Using Google Analytics for Improving Library Website Content and Design: A Case Study

Google Analytics is a free web analytics solution that provides webmasters with insightful information about how visitors find and interact with their websites. In this case study, we have experimented in using Google Analytics to analyze two of our websites: The Rutgers-Newark Law Library main website and The New Jersey Digital Legal Library website. It was used to monitor our visitors' browsing activities and viewing behaviors for three months. Based on our findings from Google Analytics reports, we have redesigned our website. Subsequent data collected by Google Analytics have confirmed that our new design better fits the information needs of our visitors and librarians. Google Analytics is very powerful and can be used for almost any website. We believe that other libraries will benefit from using Google Analytics as well. Limitations of Google Analytics are also discussed based on our experience with it.