Misuse, play, and disuse: Technical and professional communication´s role in understanding and supporting website owners´ engagement with Google Analytics

Site owners using Google Analytics have the capacity to keep track of views over time, follow site visitors´ movements in real time, pinpoint where site visitors leave, view demographics and maps, and understand the search terms that initially brought visitors to the website. However, web site owners often lack the framework or training for interpreting analytics data. Our pilot study of six blog, ecommerce, and lead generation site owners´ use of Google Analytics through interviews and observations reveals that site owners struggle to find clear, practical applications for analytics data. Most data goes unused by site owners, and site owners tend to misuse analytics information and play with data rather than applying it to site contexts. Site owners are eager to benefit from training or guidance from experts. The field of technical and professional communication is poised to assist and train website owners in tapping the potential of analytics data.