This thread started off asking about reliable webstats packages, but as
Jon and Seb say there really is far more to it than which bit of software
is the most accurate.
The DCMS appear just to want global figures as KPIs to demonstrate how
well the museums sector is using the web. Counting Page Views and Unique
Visitors only requires the most basic system, so if all you’re going to do
with the data is send it to Westminster then why bother with a package
with any sophistication. Just the few responses here show that museums are
using a variety of systems each with its own built-in inaccuracies.
But if you are going to select software that will analyse a wide spectrum
of usage across a website then you really need to decide what you’re going
to do with it. It is spectacularly time-consuming trawling though web
stats and all you end up with is lists and a bunch of big numbers.
Whilst it is good to know the numbers and these can be helpful to your
managers and councillors, what we need to do, as a sector, is look at
meaningful metrics that drive the various types of user activity on museum
websites and subsites. Concentrating on actionable metrics allow you to
better understand user behaviour and develop strategies for making changes
to a website and most importantly being able to test and evaluate your
actions.
At Hampshire CC we have used a variety of systems over the years.
Currently it’s NetTracker, an enterprise system which seems to work well
enough. I get incredibly detailed stats every month but sadly I don’t
actually get any time to look at them in any detail.
This year we rebuilt the website with fewer pages but with more
information... so Page Views will doubtless decrease. What will the DCMS
make of that?
Ian Edelman
Web Manager
Recreation and Heritage
Hampshire County Council
**************************************************
For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list, visit the website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk
**************************************************
|