{
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    "title" : "An introduction to analytics |Digital.gov",
    "description": "An introduction to analytics",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/an-introduction-to-analytics/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"An introduction to analytics","deck" : "Use metrics and data to understand how people use your website","summary" : "Learn how to set performance goals, and identify specific KPIs and targets to measure and meet them, using web analytics.","date" : "2023-11-24T14:50:00-05:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"rflagg" : "Rachel Flagg"},"topics" : {
        
            "analytics" : "Analytics",
            "budgeting-and-performance" : "Budgeting and performance",
            "digital-service-delivery" : "Digital service delivery"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"an-introduction-to-analytics.md",
      
      "filepath" :"resources/an-introduction-to-analytics.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/an-introduction-to-analytics.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/an-introduction-to-analytics.md","slug" : "an-introduction-to-analytics","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/an-introduction-to-analytics/","weight" : "1","content" :"\u003ch2 id=\"what-are-web-analytics\"\u003eWhat are web analytics?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeb analytics are the collection, analysis, and reporting of website metrics and data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIs your website effectively meeting its intended purpose? Are customers able to complete their tasks quickly and easily? Web analytics can help you answer such questions and identify opportunities to improve the user experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"why-are-analytics-important\"\u003eWhy are analytics important?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGathering and analyzing metrics and data on how people use your website can help you make \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/topics/design/\"\u003edesign\u003c/a\u003e and development decisions informed by data, rather than by guess or executive whim. Sources of data that can be particularly useful include web analytics, customer feedback, and device usage patterns.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSharing data from and about the real people who use your products and services is a powerful way to gain buy-in to make customer-focused improvements.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-to-use-web-analytics-to-measure-performance\"\u003eHow to use web analytics to measure performance\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore you begin collecting data, determine what your website is ultimately trying to accomplish. Establishing goals and objectives will help you identify the data you need to understand whether or not you’re meeting those overarching goals.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo create objectives and calls to action, and identify key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure their success or failure, follow the framework in the table below:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"usa-table\"\u003e\n  \u003ccaption\u003eKey terms to know for measuring site performance\u003c/caption\u003e\n  \u003cthead\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n      \u003cth scope=\"col\"\u003eMeasurement\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003cth scope=\"col\"\u003eDefinition\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003cth scope=\"col\"\u003eExample\u003c/th\u003e\n    \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003c/thead\u003e\n  \u003ctbody\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n      \u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003eGoals\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eExplains the purpose of your website and what it’s supposed to accomplish\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eEducate the public about safe handling of food.\u003c/td\u003e\n    \u003c/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n      \u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003eObjectives\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eDefines how you will achieve your goals\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eReach online users looking for information on food safety and convert them into site visitors.\u003c/td\u003e\n    \u003c/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n      \u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003eCalls to action (CTA)\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eTasks that visitors must complete as part of your website’s goals and objectives\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eOnline users come to the website because it was listed on search engines as a credible source for food safety content.\u003c/td\u003e\n    \u003c/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n      \u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003eKey performance indicators (KPIs)\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eMetrics that measure each CTA\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eWebsite’s search clickthrough rate for keywords related to food safety.\u003cbr /\u003eSearch visits to the website for keywords related to food safety.\u003c/td\u003e\n    \u003c/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n      \u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003eTargets\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eThresholds that determine whether you’re meeting your KPIs\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003ctd\u003eSearch clickthrough rate in queries for food safety should be no less than 10%.\u003cbr /\u003eSearch visits show an increasing trend.\u003c/td\u003e\n    \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUsing a framework like this can help you identify exactly what data you need to assess whether or not you’re meeting your goals. Appropriate research methods and clear KPIs can help you measure only what matters, to focus on the insights you need to meet your targets. There are lots of tools out there. Which ones you’ll need will depend on your KPIs and targets. For example:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCustomer satisfaction and page-level surveys provide a glimpse into what people think and feel.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/event/2018/11/01/dap-learning-series-basics-ab-testing-part-1/\"\u003eA/B\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://guides.18f.gov/methods/validate/multivariate-testing/\"\u003emultivariate\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/event/2022/09/28/improve-your-website-with-user-testing/\"\u003euser testing\u003c/a\u003e demonstrate usage and user preference.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeb analytics, clickthroughs, scroll-tracking, and heatmaps show how people navigate.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeywords and search terms surface the words people use to \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/topics/search/\"\u003esearch\u003c/a\u003e for your content and identify topics they’re having trouble finding.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDon’t focus on traffic alone. More visits, more pageviews or low bounce rates don’t necessarily equate to user success. Instead, determine your business goals, define how you will measure success, then gather the right data to know when you’ve met your targets.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-can-i-do-next\"\u003eWhat can I do next?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a good idea to identify and understand your agency’s top-visited websites and webpages. You may need to report your top sites and pages periodically. But more importantly, this data can help you prioritize how to improve the user experience on the sites you manage.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Digital Analytics Program (DAP) at GSA provides this reporting at no cost to federal agencies. \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/guides/dap/add-your-site-dap/\"\u003eAdd your site to DAP\u003c/a\u003e and then follow the steps below to get access to your agency’s top website data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/guides/dap/add-your-site-dap/\"\u003eInstall DAP\u003c/a\u003e. Make sure to install the code at least 30 days ahead of when you will need the report.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWith DAP installed, go to \u003ca href=\"https://analytics.usa.gov/\"\u003eanalytics.usa.gov\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSelect your agency from the dropdown.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSelect \u0026lsquo;30 Days\u0026rsquo; under the Top Web Pages and App Screens section.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSelect \u0026ldquo;Download the full dataset.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen the .csv file and analyze the dataset in a spreadsheet.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can also review more detailed data (such as the top webpages) in Google Analytics at \u003ca href=\"https://analytics.google.com\"\u003eanalytics.google.com\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you have any questions, please email the DAP team at \u003ca href=\"mailto:dap@gsa.gov\"\u003edap@gsa.gov\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}