InspireNet.ca
Google Analytics Analysis
Period: May 2010-July 2011
Contents
1.0 Background 3
1.1 Website 3
1.2 Integrated Database 3
1.3 Website Promotion 3
1.4 Social Media 3
1.5 Website Traffic 3
2.0 Google Analytics 4
Figure 1: InspireNet’s home page with main navigation 4
Table 1: Google Analytics of General Webpages 6
Table 2: Action Teams’ eCoP hits 7
Figure 2: Total website hits May 2010-July 2011 8
Figure 3: Top 20 Web Areas’ Hits 9
Figure 4: Top Two Web Areas’ Hits 10
Figure 5: Top 10 webpages excluding My Teams and Database 11
Figure 6: Action Team eCoPs’ hits 12
3.0 Analysis 13
3.1 Traffic Patterns 13
3.2 Observations: General webpages 13
3.3 Observations: Action Teams’ eCoPs 14
3.4 Synthesis & Recommendations 14
4.0 Conclusion 15
1.0 Background
1.1 Website
InspireNet.ca was launched May 10, 2010 to a membership of about 180 individuals. InspireNet has been developed using Drupal, an open source content management system to incorporate features of web 2.0. In so doing, website functionality allows members to post content directly to the website, increasing communications and connectivity asynchronously.
An important facet of the website is the use of ‘electronic communities of practice’, or eCoPs. These are password-protected pages, grouped together by Action Team, to support their virtual work. In Drupal parlance, these are facilitated by the ‘Organic Groups’, or OGs module.
1.2 Integrated Database
The integrated database was built and populated after the launch of the website and was introduced to the membership on September 30, 2010. As an integrated feature of the website, members’ posts to areas of the website, like Blog comments, Discussion Board threads and eCoP content, link to their database profile. This capability facilitates linkages and ultimately grows our community.
1.3 Website Promotion
InspireNet members receive an e-newsletter which is administered through a free mailing service, MailChimp, which reduces the incidence of email being filtered to spam/junk folders. The biweekly eNews includes:
►new developments within the network
►announcements of webinars
►guest blog posts (every month)
►a complete listing of all new web content, which is added every day (indicated with shading in Table 1, below).
It was recognized early in the life of InspireNet that website hits spike after the biweekly eNews has been distributed; this has been an important strategy for keeping members informed and engaged with their network.
1.4 Social Media
InspireNet uses Twitter and Facebook accounts to connect with others in health care, particularly in BC. A Twitter widget resides on the home page to raise awareness of these channels, and to highlight the latest tweets from InspireNet. Some web content is tweeted, increasing web traffic. The biweekly eNews is tweeted out and posted to Facebook accounts of InspireNet automatically by MailChimp.
1.5 Website Traffic
As of July 2011, InspireNet’s membership numbered 1,191 and website hits, including the database, reached a high of ~11,200 in the month of June 2011. The median number of hits for the report period is ~8,000 per month. The total number of hits to the website for the report period is ~109,000.
2.0 Google Analytics
Web content is stored in discrete pages, allowing Google Analytics to capture traffic metrics page by page, day by day. Google Analytics, for privacy reasons, does not capture detailed individual user activity. Following is a series of tables and figures of website traffic for the report period for the top web areas. To keep analysis less cumbersome, only the top 20 webpages plus Action Teams and the Database have been included.
Figure 1: InspireNet’s home page with main navigation
List of top web areas with associated links:
*My Teams
*Database
What InspireNet Can Do For You
Events Calendar
Research Skills
Resources
*Blog
Existing Action Teams
Funding
About InspireNet
2011 Conference
Action Team Backgrounders
Virtual Learning Opportunities (podcasts & webcasts)
NRF information
2010 Conference
About Leadership
Learn About Action Teams
News
About Management Team
Scholarly Articles
*Require website login for full functionality
InspireNet.ca Report on Google Analytics Analysis May 2010-July 2011 3
Table 1: Google Analytics of General Webpages
Table 2: Action Teams’ eCoP hits
Figure 2: Total website hits May 2010-July 2011
Figure 3: Top 20 Web Areas’ Hits
Figure 4: Top Two Web Areas’ Hits
Figure 5: Top 10 webpages excluding My Teams and Database
Figure 6: Action Team eCoPs’ hits
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3.0 Analysis
3.1 Traffic Patterns
►The period of May 2010 - July 2011 experienced a traffic increase of 182%. The trend is generally an increase comparable to the increase in membership.
►December is the slowest month for traffic.
►April experienced slower traffic, likely because it is for the majority in BC, with a four-day weekend, essentially a month of 18 working days.
►Website traffic traditionally drops off in the summer months. This is seen here with most pages, except for the page for Connect 2011, which was promoted in July, and for the database, which is experiencing some updates by members and staffers while workloads are lessened in the summertime.
3.2 Observations: General webpages
►Database hits increased in May 2011 perhaps due to BCNRI call (this was promoted in the May 18 eNews).
►Accessing 'My Teams' is the most popular activity, followed by database access.
►Website users are still curious about what InspireNet can do for them, even half way through Year 2.
►The page outlining ‘What InspireNet Can Do For You’ experienced an increase in traffic in September as individuals returned to work after summer holidays, presumably as they determined whether to join.
►Of weekly-added content types (listed in each eNews), most popular are: Events; Research Skills; Resources (in NHSR); Blog and Funding.
►Connect 2010's page continues to generate some interest; Connect 2011’s page was only recently launched.
►The Events calendar spiked in February not due to any one event; many events were visited by users. The calendar similarly dropped in traffic in March, perhaps due to other academic commitments during that month.
►All traffic is generally trending in an upward slope. The exceptions to this trend are the informational pages “Existing Action Teams” and “Action Team Backgrounders”. These are explored when a member is exploring joining an Action Team.
►Interestingly, home page top level navigation areas that did not make it to the ‘most popular’ list include:
· Join the Discussion (Discussion board)
· Share Your Ideas
· Learn about Knowledge Translation
· Stay Connected with Social Media
►Second level navigation that did not make it to the ‘most popular’ list, yet did receive some hits:
Learn About InspireNet
· Learn About Action Teams & Electronic Communities of Practice
· Search for Project Partners or Locate a Mentor
· Logic Model
· Governance & Operating Model
· Coordinating Teams & Other Teams
· Evaluation
· Our Logo
· FAQ
· e-News Archive
· InspireNet Presentations
· BC Context
· InspireNet Membership
· Publications
· Reporting
· Timeline of Major Accomplishments
· Map of Visitors
Learn Research Skills
· Learn More About Health Services Research
3.3 Observations: Action Teams’ eCoPs
►The Nurse Educators’ Scholarship team experiences the greatest traffic, likely as it was an existing ‘network’ prior to InspireNet. Since becoming an Action Team, this group has embarked on broadening their scope to reach out to clinical educators beyond their existing membership of post-secondary educators.
►The eHealth team’s eCoP experienced a peak in traffic in March, due to speakers arranged that month to do webinars and a subsequent discussion via discussion forum.
►NEARR similarly had peaks in traffic, again due to popularity of speakers presenting webinars.
►Other teams’ eCoPs’ traffic ebbed and flowed depending on team initiatives by month.
3.4 Synthesis & Recommendations
InspireNet’s website benefits from the biweekly eNews and its subsequent interest web visits from members.
A few content types might be either better promoted through other means, like listing them on the home page or including a short summary, to increase interest in these types of content:
· Virtual Learning Opportunities
· News
· Scholarly Articles
Database traffic varies greatly month to month. More promotion of the database might increase exposure to this important networking tool.
Top level areas noted below did not receive enough hits to make it to the ‘most popular’ list. It might be appropriate to either promote these areas of the website more vigorously, re-writing their content, or delete them from the website altogether.
· Join the Discussion (Discussion board)
The MSFHR-funded (2005-2010) Health of Population Networks learned that discussion boards/forums were not well adopted by their membership. While online forums are more popular on the internet in 2011, the lack of uptake with InspireNet’s discussion board suggests that it may not be a useful tool for members. However, if it were to be removed, members may ask to have it reinstated.
· Share Your Ideas
This icon on the home page allows clinicians to suggest potential research ideas. To date only a small number of comments haves been received via this mechanism, and those comments have been challenging for the Management Team to administer as they have primarily been in the area of clinical research rather than health services research. This functionality might best be removed, replaced instead with directions to use the database when looking for a researcher in a specific area.
· Learn about Knowledge Translation
As identified at InspireNet’s KT Strategy Workshop held in June 2011, the language ‘knowledge translation’ may not resonate with all members. This page could likely benefit from a new name with revised content for specific audiences (researchers/students/clinicians/managers/policy makers).
· Stay Connected with Social Media
An ongoing challenge is attracting members to use social media to connect with InspireNet. The Communications Coordinating Team is considering tactics over time to address this issue.
4.0 Conclusion
InspireNet’s website use is trending generally upward. With some refinements to lesser-used pages there may be opportunities to increase traffic and improve services to network members. In the fall of 2011 a University of Victoria Health Informatics class will analyze inspirenet.ca’s usability; this exercise will doubtless provide new recommendations for further website refinement.
InspireNet.ca Report on Google Analytics Analysis May 2010-July 2011 3