Abstracts

Statistical Methods Applied to Website Analytics to Determine the Impact of Design Change on User Habits

Tuesday 5 May 2009, 1330 - 1400

Presenter: Jane Miller

Victoria University, VIC

Presenter Biography

Not available at time of printing

Abstract

During the last year and half Victoria University Library website has commenced using analysis tools such Google Analytics and Crazy Egg to monitor and track client usage patterns. These products provide the library with a large volume of data on users’ origins, hit patterns, click preferences, length of stay and movement from the site.

This paper originally had a twofold aim. Firstly to demonstrate how data, which is readily available to all website owners, could be usefully manipulated into standard statistical tests to study impact of web site change on user patterns. Secondly to present the results of our analysis in the context of the impact Web 2.0 design has on user habits, if any.

In the course of undertaking this analysis, it became apparent that the nature of the application of Web 2.0 is about much more than the change made to the interface and that the type of change is such an iterative and incremental process that a much greater span of time is required in order to determine the ultimate impact of the change, if any.