Custom Event Strategies for the Web Analytics Pioneer

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

New York | March 25–28 #SESNY

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

Josh Braaten:
ContentScientists.com/about


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


Enter, the Analytics Pioneer!


Without Analytics Planning and Custom Events


Some Things That Should Not Have Been Forgotten…


…Were Lost.


Kick Back and Get Ready…


…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


Finding Your Path by Finding KPIs


Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Acquisition Engagement Outcomes
• Who saw it? • What did • Did they take
they do? 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



Engagement KPIs:

• Price interest by program of study

• Price interest by geography

• Price interest by degree level



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


• 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


• Outcome KPIs:

Almost everything we need isn’t tracked.


Slide Header Here

Two Trees Do Not a
Forest Make


Events Mistakes to Avoid


Mistake #1: Not
Stocking Up on the
Right Events


• Price interest by degree program
• Outcome KPIs:


• Outcome KPIs:

Custom events can track most of what we need.


Mistake #2: Veering From the Path


There’s No Replacing a Good Event With More Data


Mistake #3: Being Fooled
by Look-Alike Metrics


These Metrics Can’t Do What Events Can Do


• Outcome KPIs:

When you need an event, you need an event.


Forging a Path by Tagging Events


Anatomy of a Google Analytics Event

GA event method Record unique user Attribute optional
behaviors and acts integer values

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

Organize different types Associate dynamic or Determine if your
of custom events static values with events event affects bounces


http://rasmussen.co/gaeventplanner


I Think It Works?

="_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


Now We’re
Cooking…


Tracking Click-Based Downloads
Category research-guides
Action download _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'research-
guides', 'download', 'compare-
Label compare-rasmussen rasmussen']);
Value -
Non-Int? -

Example:


Tracking Gated Downloads
Category research-guides
Action download _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'research-
guides', 'download', 'business-careers']);
Label business-careers
Value -
Non-Int? -


Tracking Affiliate Links
Category Outgoing Links
Action Ads _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Outgoing Links',
'Ads', 'Blog Sidebar']);
Label Blog Sidebar
Value -
Non-Int? -


Tracking Form Errors
Category errors
Action email-address _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'errors', 'email-
address', ‘valid email|ignition']);
Label [rule][value]
Value -
Non-Int? -

Credit:
Adam Singer
http:rasmussen.
co/tfbevents


Tracking Embedded Map Engagement
Category maps
Action directions _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'maps',
'directions', 'bloomington']);
Label bloomington
Value -
Non-Int? -


Tracking Video Activity
Category Video
Action Play _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Video', 'Play',
'How Do You Become a Nurse']);
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
Action keyword _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'rank-tracker',
'keyword', 'url', 4, true]);
Label [page]
Value [rank]
Non-Int? True

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


Tracking Conversion Rate Optimization Variations
Category vwo
Action visit _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'vwo', 'visit', 'hp-
007-a', , true]);
Label hp-007-a
Value - _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'vwo', 'visit', 'hp-
007-b', , true]);
Non-Int? true

Variation A Variation B


Tracking Article Engagement
Category reading
Action article-load _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'article-
load', 'url', 100, true]);
Label url
Value 100
Non-Int? true

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent',
'reading', 'start-reading', 'url',
50]);
Credit:
Justin Cutroni
http://rasmussen.
co/cutronievents

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent',
_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'page-bottom', 'url',
'reading', 'content-bottom', 'url', 10]);
25]);


But What About Our Tuition Estimator?
• Outcome KPIs:


You’re Not Out of the Woods Yet


Custom Events Can’t Track Everything
• Outcome KPIs:


Sometimes You Need Qualitative Data Too


Now We Have Everything We Need
• Outcome KPIs:


Telling the Story


People Care About Price…

…But They Care More About the Outcome


Price Interest by School of Study

School 1 8.1%

School 2 6.9%

School 3 6.3%

School 4 6.1%

School 5 5.6%

School 6 5.2%

School 7 3.9%


Most Segments Improved in Task Completion

…But Website Segment D is a Big Deal


Another Forest for Another Day


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


Thank You

Custom Event Strategies for the Web Analytics Pioneer

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