In this 3-question interview, Joshua tells us about an interesting analytics challenge and a favorite Google Analytics before discussing what will make a big difference for higher ed analytics in 2017.
1) What’s the most challenging yet interesting part in your work with analytics?
Data cleanliness is always a challenge, but when it is done right it can provide some very interesting insights. For example, consistent naming conventions when using the UTM parameters is important, but even the most diligent can make a mistake that can result in missing or misclassified data.
However, when you know you are working with clean data it can help to ensure that you are confident in the results of your analysis. Since we almost never work with a complete dataset, it is important to at least get as close as we can.
2) What is your favorite GA feature, why and how do you use it at your school?
There are many great features about Google Analytics that I regularly use. One report that I have been paying closer attention to lately is the Assisted Conversions report. We use many channels for branding and lead generation. Even when a user visits your website from a Facebook ad, for example, it doesn’t mean that they will convert/fill out an inquiry form on that same visit.
To understand proper budget allocation, we need to understand how each channel works within the funnel. Assisted Conversions is helpful to look at to recognize that many users who first visit the site from a paid channel come back later and convert on an organic channel. Both channels should share some of the credit.
3) What do you think will make a big difference for higher ed analytics and measurement in 2017?
New and better tools are emerging that enable marketers to provide completely personalized web experiences for website users. We are already used to a customized experience in other areas such as Amazon and Netflix. Amazon knows what others have bought who have also bought items you have purchased. Netflix uses its recommendation engine to recommend movies based on past movies you have watched and enjoyed. Both of these companies are able to do this because it has a vast amount of data on web traffic and user patterns.
We have only begun to scratch the surface of this kind of sophistication in higher ed, but it could make all of our lives much easier if we began implementing effective solutions like this. We must continue to go beyond clickstream data and perform deeper analyses that will enable us to provide 1:1 user experiences. This will become increasingly more important for recruiting prospective student. It is what they have grown up with and it is what they expect.
A conference on digital analytics for higher education?
The HEA conference has become a must-attend event for digital marketing and communication professionals in higher education looking for new ideas and best practices.
Read below what a few of your higher ed colleagues who attended the past editions of the Higher Ed Analytics Conference say about the event.