Web Analytics India Blog

It was a while ago i wrote a post about 7 habits of effective omniture user, so here goes the 7 series again and this time for Google Analytics. These indeed are the best features of google analytics and probably must use in case you deal with google analytics day in and day out.

1.) Do Not Use Google Analytics Alone!

2.) Use Filters and Profiles Extensively

3.) Track Marketing Campaigns by GA

4.) Regular Expressions

5.) Custom Segmentation

6.) Track Outbound Link and Downloads

7.) Create Analytics Plan and Change Log Documents

1.) Do Not Use Google Analytics Alone!

Ok that certainly does not mean you dont use it , But use it with other amazing google tools like  Google Adwords and Google Web Optimizer.

2.) Use Filters and Profiles

Profiles and Filters are the most robust features in Google analytics and a must use, here’s few tips to get started with filters and profiles.

Google Analytics Profiles:

• Create a Master
• Test
• Campaign/Source/Medium

Content Profiles

• Buyers
• Browsers
• Shoppers

Google Analytics Filters

• Acquisition Filters
• Internal traffic vs. External traffic

3.) Track Marketing Campaigns by GA

• Use manual tagging for query parameters and not use “auto tagging”. (or use both)
• Use Google URL tool builder to create URLs.

4.) Trouble Shoot your data

• Check your reports for a line item named “(other).“
• Check goal no. vs. No. of pv for goal page.
• Use Charles to debug
• Ecommerce : Orders in GA Vs. Accounts dept.

5.) Custom Segmentation

• Use of _utmv via _utmSetVar
• Only One custom segment can be build.
• Use Concatenation strategy.
• Tracking of Repeat Buyers.

6.) Link Tracking and Downloads

• Use Onclick functions : urchinTracker() – (pageTracker for ga.js)
  • <img src=”/image.jpg” onClick=”javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/image.jpg’);” />
  • <a href=”/schedule.pdf” onClick=”javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/files/pdf/schedule.pdf’);” />PDF</a>
• Caution : These are Pageviews use filter to exclude the traffic.

7.) Analytics Plan

• Analyze the website.– Check for diff Domains,subdomains,dynamic content
• Create and Configure profiles.
• Create filters.
• Create goals and funnels.
• Create recommended profiles.
• Edit the tracking code.
• Modify the web site (if necessary; determined in step 2).
• Add the tracking code to web site pages.
• Tag marketing campaigns.
• Enable e-commerce transaction tracking (optional).
• Implement custom segmentation (optional).
• Configure other administrative features.
• User accounts and report access &Automated email delivery

References

• Google Analytics help section
• Justin Cutroni’s blog
• Robbin Steif’s blog

I should humbly accept month of December and January has been slow on web analytics India. But here’s what’s coming up in the month of February/March. Thanks to all the feedback and inputs by readers here are the Category & posts you will see in the coming months. Again this is a draft and feedback are welcome

Web Analytics Career in India

• Web analytics-good with numbers and good with people
• Web analytics as career in india
  - Tool implementation/QA
  -Reporting analytics
  -optimization Expert

Web Analytics Tool Tips, Tricks and Best Practices

• Google analytics: 7 habits of effective GA user
• Integration with Google Adwords
• Integration with Google Web Optimizer

Web Optimization (A/B Testing & Multivariate Tests)

• Getting started with google Web optimizer

Internet and Web Analytics Status in India

• E-commerce status in India and web analytics overview
• Mobile Internet and Advertising status

To Start with here’s wishing the readers of the blog an excellent New year ahead ( although iam late) and of course an exciting and challenge web analytics 2009 in India. I have no doubt in my mind that 2009 is going to be a great year for internet marketing and web analytics in India.

Apologies to all our readers for not posting much in last 30 days, but Web analytics india team will be back with more information/articles and resources of course. As always we look for your feedback and inputs. You can leave them via comment or reach out using this form

As we look forward for a great year ahead here’s few things we plan to do in year 2009.

• More resources and help section: We’ve got loads of feedback and many asking for resources and help with web analytics and that’s exactly what we’ll try to achieve going forward
• More Events: WAW is well known event in web analytics industry, Web analytics India team will look forward to host and help host these WAW in a city near you. If you think you can help us host or want our help to host a event reach out to us to it forward
• Internet Industry Status: We look forward to bring various internet industry vertical status (how are they doing and what’s their current status) to all our readers, so look forward as we cover ecommerce, lead generation and media verticals in our future posts.
• Web Analytics as career option in India: We’ve been asked this question quite often, the how, the scope and the future and we’ll cover that for our readers for sure so stay tuned.

Ok that’s on our plate, but your welcome to add on to our to do list.

I also want to take this oppurtunity to thank folks who have reached out to offer help and contribute. Here’s wishing everybody a great year ahead! and indeed a eventful web analytics year ahead.

It’s been a while since last post, but back with some useful tips

Ok alright not “must use” but definitely the best of firefox addons if your a web analyst and using Firefox. Now indeed Firefox is one most user friendly browser because of all the customization it allows.

As a web analyst one has to juggle from one screen to other, pre implementation testing, QA, reporting, competitive analysis and endless combination ain’t it ?

Ok here’s a list of 7 firefox addons

1.) WASP

WASP needs no special mention, iam sure it’s used by most of web analyst. It’s a great QA tool mind you not just for single analytical tool but most of them. If your not using you should, read more about it at Stéphane Hamel, site HERE and download the latest version right away.

2.) Grease monkey

Grease monkey allows you to customize the way a webpage displays using small bits of JavaScript. Here’s a list of scripts which’ll help web analysts, before that make sure u have latest version of grease monkey addons.

Get greasemonkey addon here

Useful scripts:

• MVT Vendor Detector:
• Statistics Detector:
• Custom Scripts for GA
  • Show 100 profiles – Lunametrics

3.) Search Status

Search is a very effective tool bar for Quick SEO Analysis, A robust tool and must have for web analyst.Find more information here

4.) Web Developer Toolbar

One of the most used firefox addons, web developer toolbar is a one stop toolbar for all your semi or complete technical needs. Read more and get hold of it here.

Web Developer Toolbar addon

5.) JS View:

This is a great plugin if you want to have a quick look to view source, or view those  web analytics tool JS. You Can get it HERE

6.) Search All: SearchAll is a handy side-by-side search engine comparison tool which allows you to search at most 3 different search engines simultaneously and benchmark their performance in the status bar. This is a great plugin for your Natural Search Engine and Paid Search Analysis and research. Get it HERE

7.) FireShot: FireShot is a Firefox extension that creates screenshots of web pages. Unlike other extensions, this plugin provides a set of editing and annotation tools, which let users quickly modify web captures and insert text annotations and graphical annotations. This plugin is great when your analyzing sites, helps a web analyst take quick screenshot add notes then and there.  Get it HERE

What’s your favourite plugin/addon ?, Add in via comments

Here’s a quick update to all the readers of this blog. After couple of events held at bangalore there was a strong opinion of having a forum, a platform for the all aspiring web analysts to connect to industry experts(rather experienced folks) and share knowledge. It was also decided after a small poll that a forum ( community) is the best way to do this. Hence Web Analytics Community was born.

Web Analytics Community: A Platform for Web Analysts

India boasts of being the 2nd nation in the world with largest mobile subscribers, and with rising gprs penetration and 3G hitting market soon, internet is just fingertips away. This paved the way for another section totally dedicated to Mobile Analytics. This blog aims at getting latest information from the Indian Mobile market and also throw some light on mobile analytics technologies, players and measurement and analysis strategies. So here’s presenting

Mobile Analytics Blog: Tracking Mobile Market and Mobile Analytics in India

Credit goes to all those who gave feedback during WAW Bangalore and also all those who reached out to me personally.

Ok What’s next ? a Job Board, tutorials ? Videos?, You get to pick

As always your feedback on the new site/content or anything is most welcome!

P.S: Web analytics India is a small team of Passionate folks and we are looking for “volunteers” who would be intersted in helping out the team to write, moderate and take active role in web analytics community. We offer no incentive except for a name in the About Us page , if that excites you Click here