Synonyms: Actions, Conduct, Digital Movement, Engagement
From a definition standpoint, when we talk about behavior, we are talking about a website visitor’s digital movement or actions that can be on a website, via email, etc. In this context, we also often refer to behavior data which is the data collected from the interactions a user has across your digital ecosystem.
Why do we care about behavior?
Behavior is important because it allows us as marketers or strategists to learn about what users want, are interested in and are engaging in. When you develop a website, content or a campaign, you are making a lot of assumptions in terms of what your users wants, what they are looking for and what will resonate with them.
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By looking into user behavior and collecting behavioral data, you can validate the assumptions you made when putting together your strategy. Behavioral data also allows you to make informed decisions about how to best engage with your audiences moving forward (based on what you know they liked/didn’t like) and pivot where necessary.
How do we learn about behavior?
Great question! There are a few ways we can learn about user behavior. An obvious starting point is with Google Analytics. Within Google Analytics you can get bulk data on user behavior around entry channel (aka how people are getting to your website), pages visited (what content people are consuming) and goals (where people are acting on something specific that you have identified you want to track).
If you are using Sitecore – Path Analyzer is a great tool to look at flow throughout the site to gain insight into how users are exploring your site, what pages they are visiting and where they are producing value through engagement with content and assets.
You can also use any email reporting you have and data around open rate, click throughs, etc. to also gain valuable behavior data – especially if you have already segmented your audiences for email purposes.
If you have any question about how to track behavior across your digital ecosystem or use the data that you might have, go ahead and fill out the contact form or HMU on twitter @jgrozalsky.
Stay thirsty, friends!
