This document discusses combining web analytics and user testing methods to provide more comprehensive insights. It outlines how each method has limitations on its own but provides complementary quantitative and qualitative data when used together. Specific examples show how web analytics can help focus user research activities like participant recruitment and test scenarios, while qualitative findings from user testing help interpret web analytics metrics. The overall message is that combining these methods allows telling a stronger story backed by both data and insights.
1. Combining Methods Web Analytics and User Testing Martijn Klompenhouwer & Adam Cox UPA - May 27 th , 2010
2. Combining Methods Web Analytics and User Testing Martijn Klompenhouwer & Adam Cox UPA - May 27 th , 2010 Who are we..? Web Analytics User Research Why you should combine methods Practical examples Why you should try it too
10. What does the definition mean? Where are your users coming from? What are they doing? Where and when are they leaving?
11. Some examples of Web Analytic measurements Referrals Visitors, visits and page views Popular pages Bounce rates Funnel analysis Path Analysis
12. Issues with Web Analytics Data often perceived as boring statistics Implementation of WA tool not always correct Reports: just the facts, no insights, no actions
13. Web Analytics is quantitative in nature To get insights, interpretation of the numbers is needed
15. Some examples of User Research methods Field observations Personas Diary studies Card sorting Expert Review Interviews Focus groups User Testing
16. Issues with User Research methods Data usually from small numbers Most methods take a snapshot in time Difficult to capture some behavior Setting sometimes artificial (e.g. lab test)
17. User Research is qualitative in nature You get the ‘why’, but not the ‘big numbers’…
18. So, why should you combine these two methods? User Research findings can help interpret web data Web data can help focus the User Research More certainty of findings (based on two sources)
19. The methods complement each other Quantitative vs. Qualitative
21. Example 1: Recruiting the right participants Visitor Analysis Analyzing current traffic on website gives clues about audience Target audience Who to invite to participate in a test? Better insights More knowledge on users helped in defining recruitment profiles
22. Example 2: Test scenarios User journeys Homepage was not the main entry point Writing test script Creating realistic test scenarios: how is site used now..? Google scenario Testing outcomes of a common scenario
23. Example 3: Explaining abandonment rates Funnel analysis Sales funnel analysis revealed in which steps users left the flow Target test tasks Knowledge enabled us to concentrate usability test on those steps More focus Finding reasons for abandonment and looking for solutions
24. Example 4: Use of Advanced features Not measured Use of feature was known, but no data on the use of settings Popular settings? Which options are used and are there any patterns or issues? Collect data Decided not to use too much test time: wait for proper measurements
25. Example 5: Validating findings Impact analysis Quantified issue using data of thousands of visitors Big issue? Only 2 out of 10 test participants had this problem End of discussion Discussion changed from: “Is that an issue?” to: “Let’s solve it!”
26. Some additional examples… Effectiveness of segmentation Verifying user feedback Unintended user-flows Interpreting bounce rate data
27. Why you should try it too Combining methods works! You can tell a story backed up with data One report: Clear actions and no conflicting recommendations Useful in different stages of projects (Research, Design, Optimize) The combination works both ways! Web Analyst and User Researcher benefit from each other Web Analytics can be used with many User Research methods
28. Just remember… Fruitful results can already be gained from basic analysis You don’t need to be a Web Analytics expert, but it helps ;-) Web Analytics tools do not magically provide the insights... Measure the impact of changes (Optimize) The UX team should make more use of Web Analytics! It shouldn’t just belong to the IT or Marketing departments
29. What we want you to take away… Find out what web data is available Use it!..... Just try it! No more excuses ;-) Web data will help you in different stages of a project If important data is missing, try to get it measured in the future Integrate Web Analytics into your process and methods
30. user intelligence Amsterdam office www.userintelligence.com Thank you! Martijn Klompenhouwer [email_address] Adam Cox [email_address]
Editor's Notes
Who are we About WA About UR Why combine Practical examples Why try it too? 05/27/10
Who are we About WA About UR Why combine Practical examples Why try it too? 05/27/10
Looking for people 05/27/10
Visit Uxa at upa 05/27/10
05/27/10
05/27/10
05/27/10
Basic: Referrals | Where are your visitors coming from (e.g. search engines) Visitors, visits and page views | Indicators of the general usage of your website Popular pages | Most visited content on your website More Advanced: Bounce rates | Visitors that land on a page and leave without seeing any other pages Funnel analysis | Analyze important conversion paths (e.g. sales process) Path analysis | 05/27/10
Basic: Referrals | Where are your visitors coming from (e.g. search engines) Visitors, visits and page views | Indicators of the general usage of your website Popular pages | Most visited content on your website More Advanced: Bounce rates | Visitors that land on a page and leave without seeing any other pages Funnel analysis | Analyze important conversion paths (e.g. sales process) Path analysis | Mapping out frequently used paths on your website 05/27/10
05/27/10
05/27/10
05/27/10
05/27/10
05/27/10
These methods complement each other | Quantitative vs. Qualitative User research findings can help interpret web data | Using the knowledge gained on user behavior and motivation Web data can help focus User research | By identifying key problem areas More certainty on issues found because | They can be based on two different sources Possibility to continuously monitor the website for changes | When needed more thorough (user) research can be done 05/27/10
05/27/10
Make clear examples are grouped: before testing After testing 05/27/10
VDL: Web analytics helped confirm expected user groups. Better profiles (e.g. Based on language) 05/27/10
Context: Usability test product information pages for a consumer electroniscs website. Please change the order around: first tell that you had to do a usability test and that you needed to know realistic scenarios of use WA gave the answer to that question Stress that certain problems were found using this Google scenario, that would otherwise have been missed!! Philips 05/27/10
Context: Usability test product information pages for a consumer electroniscs website. Please change the order around: first tell that you had to do a usability test and that you needed to know realistic scenarios of use WA gave the answer to that question Stress that certain problems were found using this Google scenario, that would otherwise have been missed!! Transavia 05/27/10
Not measured: Property NL 05/27/10
Context: Discussion on impact of a finding after a usability test (e-commerce website) Noordhoff 05/27/10
Effectiveness of segmentation: (Employment agency) Expert review, segmentation on homepage was considered unclear and unneeded. WA confirmed review, much confusion on segmentation homepage. 95% ended up on one part of the site, high bounce rate segmentation page… Verifying user feedback: (Fund racing website) Interviews, results claimed high interest in specific content. WA showed not much usage of available content: Design to emphasize that content (not found now) Unintended user-flows: (Real estate website). Similar to Google scenario, more traffic generated though external sources than trough main flow of website (i.e. the search form real estate property). WA showed that pages not designed for this user flow. Redesign suggestions made based on WA Interpreting bounce rates: (Publisher). Examining bounce rate data showed high bounce rate for certain page. User flow analyzed with help of UX specialist. Clear explanation found data. Changes could be recommended based on this. After tracking changes bounce rate went down! 05/27/10
Combining methods creates powerful tools! Present findings from the two methods in a single deliverable Web Analytics data becomes part of your User Research reports No two separate reports with potential conflicting conclusions / recommendations Web Analytics can be used with different User Research methods Usability test, Expert Reviews, but also used for segmentation, persona’s, etc… The combination of methods works both ways! Web Analyst helps with targeting User research and validating findings - - - The User Researcher helps with interpreting web data 05/27/10
You don’t need to be a Web Analytics expert to get fruitful results …but sometimes you need time to really dig into the data having the help of a Web Analytics expert then really helps… Keep in mind: Web Analytics is not just about the software 10% tool, 90% people and processes The web analytics software does not magically provide the insights! Web Analytics allows you to measure the impact of changes Use as a benchmark: Confirm that changes made were effective (…or not!) 05/27/10
When you start a project : Find out what web data is available Use it! (If no Web Analyst available , dig into the data yourself) Combine web analytics with different methods and during different stages of a project Measure with purpose. If you feel important data is missing, try to make sure this will be measured in the future Web Analysts and User Researchers should work together as a team! (and learn from each other) WA+UX=BFF! 05/27/10