You Need to Know Your Shoes and Who is Buying Them

As many of my friends and classmates know, I love shoes. Tennis shoes, dress shoes, fun shoes…I love them all. Thanks to the World Wide Web, my obsession with shoes is now bordering the ridiculous stage. I am  now connected to what would seem to be a zillion different sites that offer shoes, including “shoes.com,” “overstock.com” and “dsw.com.” So, as I prepare to discuss the last blog topic for my class – analytics a retailer is using, how it’s being used, etc. – it is only appropriate for me to choose a shoe company for this discussion, so I am going to try to talk about Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW).

In looking at the “Page Source” tab on www.dsw.com, it appears that the retailer is using Google Analytics to evaluate the behaviors of shoppers. Now, what they are using it for exactly is where my dilemma once again begins. When I click on the “Page Source” and search for Google, I find the following: var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); /*Check to be sure Google Analytics Tracker object is loaded and ready.*/ var checkGatLoad;function loadGAT() {if (typeof(_gat) == "object"){window.clearTimeout(checkGatLoad); var pageTracker = gat._getTracker("UA-5520298-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview().

Of course, I have no idea what that means – I’m a public relations person, not a Web developer/researcher and this appears to be written in a language that only a tech person will understand. But, what it does tell me is that the company is tracking what its customers are doing (“Google Analytics Tracker object is loaded and ready” gave me the hint). Where they are going, how they interact with the site, etc., would be my guess on how they are using it. I’m not sure how you are supposed to figure out what’s being tracked. I thought you had to actually log in to an analytical tool to figure that out. Once again, search engine optimization and Web analytics tools are complicated and very challenging for me. This is why I rely on others who know and understand how to use these tools to provide me with the information I want to know.

So, I called my professor, and he was able to explain that one can determine if a company is using a tracking tool by simply looking at the URL. If the URL contains information after the question mark (a special character in the code), then the company is tracking data (the code after the question mark tells us this. He also noted that in addition to Google Analytics, DSW is also using CoreMetrics to collect data (he knew this from the code, although your every day average Joe may not know this). Additionally, the use of keywords and code (utm) alert you to metrics tools. A classmate also alerted me to a Mozilla add-on feature called "Ghostley" that will tell you what metric tool is being used on a particular site. I downloaded it, and as I was maneuvering through the pages, a purple box magically appeared in the upper right-hand corner that said "Google Analytics, CoreMetrics." This is much easier of the average Joe!

I would assume the company has also implemented the use of funnels to evaluate how customers are using the site, particularly when it comes to ordering goods, maneuvering through the check out process. If I were DSW, I would also want to collect information about those who actually make purchases (determine return visitors/shoppers, rewards members, etc.), and it appears they may be tracking that sort of information from this page (the “?” and subsequent code tells me so). This data could help us market special products/offers to those who are returning customers.

During the past year, I have actually “tuned in” to more on-line shopping, news sites, etc., via my BlackBerry. It only took me until the year 2009 to join the mobile world, but I can tell you that I use my phone more than my computer to research information, particularly when I am traveling. And, I have often felt frustration with sites that have not developed mobile versions, making it very difficult for users to get information, order items or maneuver through the on-line site.

And, I am not the only one relying on my BlackBerry to get information and interact with sites. Mobile users are growing at an unbelievable rate. According to a blog from Web Developers Notes, more than 65 percent of mobile users are opting for the iPhone (2010, Web Developers) and others choosing the Android, Blackberry, etc. A 2008 a Nielsen report noted that more than 46 million mobile users searched for data in the third quarter of 2007 (that is the third quarter alone).

As more and more consumers go to their iPhones and other mobile devices to make purchases, I think DSW will also want to gather statistics that will enable them to re-invent its mobile site (and continue to make enhancements) for this ever-growing population. Using Google Analytics, DSW can monitor the number of mobile users and evaluate the conversion rates. DSW may want to consider developing a more user-friendly mobile site that will enhance options for shoppers. Currently, the mobile version is lackluster. You can barely read the DSW header on the site. I would be interested to gain more data from mobile users to determine what steps could be taken to improve the site and to see what parts of the site users are interacting with when visiting the mobile site. The company can also use tools such as Motally (www.motally.com) to collect mobile data for its site. Motally not only tracks mobile data, but can also be used to evaluate mobile applications.

Using one of the analytical tools discussed above, DSW may also want to consider the possibility of developing mobile applications to market its products. The company could implement test pages/test applications and use the data collected to implement such a tool for its site. The iPhone has a good hold on the mobile market, and the availability of an application may enhance the overall experience for consumers.

I like the idea of analytics; I just don’t like trying to decipher all that you need to know to set it up, keep it going, and evaluate the information. Retailers like DSW certainly need to have metrics in place to allow them to better serve their customers and to make themselves more profitable. Happy customers buy more products. Analytical tools provide valuable information that can help companies enhance their site, add applications/tools that will improve the customer experience and convert those behaviors into a sale. Using data collected through its Web metrics tools, DSW can continue to build on its current site, add applications that will improve its mobile presence and continually test/re-test the site to ensure that the needs of the customers are being met.

References

Chappell, B. (2008, Feb. 6). 23 Top online retailers analytic packages revealed. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from http://www.brianchappell.com/top-online-retailers-analytic-packages/

Nielsen (2008, January). Nielsen.com. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from http://en-us.nielsen.com/main/news/news_releases/2008/jan/46_million_mobile

Smith, R. (2010, March 6). Handy tools and tips for e-Commerce Web sites. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/03/06/23-tools-and-tips-for-any-ecommerce-website/

Web Developers Notes (2010, Feb.) Mobile web browser usage statistics - search engines, devices. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from http://www.webdevelopersnotes.com/articles/mobile-web-browser-usage-statistics.php