Mobile Analytics: How They Differ, How They Enable

June 1, 2014

by Thomas Ames

“I have a mobile site.”

It’s the quote heard around the world. But what does it mean to have a mobile site? Some organizations have an app, others have a dedicated mobile site that differs almost completely from their main consumer site, and still others simply make their site’s design responsive to the user’s device. A responsive site is easier to manage, but it may not be in an organization’s best interests.

In November 2013, PR firm Walker Sands released data showing that 28 percent of the traffic to its clients’ sites came from a mobile device. An April 2014 meta-analysis by Intelytics of its own clients shows that number closer to 35 percent, with some clients approaching 50 percent. These numbers don’t simply say, “Mobile devices are here to stay, so you better do something about them.” Rather, they’re saying, “Mobile users are on your site right now, so what are they doing?”

User experiences differ

Most organizations, when looking at their Web analytics, inherently include the analytics taken from mobile users. It’s far easier to look at the site as a whole rather than separate the analytics by device. The analytics may differ, depending whether traditional devices, such as laptops and desktops, or mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, are used.

So how do they differ?

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