BRUCE L. GEISERTIT CONSULTANT

SEPTEMBER 26, 2007

B R U C E G E I S E R T @ M I N D S P R I N G . C O M

Measuring Success

Why do we measure stuff?

Because it’s expected!Executive reports;Hits on site;Current Status of users;Identify trends over time;Validate User Activities;Success measurement;To get nice charts!

What is Information

“Information is the reduction of uncertainty.”

Key Points

Information for action, not for reports;

Tie information into strategy;

Keep it Simple;

Review information on regular basis;

Simple tools for data collection.

Be realistic!

Simple is better

Planning your information

Questions to Answer:Are we meeting our goals?Where are users going?How can we improve user experience?

Start with what you want to know, not what to measure:

Tie metrics into planning activities;Set expectations & Targets (i.e. market expectations);Write a reporting plan for the project.Anticipate information rather than react;

Viet Nam Example:

Define Activities and Measurements

What to measure

Metrics and measurement for success;

Define what goals to measure;Setup tools to measure and report information from the start;Review performance and metrics at least monthly;

Planning the information

Summary information

Snapshots

Team Review of data

Team review of metricsSetup a group to review information on a regular basis.Meet once a month, and actively discuss information;Embrace reviewing reports, rather than as a task;

AOL Example of Team Review:

Tools for measuring success

Google Analytics/Web Trends Conversion goals;

Ad sense;

Server side data:WebLog Expert;

Site Performance:OP Manager;

Webwatch;

VisualRoute;GLP Example of Review for decisions:

Site Performance

Important data: measure daily

User Experience

ROI, what ROI?

ROI in the context of web-sites:For non-profit, foundation, Government groups, what is ROI?

Inputs: Time, staff, development, recurring costs;

Outputs: Goals, targets,

Marketing is NOT a nasty word;Promotion of site;

Links to your friends;

Make it easy to link to your site (i.e. Badges);

NGO advertizing;

Take away messages

Tie information into strategy;Plan what to measure, not how to measure;Review your information monthly;Use tool to measure performance;Create new opportunities through marketing;

-- The End --