While other Web metrics software packages have fallen to the wayside over the years, Google Analytics (GA) platform has risen to the top as the de facto standard for website reporting and statistics. Simply put, the platform is indispensable for any business or organization that wishes to gain deeper insight into their website traffic—namely, information on how visitors find your site, their activity and behaviors while visiting, and what they are using to view your website. In this discussion we will explore how Google Analytics provides audience data related to the latter through the “Audience” section of the platform. Specifically, we will focus on the components that give website owners visibility into what type of browsers their visitors are using, and what types of devices they are using.
Audience: Technology and Mobile Subsections
At the time of this writing, there are nine subsections under the “Audience” section of Google Analytics. “Technology” and “Mobile” both give insights into how visitors are viewing and accessing a site. Clicking “Technology” defaults to data related to browsers and OS, followed by screen resolution, screen colors, and a few other options. This information is indispensable for optimizing one’s site to cater to the browsers visitors use most often. In this day and age, websites are expected to work optimally with the top three browsers—Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. By understanding which browsers are being used and what problems may be occurring within each browser segment, Web designers can effectively focus on troubleshooting and testing. For example, a higher bounce rate for a specific browser may indicate compatibility issues, or one might find that the majority of visitors are viewing the site at a certain screen resolution, and decide to size the Web user experience accordingly.
In the “Mobile” subsection, one can view the types of mobile devices visitors are using to access the site. The default data reveals mobile device data (Apple iPhone, iPad), with subsequent tabs revealing information related to mobile device branding, service provider, mobile input selector, and operating system, among others. Similarly to the “Technology” example above, one can use mobile data such as bounce rate per mobile device type to identify potential viewing issues with specific devices. Perhaps one’s site is problematic when viewed on an iPad— a high bounce rate for this particular device would indicate this. Furthermore, the insight this information provides can often help firms make product-positioning decisions backed by data. For example, an iOS game developer may discover through viewing these mobile analytics that a large percentage of website visitors are accessing the site on an Android device. This may prompt the developer to consider porting their games for the Android market.
Browser and Mobile Device QA Testing
When paired with a sound QA methodology, this functionality in Google Analytics provides organizations with effective mechanisms for ensuring software and website quality. Suboptimal viewing experiences can lead to a loss of traffic and sales revenue, as well as search engine ranking and placement. Firms simply must ensure that their sites and apps are working correctly across all browsers and devices. MyCrowd is one option for easy and thorough testing services. Through its crowdsource testing platform, the company makes the identification of QA issues and bugs across a myriad of devices, browsers, and operating systems simple and affordable.
The “Audience” section in Google Analytics provides firms and organizations with essential information regarding their website visitors’ preferred mechanisms for access. This data includes which browsers are being used and what mobile devices are being employed, if any. By using the data and metrics provided within these two subsections, developers and designers can optimize their Web user experience based on their audiences’ viewing preferences, as well as identify any problems and issues that may be occurring on specific platforms or browsers.
Sources:
http://blog.kissmetrics.com/new-google-analytics-advanced-segments/
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/google-analytics-audience-data/
