Web Analytics

U of I used web analytics to figure out how people were using their website and how to improve it. This is free software and used for e-commerce.

Archives goals for the site

• facilitate contact
• description information
• about us
• mediate use
• promote services

What are the numbers before the web?

Google/analytics/tos.html

How do people get to the site? What are the most popular pages? What are the most popular searches? How do they move around on the site?

Referrers --> Google search to their site, try to filter out stuff. People aren't using subject guides. The home page is not the main entry point. People are going straight into holdings -- finding aids. Landing - come in a collection description 55% come in and 75% leave.

What are they searching for? You can replicate the search. The more complex the search, the longer a person stays on the site. Can improve the metadata based on the current searches.

Found that their assumptions were wrong. People don't use the home page. They bounce around, no obvious path. Found that digital content is NOT "value added" service, it's THE THING that people want. Google optimization matters. 66 character rule - the first 66 characters in the site title is what Google searches on. Content then location.

U of I redesigned their pages.

• They now use breadcrumbs on all pages
• Search box is prominent - near the top
• Tabs across the top
• Contact Us in the upper right corner of every page
• login box for staff at the bottom of the page
• nothing falls off the page - everything is above the fold
• filling in the sweet spots on pages