggregate, Segmented
Definition/Calculation:
The number of inferred individual people (filtered for spiders and robots), within a
designated reporting timeframe, with activity consisting of one or more visits to a
site. Each individual is counted only once in the unique visitor measure for the
reporting period.
Comments:
Authentication, either active or passive, is the most accurate way to track unique visitors. However, because most sites do not require a user login, the most predominant method of identifying unique visitors is via a persistent cookie
that stores and returns a unique id value. Because different methods are used to track unique visitors, you should ask your tool provider how they calculate this metric.
Download the Entire Web Analytics Metrics Standards released by Web Analytics Association.
Web Analytics Metrics Standard Definition.
Related Information:
