Share your Analytics lessons

[Manny Hernandez]

So, I thought I'd kick off a topic sharing some of our Analytics lessons from the past couple of months. Here's how the # of visits for TuDiabetes looks like for October and November 2009:

In the screenshot from Google Analytics, you can see the dips we normally see on weekends and the big deep that hurts us all so much to see due to Thanksgiving (though it's good to stop and be thankful!)I also thought I'd point out the kind of behavior we've seen in the past associated with peaks tied to events. We organized an event that we promoted heavily in and outside the network. As a result, we saw a spike in traffic. The days following the peak have a higher traffic level than before the peak, but the interesting lesson is that the traffic level hardly ever is the same as the peak: i.e. the peak raises the "average" traffic level (as a result of more visitors/new and/or recurring) but it is still a spike.So, do not expect your traffic levels resulting from high traffic events (you get mentioned on some very important blog or on TV, etc.) to be sustained at the level of the peak. However, do work hard to make sure continuing to develop your community to make sure you retain those new people that join your network (or revisit your network) in connection with the spike.So, what lessons have you learned from your Analytics?

[J.Wings]

I'm very inspired by this post, and will add some graphs later, but I wanted to make a quick comment that the most useful graph for me has been to add the "returning visitors" dimension to the graph above... to look at both lines simultaneously. Especially if you are running advertising or promotions that bring in new visitors, you can see dramatic increases in visits creating small "yanks" up in returning visitors. By establishing a rhythm to your advertising, you can maintain these returning visits better. Returning visits are the real measure for a social network in the long run, as they mostly represent members or people who might become members. Everyone else is just passing by.

[Manny Hernandez]

VERY good point!

[iLoveKannada]

Hello Manny Hernandez

very good topic Analytics lessons

but i use Google Analytics..for two reasons

1) Foregin Visitors

2) Total number of Visitors

well let me how to use it in smarter way

Thanks!
iLoveKannada

[Laura]

Those are Google Analytics!

:)
Laura

[Manny Hernandez]

Back when I used to work at Ning (this was nearly two years ago now), I wrote this blog post about ways to learn more things about your network through Google Analytics:
http://blog.ning.com/2008/01/google-analytics-some-valuable-things-...