How have you configured "Conversions" in Google Analytics

[ForestForTrees]

Google Analytics seems to be tightly integrated with conversion tracking functionality. How do you use it on your site?

How would you like to use it on your site?

I'll start. We run a completely free site, so no goods are sold. However, getting people to register an account, make their first post, visit the chat room, call in to the podcast, or reach other milestones seem like important "conversions" to track so that we can turn visitors into active members, etc. We haven't tracked those things in GA yet, but are eager to if it is possible.

 

[ForestForTrees]

Wait, does no one do this? But it's valuable to know which referral sources and pages lead to conversions, right?

 

[eberkund]

I agree that this would be very useful however I am not sure if it would require modifying the analytics templates for specific pages or whether there is a way to specify user actions that can be tracked from within the analytics control panel.

 

[ForestForTrees]

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1006230?hl=en

 

[eberkund]

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1006230?hl=en

You were able to track registrations using this method?

 

[ForestForTrees]

Nope. I haven't had enough time yet. I was watching a presentation about Google Analytics and I realized that most forum owners are probably missing out on a whole section of GA functionality. The GA consultants would probably argue that any community site needs to guide people toward greater engagement with the community, and the first step to improving that process is figuring out what works and what doesn't. That means measuring "conversions to higher degrees of engagement." While I think we probably already have a good idea of what works and what doesn't, more data will only help us improve.

My bet is that Google makes it very easy for web developers to integrate conversion tracking into any site. My bet is that it is just a question of calling some JavaScript, but I do admit that is just an assumption. I do know that all it takes to add custom variables is a bit of JavaScript. If you have a programming background and download the XML file for @digitalpoint 's "Better Analytics" addon, you can see what this looks like.

I was hoping that others had tried it out. My bet is that people just don't want to deal with the hassle of the development work, given that they feel that they already know what works and doesn't in their community. That's a fair point, but my take would be that more data is better data in this case. Hopefully someday someone will take the plunge.

 

[ForestForTrees]

I am not sure if it would require modifying the analytics templates for specific pages or whether there is a way to specify user actions that can be tracked from within the analytics control panel.

It would require editing a template.

 

[Anthony Parsons]

You don't modify anything on your site to track conversions... Google does that by you entering the URL's at the appropriate place upon setting them up. The best way to view them is in the funnel visualisation they provide. The below is mine using the funnel, which is easier to understand than trying to read each statistical value:



Basically, of the 100% (1015) of users that hit my registration page, 26.22% become fully registered members each month.

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1032415?hl=en

You can do this with anything that uses a pathway of URL's, such as shopping cart items or such through to checkout.

 

[eberkund]

@Anthony Parsons, Am I doing this right? What pages are you using for "awaiting confirmation" and registration?

 

[Anthony Parsons]

It will be: /awaiting-confirmation/ and I think there is something add to that that recognises that the URL uses queries.

 

[eberkund]

What do you mean by queries? Like HTTP post requests?

 

[Anthony Parsons]

Dynamic parameters.