I recommeded the book Web Analytics an hour a day by Avinash Kaushik.
While they wait for that to arrive, as a starter for 10 here are some key questions I proposed.
Along with what they should be recording to help plan for the future months and measure the success of their site and their on and offline Marketing efforts. Define and measure are key.
Key questions to ask of your Analytic Package
1. Firstly start to discover how people are using your site, where do they go (may need custom reports, filters set up), review words they use in search to find you, do they all relate to your offerings? Note the key entry points, can you fine tune online material to assist conversions, possible communication opportunities. Reviewing your popular exit pages, could these indicate that the shopper is comparison shopper and can see better offer elsewhere ie: Paid Search ad - review your competition on product pages where exits are quick and often.
2. Find out what volume of site traffic was unique, what was the source of this traffic, and on a individual source basis what is producing the most conversions or quality leads?
3. Import to keep track of your new and returning customers, should you enter a new content area and from launch of that find people keep coming back for more, do more of that.
4. Are you tracking every type of conversion, call us, sign up to a newsletter, what value do you give to those leads?
5. What are the current blockages in your customers online recruitment experience, reviewing conversion funnels, where do the customers get distracted or where are they engaged/staying longer?
6. Are customers buying what they searched for, or is the site leading to other purchases, can a colleration be seen between products purchased.
7. You have a sister site, consider how you can leverage off this?
8. What online creatives do the customers like, what offers lead to conversion?
9. What is the ratio between your PPC traffic and Organic traffic how can this be changed for improved ROI ?
10. Have a look at the Geographic report, any suprises there? anything you can do E-Marketing wise to increase reach to specific country or region ? Could understanding customer demographics assist in any way to fine tune creatives.
Writing Commentary Analytics
1. Executive Summary
Include your overall thoughts on performance based on insights in Analytics.
Inc: Key insights on the customer propositions
Section1: Visits here increased by X due to...
Section2: ""
Location1: Increase to visitors from France this month due to
Location 2: ""
Sales/Potentials:
2. Key Performance Indicators
New v Returning customers:
Visit to Sale/Lead ratio:
Target Ratio:
3. ROI
Marketing spend: Total spend per customer:Average spend per customer:
4 - 10 Overview of leading figures and ROI.
4. Website performance
5. Customer Journies
6. E-channel performance - on and offsite creative
7. Multi channel behaviour
8. Feedback on new creative
9. Feedback from shops / offices / branches as appropriate - top sellers or site content
10. Cross Sales (off plan/on plan)
Finally remember the 80/20 rule - 80% analytics/understanding - 20% reporting
