Numbers are not as they appear
The traffic numbers you see for social media sites can be staggering. But what do those numbers really mean? Besides getting into the conversion rates, it’s crucial to ensure that your data is accurate and that you understand it in the way it was intended to be interpreted. CNET has recently reported on an apparent reporting gaffe involving YouTube and Warner Music Group. The surge in numbers reported by ComScore certainly suggest that the numbers are not as they appear.
Web analytic tools often differ in how they measure your data. To avoid making common mistakes, here are some key questions to ask yourself when reviewing your traffic reports:
What does a visit/visitor mean?
Visits are often restricted to traffic within a pre-defined time period (usually around 20 or 30 minutes). A visitor is usually defined by a unique IP address or cookie. Find out how your analytics software defines these terms in your reports.
What type of content are you measuring?
Besides individual pages, you might be measuring groups of pages or rich media. What are the entry points to this content and how many entry points are there?
How is the content being tracked?
There are various ways to track pages/content. Page URLs can be used, or sometimes specific tags are put into the HTML. If this is the case make sure that any reuse of the HTML does not include the same tags.
What measurements are you using?
Page views/Page counts/Page impressions/Page visits… and on it goes. It is important to understand the exact measurement definitions used in your metrics. There isn’t just one standard and cross comparing can lead to inconsistent results.
How are the events being reported/tracked?
Are you including form completion as one event or just visitors who begin a form? If these are tracked separately, your count numbers could double for every form completed.
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