Analytics Projecs

1. Part A requires you to address the analytics needs of an internal stakeholderfor an e-commerce company. In Part A, you will access Google Analytics 4
(GA4) data and draw conclusions on the provided information to address the
stakeholders’ questions/data needs for the Google Merchandise Store.
2. Part B involves a re ection on this learning activity and the opportunities and
challenges of integrating digital analytics into the management decisionmaking process. In particular, please re ect on what may differ about this
process if we had instead focused on lead generation website in Part A.
Learning Objectives:
Digital analytic platforms like Google Analytics provide a sometimes-overwhelming
amount of data. Often this can lead the analyst or other managers doing a deep dive in
the data that might have little impact on ultimately moving the bottom line. In order to
increase our understanding for how organizations with different business objectives can
ensure they are focused on measuring what matters the most, the assignment provides
you an opportunity to apply concepts related to digital measurement plans and utilize
digital analytics to draw conclusions/make recommendations for two different business
types (an e-commerce and non-e-commerce site).
About the “Case Study/Client” in Part A
In Part A, you will perform the role of a digital analyst for the Google Online
Merchandise Store. The site sells various Google-branded merchandise and is primarily
used by Google employees – although anyone can purchase from the site. As the
marketing analyst for the ecommerce site, you are responsible for providing insights to
help “Maggie Marketer” plan the next calendar year’s marketing budget (2024) based on
the insights from the provided data. Review the data Maggie wants you to focus on and
address Maggie’s questions outlined in the details below.
*DETAILS ON HOW TO ACCESS THE GA4 DATA AND THE SPECIFIC REPORT TO
FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON ARE AVAILABLE IN THE ATTACHED FILE. You will
use the GA4 Demo Account (you will need to sign up or access via a Gmail – non-UWW
email account):
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount?appstate=/p213025502Links
to an external site.
About the “Case Study/Client” in Part B
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In Part B, you will re ect on the opportunities and challenges of using digital analytics
for a lead generation website. You do not need to consider any particular brand or
website to complete Part B. Instead, your objective is to critically think and re ect on
how things may be similar or differ regarding the process you complete in Part A if the
nal purchase can’t be completed online. Remember, most websites are not ecommerce and instead may serve other purposes. Lead generation websites commonly
have the macro-conversion goal of capturing quali ed leads that are then nurtured and
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Assignment Overview: The assignment includes two components.
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turned over to the sales team to help close the deal. Many B2B rms may operate in
this type of context. However, B2C lead generation websites also exist (for example,
University of Arizona site is a good example where interested students need to still
apply, be admitted, and ultimately enroll).
Part A Assignment Details & Resources for Accessing the GA4 Data:
Part A (40 points): Address the data needs/questions related to the following areas using data covering the period of
January 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023.
Marketer (Maggie) Questions/Data Needs
Use the GA4 Demo Account (you will need to sign up or access via a Gmail – non-school email account): https://
analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount?appstate=/p213025502
Figure 1. Screenshot of User Acquisition Report for Google Merchandise Store
To access the above report and data = Go to Reports > Lifecycle > Acquisition. From there you can view the
Overview, User or Traffic acquisition reports to learn more. Make sure to change the date range in the upper right corner
to match the January-August timeframe.
Maggie is planning her marketing budget for the calendar year 2024 and beyond. She wants to identify what traffic
channels have provided the highest quality traffic to the site and might warrant further investment for 2024 and beyond.
Please provide Maggie a report that highlights the traffic channels (see details above on how to locate data) and
specifically focuses on the traffic channels that are the most effective at driving revenue, conversions, and engagement.
How do you recommend Maggie prioritize her budget allocation for 2024 given a $500,000 marketing budget? Why?
What else may Maggie want to consider as it relates to the digital marketing strategy?
While you can look at other data in the GA4 account, Maggie wants you to primarily focus on data from the first eight
months of 2023 when providing some baseline metrics for the different digital channels relative to the 2023 budget
allocation.
•
Use the following hypothetical information as you review the performance data from January 1-August 31, 2023 to
help Maggie plan the next year’s budget.
•
Last year Maggie’s predecessor spent $400,000 on marketing. Refer to table 1 for the specific 2023 budget allocation
by channel. You are helping to get Maggie up to speed as she has only been on the job for four weeks.
Maggie’s Goals & Questions: Maggie’s goal is to maximize ROI and engagement across all other channels, taking into
account other factors such as seasonality, last year’s performance metrics, and potential for growth. Consider the ROI, cost
per conversion, and rank the channels based on the efficiency of conversions and revenue generation based on relevant
KPIs. Identify the top channels driving revenue and explain why you consider these top channels. Which channels are
underperforming? What other contextual factors or additional insights may be helpful for Maggie to consider?
Budgeting for 2024: Using the insights, allocate a hypothetical $500,000 marketing budget to cover calendar year 2024
(per Maggie’s request keep Direct at $120,000). How would you allocate the remaining amount across other digital
channels? Justify your allocation across channels while considering the performance metrics and potential growth
opportunities. Recommend metrics you would monitor to evaluate the effectiveness of your budget allocation across Q1Q4 in 2024. Provide at least three clear, actionable recommendations for optimizing the digital marketing strategy. Maggie
is also looking for innovative ideas. Please suggest at least one innovative strategy, marketing channel, or tactic and justify
its potential benefit to Maggie’s 2024 plan.
Table 1. 2023 Marketing Budget Allocation by Channel
Channel
Budget
($)
Direct*
$120,000
Organic Search
$40,000
Cross-network
$60,000
Paid Search
$50,000
Display
$25,000
Referral
$20,000
Organic Social
$35,000
Email
$20,000
Affiliates
$15,000
Other Channels
$15,000
*In digital marketing, “Direct” typically refers to traffic that comes directly to the website without a referring website.
This may include users clicking on a bookmark – which may have occurred after initially visiting because of another
marketing channel (i.e., the user clicks on a paid search ad and bookmarks the site or a specific product page for later
review/purchase). Direct traffic could be the result of different marketing activities and initiatives. For example, brand
awareness campaigns could lead to someone remembering your brand’s URL. Other digital investments may not lead to
immediate clicks, but could create brand impressions that later result in direct traffic to the site. Offline advertising,
loyalty programs, and more could all contribute to direct traffic too. In this case, since the Google Merchandise Store
primarily targets employees consider that some of the direct traffic is due to internal marketing campaigns within Google
offices that are not properly tagged (i.e., some may be from HR emails to employees, employee discount costs, or signs
placed around Google offices). IMPORTANT NOTE: While reviewing different marketing channels, do not focus on
recommendations that involve significant changes in spending on “Direct” channel strategies/tactics. The high ROI
in this channel is primarily due to internal marketing campaigns within Google offices, which have a different cost
structure and are considered separately from this exercise.
Deliverable for Part A = Document providing appropriate data visualization (i.e., tables, graphs) for the data user PLUS
your insights or conclusions related to the requestor’s questions and outlined objectives from above. (In other words, don’t
leave it up to Marketer Maggie or any other report reader to interpret the data you present. Provide relevant data
visualizations AND the key conclusions/takeaways along with your recommendations.) *There is no set page minimum
or limit for Part A, however, remember that Maggie is busy and wants concise information that includes clear
conclusions, recommendations, and justifications. Thus, you should organize as a business report.
Evaluation Criteria:
I will evaluate submissions using the critical thinking case rubric along with consideration of the following factors
specific to this analytics case:
•
Thoroughness of data interpretation and strategic insights.
•
Rationality behind budget allocation decisions.
•
Accuracy and viability of performance forecasting.
•
Relevance and innovation of recommendations.
•
Overall clarity and presentation of analysis, including appropriate data tables/figures to present to Maggie.
Part B (10 points):
After completing Part A, describe how you feel digital analytics platforms such as Google Analytics can be used by
marketers or other decision-makers if we instead were focused on a lead generation website. You should address the major
challenges and opportunities you see to integrating digital analytics into the management decision-making process in this
context relative to an e-commerce site like we explored in Part A.
Deliverable for Part B = Address your answer to Part B in less than one page (single-spaced), 11-point font (minimum
size).
Please make sure to address both parts (A & B) and submit it as a single document.
For more information about navigating Google Analytics and GA4 reports you should review:
https://support.google.com/analytics/topic/9228654?hl=en&ref_topic=9143232
https://support.google.com/analytics/topic/9303476?hl=en&ref_topic=9228654
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10999979?hl=en&ref_topic=9303476