The FORUM Effect

We're all in this together

I've received a couple of interesting comments from the article in the October FORUM wherein I discussed involving MARCOM early in the planning process. Both were positive and expressed agreement with a couple of the points raised, along with noting that a lot of what I referred to as common sense wasn't all that common. It got me thinking. How often do we get so wrapped up in making sure our organizations are looking to the future that we miss what's in the here and now? More to the point, how often do we spend time and resources reinventing solutions that others have already discovered, simply because we failed to take the simple step of talking to our peers?

One of the most important resources I have as a manager is the advice and counsel of others -- both in and out of my industry -- whose opinions and observations I have come to trust. It has been my experience that most of the challenges I encounter are easier met when I engage others for input and suggestions. Although it's not generally as easy as getting the precise answer I need at that moment, I do find that such conversation usually leads me down a path to a solution much more quickly than if I go it alone. Such feedback is everywhere. From the blogs to the industry pundits, to the learned colleagues and (most importantly) my own team, I am never at a loss for useful input and information when what I need most is a second opinion. The trick is to remember to ask. 

Read the October 2009 Digital Edition Today!

Click here to access Digital FORUM.

This month features the Institute for Real Estate Management. 

Making Culture Change a Reality

In this month's article we outlined a process that helped the Academy of Dermatology move from organization-wide training on the principles of collaboration to making a culture of collaboration part of our everyday way of working.  But how do you make the right decisions about what kind of culture you want your organization to have?  We used feedback from staff surveys, combined with the desired state as defined by executive staff and senior managers.  How have you successfully defined your desired state?

Measuring internal search

Last week I wrote a post entitled Web site analysis in the absence of goals.  The post described a different approach to measuring Web success - from the bottom up.  The article I referenced in that post used internal search results as the example, but the concepts applied to all Web site metrics.  Consequently I glossed over Google's powerful ability to track and report on internal searches.

So, I thought I'd dig in a little deeper to internal search.

To start measuring internal search, you need an internal search engine.  If your site has one, then read on.  If not, consider the following excerpt from the article Internal Site Search Analysis: Simple, Effective, Life Altering! from A List Apart:

Now when people show up at a website, many of them ignore our lovingly crafted navigational elements and jump to the site search box. The increased use of site search as a core navigation method makes it very important to understand the data that site search generates.

No matter how modest your site, internal search should be in place as an alternative navigation method for users.  So, if you don't already have internal search, go get it.

For those with internal search in place, let's roll up our sleeves and start tracking it with Google Analytics.

The first step is to recognize how your site interacts with your internal search engine.  You do this by performing a search and then examining the resulting Web address.  To illustrate this, go to Google and search for Association Forum.  Google presents a results page.

Now, look in the address bar and notice the Web address.  It reads:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS249&q=association+forum&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10

To break this down, you are on the google.com/search page.  The Web address contains a bunch of variables, each separated by an ampersand.  There is hl=en, which indicates the results are in English.  There is rlz, followed by gobbledygook.  Then there is q=association+forum.  There is your search term and "q" is the variable that serves it.

Now, do the same on your site.  What is your search term variable?  Once you have this in hand, visit this Google Analytics Help page for the complete instructions.  It takes less than 5 minutes to set it up.

Tracking internal searches can be of great value.  As the A List Apart article indicates, internal search is a direct reflection of user intent.  It also lets you follow the path of this intent.  Where does it lead?  Does your site present a satisfactory user experience?  Is there an opportunity to insert a call-to-action within this path? 

Or does the search result in no choices?  There is great value here as well.  Besides providing the opportunity to create a new page or redirect the search result, a no-option search also uncovers some subtle issues. Sometimes users misspel common words or transpoes certain letters.  In these cases, you can anticipate these mistakes and direct users to the appropriate page.

The A List Apart article goes into great detail on internal search analysis using Google Analytics.  I highly recommend a careful read through before your next internal search analysis.