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Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:29:00 -0400
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Subject: Re: [WWW] Web analytics
From: Rob Weir <apache@robweir.com>
To: ooo-dev@incubator.apache.org
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On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 12:35 PM, Simon Phipps <simon@webmink.com> wrote:
>
> On 12 Aug 2011, at 16:30, drew wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Well, I thought I'd start this list - unless folks think it is too soon
>> of course.
>>
>> Currently the OO.o web sites, all of them, utilize a third party
>> analytics firm (not Google). This is done by requiring that each site
>> inject a small bit of JS in the page footer. (this was another
>> requirement for the forums as an example and is used also at the
>> extension/template repository)
>>
>> Going forward does the PPMC desire to use a third party analytic firm -
>> i.e. Google.
>>
>> or
>>
>> Do we prefer to do it all in-house. (just guessing that their may be
>> some knowledge on this subject in the overall Apache project :)
>
>
> Before taking that step, it's worth asking if the project actually has a =
need for web analytics yet. They were included on OO.o site mainly because =
Sun was using the data as part of its business metrics. It's not obvious th=
at the same need exists in AOOo.
>

I think it is an essential tool to optimizing the web experience for
our visitors.  It is part of a feedback loop where we look at the
traffic stats, how our website is actually being used, the
demographics of the visitors, etc., and then iteratively improve the
website to make it more useful.

For example, if we noticed that a particular page was getting a large
number of visits from Italy, but was not translated into Italian, we
might prioritize getting that page translated.

Or, if we found that a given page was a top destination for Google
queries for "OpenOffice UNO" but we considered that another page had
more useful information, then we might optimize the keywords in the
other page to make it rate more highly in future searches.

Things like that.  We may not be a business at Apache, but we have
similar goals to increase visitor satisfaction and getting the most
value out of the website.   I think analytics is no-brainer.

On the question of Piwik (open source, used, for example by
LibreOffice) versus Google Analytics,  I'm very familiar with Google,
so I could help more there.  But I don't have an informed opinion on
the virtues of each.  I've never heard of Piwik until today.

> S.
>
>