Demonstrating Success: Web Analytics and Continuous Improvement

As free and low-cost Web analytics tools become more sophisticated, libraries’ approach to user analysis can become more nuanced and precise. Tracking appropriate metrics with a well-formulated analytics program can inform design decisions, demonstrate the degree to which those decisions have succeeded, and thereby inform the next iteration in the design process. The Health Sciences Libraries of the University of Minnesota have been using Google Analytics as their primary analytics solution since 2005, and as Google has continued to add functionality and flexibility to the platform, the Health Sciences Libraries has capitalized on the opportunities made available. In this article the author outlines the Health Sciences Libraries strategy for using Google Analytics and describes several of the more novel methods they have developed, providing a roadmap for others seeking to strengthen their understanding of the behavior of users on their library's Web sites.