Usage

An important part of stewarding a website is evaluating how it is being used to discern what works and what could be better. Website statistics, called “analytics,” can help you better understand how visitors are using your site and content.

Set Up Google Analytics

Though many tools are available for measuring your website’s performance, we will focus on Google Analytics as a preferred tool. The UBCMS was built to work with Google's Universal Analytics platform.

For step-by-step instructions on how to install Google Analytics, visit this help page: Setting Up Universal Analytics.

UB’s master Universal Analytics (UA) platform has been tracking all university websites since 2017 (GTM-T5KRRKT and UA-1499965-70). Access is available to all UB offices -- contact the DCT Team.

Use Google Analytics to Track Performance

Through Google Analytics, you can look at important website statistics, such as:

  • How many people are visiting your site?
  • What pages are they viewing?
  • How much time are some users spending on a particular page?
  • Are people clicking on links?
  • How are people finding your site?

These and other statistics can give you insight into which parts of your site are effective, and which may need improvement.

Before you begin using Google Analytics to analyze your site’s performance, however, make sure you understand what different categories of statistics – such as “visits” and “pageviews” – represent.

Google’s Dimensions and Metrics Dictionary contains definitions of many important terms. Google’s Analytics Academy also offers guidance on how to interpret statistics.

Other Website Stewardship Topics

Planning for Stewardship
Understanding Strategy
Building a Team

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