Custom Event Strategies for the Web Analytics Pioneer

New York | March 25–28

Custom Event Strategies for the Analytics Pioneer How to See the Insights Trees for the Data Forest

Josh Braaten Rasmussen College

Associate Director of Inbound Marketing

#SESNY

New York| March 25–28, 2013 | #SESNY @JLBraaten

Josh Braaten: ContentScientists.com/about


Not Everything is Tracked Right Out-of-the-Box


Enter, the Analytics Pioneer!

New York| March 25–28, 2013 | #SESNY

Without Analytics Planning and Custom Events

@JLBraaten


Some Things That Should Not Have Been Forgotten…


…Were Lost.


Kick Back and Get Ready…

@JLBraaten


…to See the Insights Trees for the Data Forest


Ready to Become an Analytics Pioneer?


Analytics Pioneer’s Guide to Custom Events:

• Always Start with KPI Planning

• Avoid Custom Event Mistakes

• Be Disciplined About Tagging Events

• Use Events With Other KPI to Tell the Story

@JLBraaten


Finding Your Path by Finding KPIs

@JLBraaten


Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

@JLBraaten

Acquisition

• Who saw it?

Engagement

• What did they do?

Outcomes

• Did they take action?


Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Tuition

Acquisition KPIs:

• # and % of visitors interested in tuition

• % of visitors who use tuition estimator

• % of visitors who view tuition pages

@JLBraaten



Engagement KPIs:

• Price interest by program of study

• Price interest by geography

• Price interest by degree level

@JLBraaten



Outcome KPIs:

• CR% for tuition calculator users vs. rest of site

• CR% for tuition page viewers vs. rest of site

• Task completion rate for people looking for tuition

@JLBraaten



• Acquisition KPIs:




• Engagement KPIs:




• Outcome KPIs:

• Conversion rate for tuition calculator users vs. rest of site

• Conversion rate for tuition page viewers vs. rest of site

• Task completion rate for people looking for tuition info

@JLBraaten











• Outcome KPIs:




@JLBraaten

Almost everything we need isn’t tracked.


Slide Header Here

@JLBraaten

Two Trees Do Not a Forest Make


Events Mistakes to Avoid

@JLBraaten


Mistake #1: Not Stocking Up on the

Right Events

@JLBraaten










• Price interest by degree program

• Outcome KPIs:




@JLBraaten











• Outcome KPIs:




@JLBraaten

Custom events can track most of what we need.


Mistake #2: Veering From the Path

@JLBraaten


There’s No Replacing a Good Event With More Data

@JLBraaten


Mistake #3: Being Fooled by Look-Alike Metrics

@JLBraaten


These Metrics Can’t Do What Events Can Do

@JLBraaten











• Outcome KPIs:




@JLBraaten

When you need an event, you need an event.


Forging a Path by Tagging Events

@JLBraaten


Anatomy of a Google Analytics Event

@JLBraaten

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Category', 'Action', 'Label', Value, interaction]);

Organize different types of custom events

Record unique user behaviors and acts

Associate dynamic or static values with events

Attribute optional integer values

Determine if your event affects bounces

GA event method


http://rasmussen.co/gaeventplanner


I Think It Works?

@JLBraaten

="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', '"&B4&"', '"&B5&"', '"&B6&"'"&if(isblank(B7),"", ", '"&B7&"'")&if(isblank(B7),if(B8="Yes“ ,", , true", ""),if(B8="Yes",", true", ""))&"]);"



Events Can Trigger Goals, Too

@JLBraaten


Now We’re Cooking…

@JLBraaten


Tracking Click-Based Downloads

Category research-guides _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'research-

guides', 'download', 'compare-

rasmussen']);

Action download

Label compare-rasmussen

Value -

Non-Int? -

Example:


Tracking Gated Downloads

Category research-guides _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'research-

guides', 'download', 'business-careers']); Action download

Label business-careers

Value -

Non-Int? -


Tracking Affiliate Links

Category Outgoing Links _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Outgoing Links',

'Ads', 'Blog Sidebar']); Action Ads

Label Blog Sidebar

Value -

Non-Int? -


Tracking Form Errors

Category errors _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'errors', 'email-

address', ‘valid email|ignition']); Action email-address

Label [rule][value]

Value -

Non-Int? -

Credit: Adam Singer http:rasmussen.co/tfbevents


Tracking Embedded Map Engagement

Category maps _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'maps',

'directions', 'bloomington']); Action directions

Label bloomington

Value -

Non-Int? -


Tracking Video Activity

Category Video _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Video', 'Play',

'How Do You Become a Nurse']); Action Play

Label How Do You Become a Nurse

Value -

Non-Int? -

Credit: http:wistia.com/doc/google-analytics


Don’t Forget About Other Analytics Sources


Tracking Organic Keyword Rankings

Category rank-tracker _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'rank-tracker',

'keyword', 'url', 4, true]); Action keyword

Label [page]

Value [rank]

Non-Int? True

Credit: AJ Kohn http://rasmussen.co/kohnevents


Tracking Conversion Rate Optimization Variations

Category vwo _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'vwo', 'visit', 'hp-

007-a', , true]); Action visit

Label hp-007-a

Value -

Non-Int? true

Variation A Variation B

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'vwo', 'visit', 'hp-007-b', , true]);


Tracking Article Engagement

Category reading _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'article-

load', 'url', 100, true]); Action article-load

Label url

Value 100

Non-Int? true

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'start-reading', 'url',

50]);

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'content-bottom', 'url',

25]);

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'page-bottom', 'url',

10]);

Credit: Justin Cutroni http://rasmussen.co/cutronievents


But What About Our Tuition Estimator?









• Outcome KPIs:




@JLBraaten


Tracking a Tuition Estimator

Category tution-estimator _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'tuition-

estimator', 'calculate-tuition',

'55116|bu|mark|ba|0|0', 110]);

Action calculate-tuition

Label [zip]|[school]|[program]|[credential]|[grant

s]|[partner]

Value [credits]

Non-Int? -


You’re Not Out of the Woods Yet

@JLBraaten


Custom Events Can’t Track Everything









• Outcome KPIs:




@JLBraaten


Sometimes You Need Qualitative Data Too


Now We Have Everything We Need









• Outcome KPIs:




@JLBraaten


Telling the Story

@JLBraaten


People Care About Price…

@JLBraaten

…But They Care More About the Outcome


3.9%

5.2%

5.6%

6.1%

6.3%

6.9%

8.1%

School 7

School 6

School 5

School 4

School 3

School 2

School 1

Price Interest by School of Study


Most Segments Improved in Task Completion

@JLBraaten

…But Website Segment D is a Big Deal


Another Forest for Another Day

@JLBraaten


Analytics Pioneer’s Takeaways

• Always Start with KPI Planning

• Avoid Custom Event Mistakes

• Be Disciplined About Tagging Events

• Use Events With Other KPI to Tell the Story

@JLBraaten


Thank You

@JLBraaten


Josh Braaten: ContentScientists.com/about

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Custom Event Strategies for the Web Analytics Pioneer

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