Web Analytics
Filters
A set of rules to extricate information from a large amount of data.
Log Files
A text file created in the server capturing all activity on the website. This file is the primary source of data for analysis.
Cookie
A text file placed on the visitor's computer while browsing a website. Cookies contain information to track returning visitors.
Visits/Sessions
A visit is an interaction, by an individual, with a website consisting of one or more requests for an analyst-definable unit of content (i.e. "page view"). If an individual has not taken another action (typically additional page views) on the site within a specified time period, the visit session will terminate.
Conversion
A visitor completing a target action.
Stickiness
A website's capability to retain visitors, measured as number of pages visited per session and time spent on website.
Visitor
Also called unique visitor, is understood as an individual visiting the website over a specified period of time. A visit is understood as two consecutive actions by a visitor within a span of 30 minutes
Page
An analyst definable unit of content.
Crawler
An automated program used primarily by search engines and other services to gather information from the World Wide Web.
Hit
An often confused term, hits are any request by the browser to the web server. A web page is a collection of different components like HTML, Images and CSS, each registering as a separate hit with every single request for the page.
Path Analysis
Analysis on how visitors traverse through the website. Gives valuable information to check if they follow the intended site navigation etc.
Search Analytics
Analyzing search terms and behavior of visitors using the website search engine.
Event
Any logged or recorded action that has a specific date and time assigned to it by either the browser or server.
Impressions
Each view of an online advertisement is counted as an impression.
Page Exit Ratio
Number of exits from a page divided by total number of page views of that page.
Click-through
Number of times a link was clicked by a visitor.
PPC
Pay per click, also called paid searches where the advertiser pays based on the number of clicks on the advertisement. Google and Overture are two popular paid search engines.
Acquisition
Process of attracting visitors to a website or the number of visitors arrived.
Bounce Rate
Single page view visits divided by entry pages.
Page Tags
Tags are JavaScript codes embedded in the web page to be executed by the browser. Tags are used to generate log files used by certain Web Analytics Tools.
• Tactics
how you will achieve your strategy, who will execute and when it will occur.
Affiliate Marketing
A method of marketing where other websites can sign up to sell your products for a commission.
Landing Page
A page intended to identify the beginning of the user experience resulting from a defined marketing effort.
Organic Search
Users find results through unpaid search engines, unlike PPC.
Single-Page Visits
Visits that consist of one page regardless of the number of times the page was viewed.
Single Page View Visits (Bounces)
Visits that consist of one page-view.
Keywords
Words and phrases entered in a search engine to reach a result page. Keywords help position websites well to attract potential customers.
Key Performance Indicators
The crucial parameters showing the health of the website and success of marketing strategies.
Conversion funnel
The defined path, like a series of steps or pages for a visitor to reach the final objective, like filling up a form or purchasing a product.
External Referrer
The external referrer is a page URL where the traffic is external or outside of the website or a web-property defined by the user.
Entry Page
The first page of a visit.
Internal Referrer
The internal referrer is a page URL that is internal to the website or a web-property within the website as defined by the user.
Exit Page
The last page on a site accessed during a visit, signifying the end of a visit/session.
Visit Duration
The length of time in a session. Calculation is typically the timestamp of the last activity in the session minus the timestamp of the first activity of the session.
Return Visitor
The number of Unique Visitors with activity consisting of a Visit to a site during a reporting period and where the Unique Visitor also Visited the site prior to the reporting period.
Repeat Visitor
The number of Unique Visitors with activity consisting of two or more Visits to a site during a reporting period.
New Visitor
The number of Unique Visitors with activity including a first-ever Visit to a site during a reporting period.
Click-through Rate/Ratio
The number of click-throughs for a specific link divided by the number of times that link was viewed.
Abandonment
The number of customers who drop off during the process of conversion, like a half filled form or incomplete purchase.
Unique Visitors
The number of inferred individual people (filtered for spiders and robots), within a designated reporting timeframe, with activity consisting of one or more visits to a site. Each individual is counted only once in the unique visitor measure for the reporting period.
Page Views per Visit
The number of page views in a reporting period divided by number of visits in the same reporting period.
Page Views
The number of times a page (an analyst-definable unit of content) was viewed.
Original Referrer
The original referrer is the first referrer in a visitor's first session, whether internal, external or null.
Web Analytics
The process of collection, measurement and analysis of user activity on a website to understand and help achieve the intended objective of the website.
Visitor Segmentation
The process of segregating and studying visitors based on various behavior patterns.
Referrer
The referrer is the page URL that originally generated the request for the current page view or object.
Search Referrer
The search referrer is an internal or external referrer for which the URL has been generated by a search function.
Visit Referrer
The visit referrer is the first referrer in a session, whether internal, external or null.
First Party Cookie
These cookies are placed by the websites unlike third party cookies placed by vendors. First party cookies are understood to be secure and reliable.
Page Duration
Time spent by visitor on a web page.
• Strategy:
what and why you are going to do to achieve your vision.