Doing Stuff With Data

Doing Stuff With DataPutting analyticS into action

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What kinDS of Stuff Do PeoPle Do on PubliSherS' SiteS?

they finD out more • about bookS.

they buy bookS • (SometimeS through amazon or chaPterS).

they click on the • PubliSher’S facebook or tWitter Page.

they reaD excerPtS.•

they Sign uP for the • PubliSher e-letter.

they finD out about • authorS anD author reaDingS/eventS.

they reaD the blog.•

they leave feeDback • for the PubliSher.

they get the catalogue.•

let’S look at an examPle.

httP://WWW.chroniclebookS.com/•

anD gueSS What?

all of theSe actionS are meaSurable.

With toolS like google analyticS, We can track:

hoW many viSitS We get • to our WebSite.

Where they came from • (Search engineS, google aDS, referralS from other WebSiteS, or When your mom tyPeS the url right into the broWSer).

Whether they bought • anything.

Whether they StayeD • on the Site, or fleD in terror.

Who SigneD uP for our • e-letter, likeD uS on tWitter, or folloWeD uS on facebook.

Whether it WaS their • firSt viSit or their fifth.

but on itS oWn, thiS info iS kinD of uSeleSS.

avinaSh kauShik• noteS the imPortant Difference betWeen rePorting anD analyzing.

rePorting iS What • DaShboarD DoeS. it giveS you a bunch of figureS.

analyzing iS DiviDing • thoSe figureS uP, comParing them to other figureS, conSiDering imPortant contextual information, anD then making Some SuggeStionS for action.

rePorting vs. analyzinguSually juSt numberS, • raW Data.

the number of PeoPle • Doing thiS, the amount PeoPle SPent on that, the groWth We’ve Seen in thiS quarter, etc.

conSiDerS the buSineSS’ • targetS.

breakS the Data DoWn • into SegmentS (ie. neW viSitorS, mobile traffic)

comPareS certain • numberS againSt otherS.

DiScuSSeS Probable • contextual reaSonS for theSe numberS.

interPretS What thiS • meanS for the comPany.

SuggeStS action to take • in orDer to imProve.

Why Do We care?

analyzing the Data • ShoWS uS Where We’re Doing Something Wrong.

looking at the Data • for correlationS (With other SetS of Data or With external factorS that We’re aWare of) can give uS clueS for hoW to fix it.

but you’ve Still gotta • Do a lot of Work to figure that out. (anD Some gueSSing.)

hoW DoeS thiS aPPly to PubliShing?

let’S look at kauShik’S • four beSt Web metricS for Small buSineSS anD aPPly them to Some SPecific PubliShing examPleS.

1. coSt Per acquiSitionlet’S Say you’ve SPent a • chunk of your meager marketing buDget on a facebook aD camPaign - one Where you Pay Per click.

300 PeoPle clickeD on • your aD.

you PaiD $1 Per click. •

thiS camPaign coSt you • $300.

75 PeoPle (of thoSe • Who came from thiS

facebook link) actually maDe a PurchaSe (Which WaS your goal).

each of thoSe • PurchaSeS, or acquiSitionS, coSt you $4. that’S your cPa.

comPare that to the cPa • of a Different initiative, anD See Which one coStS more.

note: cPa can meaSure • thingS other than SaleS.

2. bounce rateyou Work for a fantaSy • fiction PubliShing houSe.

you alWayS SenD neW • titleS to be revieWeD by nerDblog.com, becauSe they alWayS Write a nice revieW.

yet When you look at • the bounce rate for PeoPle viSiting your Site from thiS one, you See it’S 98%.

thiS tellS you that • the PeoPle Who reaD thiS Site Don’t Want to reaD your bookS. you’re WaSting your effortS here.

the bounce rate can • alSo tell you When a certain Page juSt iSn’t Working, or iS DoWnright offenSive. (if, for inStance, everyone iS leaving it immeDiately.)

3. checkout abanDonment rate

you Sell your bookS • Directly from your WebSite.

hoWever, you finD • too many PeoPle are beginning the checkout ProceSS, but not actually going through With the Sale.

take a look at Which • SteP in the ProceSS they’re leaving from.

are they balking at • the ShiPPing Price? conSiDer a DiScount.

make the ProceSS • better. make it nicer. make it SimPler. (maybe juSt go With PayPal.)

4. macro converSion rate

you look at the PeoPle • Who actually make PurchaSeS on your Site.

you See that 50% come • to you from organic SearcheS, 25% come from facebook, 20% come from blogS, anD only 2% come from google aDS.

you StoP SPenDing So • much money on google aDS.

you can alSo look at • Who buyS, Say, 3 bookS at once. What kinD of bookS are they buying together? ShoulD you conSiDer marketing thoSe bookS aS a bunDle?

your Web traffic numberS are telling you thingS.

they’re telling you • What’S going right anD What’S going Wrong.

it’S uP to you• to try to fix the thingS that are going Wrong.

Start With your goalS.1. Sell a certain number of bookS.

2. ProviDe enough info for them to buy.

3. let your cuStomer Stay in touch.

then your actionS.1. Sell a certain number of bookS.

buy button iS clear, buying methoD iS eaSy, Payment methoD iS Secure.

2. ProviDe enough info for them to buy.

revieWS, excerPtS, imageS, anD blurbS on book PageS. PoPular titleS on home Page.

3. let your cuStomer Stay in touch.

e-letter iS clear anD attractive, facebook anD tWitter linkS, contact info iS obviouS, fb & tWitter run Well.

anD noW your kPi’S.1. Sell a certain number of bookS.

buy button iS clear, buying methoD iS eaSy, Payment methoD iS Secure.

SaleS (anD SaleS groWth), ShoPPing cart abanDonment, traffic on book PageS.

2. ProviDe enough info for them to buy.

revieWS, excerPtS, imageS, anD blurbS on book PageS. PoPular titleS on home Page.

viSitS to title PageS, catalogue DoWnloaDS, on-Site SearcheS, clickS on author bioS.

3. let your cuStomer Stay in touch.

e-letter iS clear anD attractive, facebook anD tWitter linkS, contact info iS obviouS, fb & tWitter run Well.

traffic to facebook/tWitter, increaSe in likeS, neW e-letter SubScriberS.

What’S the moral of the Story?

uSe the information from google analyticS to See What’S not Working. try to fix it, then look back to g.a. to See if thoSe SolutionS WorkeD. try anD try again.