Comments on: The Value of Benchmarking As it Relates to Your Site http://webiscope.com/2008/04/the-value-of-benchmarking-as-it-relates-to-your-site/ Internet Healthcare Collaboration Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:56:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Blayne Fielder http://webiscope.com/2008/04/the-value-of-benchmarking-as-it-relates-to-your-site/comment-page-1/#comment-394 Blayne Fielder Wed, 21 May 2008 05:13:06 +0000 http://webiscope.com/?p=105#comment-394 Katrina, It's great that you're taking the itiative to compare your sites with others across the country. Like Neal, I think the Google Benchmarking leaves something to be desired. Earlier this month we began a benchmarking project of our own using some of the data from our clients. Although it's still not "apples to apples" when it comes to service area and depth of the site, it will provide some great info on areas of strength and weakness. I'd love to know what type of data would be helpful to hospital web managers. Katrina,

It’s great that you’re taking the itiative to compare your sites with others across the country. Like Neal, I think the Google Benchmarking leaves something to be desired.

Earlier this month we began a benchmarking project of our own using some of the data from our clients. Although it’s still not “apples to apples” when it comes to service area and depth of the site, it will provide some great info on areas of strength and weakness.

I’d love to know what type of data would be helpful to hospital web managers.

]]> By: Neal http://webiscope.com/2008/04/the-value-of-benchmarking-as-it-relates-to-your-site/comment-page-1/#comment-389 Neal Tue, 13 May 2008 18:09:23 +0000 http://webiscope.com/?p=105#comment-389 Bart, that happens all the time. Somebody sees a neat "bell or whistle" and they want to jump in. Sometimes it makes sense. Other times, when you can't get any usage data from the people who launched the tool, it's just a "me too" with little or no business sense behind it. Meanwhile, I took a look at the Google Benchmarking feature, and it's nice that it allows me to compare performance in certain metrics with web sites of similar size, or with different industries. However, I think the application (currently a beta version is available to Google Analytics users) has several drawbacks: - It only includes data from sites that have opted into the program, and Google does not tell you how many sites you are comparing against. - It relies on participants to categorize their own industry. That can be tricky, as the system does not allow for multiple selections. - All hospitals are grouped together in a single category, and there is no way to remove extremely large or extremely small sites. Google promises to add additional categories as more sites join benchmarking, but until they add more classifications within the hospital category, the value of the comparative data is limited. - The scope of the data available for benchmarking is limited only to the “visitors” section of Google Analytics. I couldn't find a way to compare benchmarks for other important items like search terms, top content or traffic sources. - It isn't integrated integrated with Google Analytics reporting functionality. You can look at the graphs but cannot export, email or add them to the Google Analytics dashboard. It is still a beta, and I'm sure Google will improve some of these things in the future. In the interim it is still a useful comparative tool, but with limitations. Neal Bart, that happens all the time. Somebody sees a neat “bell or whistle” and they want to jump in. Sometimes it makes sense. Other times, when you can’t get any usage data from the people who launched the tool, it’s just a “me too” with little or no business sense behind it.

Meanwhile, I took a look at the Google Benchmarking feature, and it’s nice that it allows me to compare performance in certain metrics with web sites of similar size, or with different industries. However, I think the application (currently a beta version is available to Google Analytics users) has several drawbacks:

– It only includes data from sites that have opted into the program, and Google does not tell you how many sites you are comparing against.

– It relies on participants to categorize their own industry. That can be tricky, as the system does not allow for multiple selections.

– All hospitals are grouped together in a single category, and there is no way to remove extremely large or extremely small sites. Google promises to add additional categories as more sites join benchmarking, but until they add more classifications within the hospital category, the value of the comparative data is limited.

– The scope of the data available for benchmarking is limited only to the “visitors” section of Google Analytics. I couldn’t find a way to compare benchmarks for other important items like search terms, top content or traffic sources.

– It isn’t integrated integrated with Google Analytics reporting functionality. You can look at the graphs but cannot export, email or add them to the Google Analytics dashboard.

It is still a beta, and I’m sure Google will improve some of these things in the future. In the interim it is still a useful comparative tool, but with limitations.

Neal

]]> By: bart http://webiscope.com/2008/04/the-value-of-benchmarking-as-it-relates-to-your-site/comment-page-1/#comment-382 bart Tue, 06 May 2008 19:44:10 +0000 http://webiscope.com/?p=105#comment-382 Benchmarking especially has value when you're understaffed and need to justify additional resources. A particular challenge when benchmarking site stats for us has been finding other sites that share the same audience, size of institution, etc. I like to contrast our site with sites in other industries, too. There are many ideas and techniques that have value no matter the subject matter. An interesting problem I've seen - what about when your competitors have a feature that you don't, but the feature is silly or useless? It can be difficult to explain to stakeholders that it's not needed, and why. Anyone else feel this pain? Benchmarking especially has value when you’re understaffed and need to justify additional resources. A particular challenge when benchmarking site stats for us has been finding other sites that share the same audience, size of institution, etc.

I like to contrast our site with sites in other industries, too. There are many ideas and techniques that have value no matter the subject matter.

An interesting problem I’ve seen – what about when your competitors have a feature that you don’t, but the feature is silly or useless? It can be difficult to explain to stakeholders that it’s not needed, and why. Anyone else feel this pain?

]]> By: Neal http://webiscope.com/2008/04/the-value-of-benchmarking-as-it-relates-to-your-site/comment-page-1/#comment-371 Neal Fri, 02 May 2008 17:48:19 +0000 http://webiscope.com/?p=105#comment-371 Greystone offers a service that compares your site with others in health care. We've used it for years and like the comparisons. You don't know who the other participants are, though. Greystone offers a service that compares your site with others in health care. We’ve used it for years and like the comparisons. You don’t know who the other participants are, though.

]]> By: Matthew http://webiscope.com/2008/04/the-value-of-benchmarking-as-it-relates-to-your-site/comment-page-1/#comment-369 Matthew Fri, 02 May 2008 13:07:55 +0000 http://webiscope.com/?p=105#comment-369 Great post. Benchmarking is so valuable. We find it useful to triangulate the data, by pulling infomration from Quantcast and Compete as well. Depending on the level of traffic to your site will help determine the usefulness of this data, but it still provides a great overview of what is going on with other organization;s web sites. Great post. Benchmarking is so valuable. We find it useful to triangulate the data, by pulling infomration from Quantcast and Compete as well. Depending on the level of traffic to your site will help determine the usefulness of this data, but it still provides a great overview of what is going on with other organization;s web sites.

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