Google Analytics: Setting up email reports

  1. Log in to Google Analytics using your Google account credentials. You will see the accounts selection screen (shown below, though yours may differ slightly). Choose “Middlebury College” to continue. (Yes, I know we aren’t Middlebury, but they have centralized Google Analytics for all websites associated with Midd, hence the name.)

    Google Analytics: Accounts Selection
    Google Analytics: Accounts Selection
  2. Once you have logged into Google Analytics and selected the Middlebury College account, you will see these 3 profiles:
    • all = all visitors (everyone who visits miis.edu)
    • midd = visitors from within the 140.233.x.x IP address range (everyone who visits miis.edu from the Middlebury or Monterey Institute campus networks)
    • non-midd = visitors from outside the 140.233.x.x IP address range (everyone who visits miis.edu and is NOT accessing the web via the Midd or MIIS campus networks)

    Google Analytics: Profiles Overview
    Google Analytics: Profiles Overview
  3. Select 1 of the 3 profiles in order to navigate to the Google Analytics dashboard.
  4. Look for the “Email” button throughout the Google Analytics interface in order to set up email reports.

    Google Analytics: Dashboard
    Google Analytics: Dashboard
  5. You can then choose “Send Now” to send a one-time email or choose “Schedule” to have reports sent to you (and/or to others) a regular basis.

    Google Analytics: Set Up Email
    Google Analytics: Set Up Email

What kind of report(s) should I set up?

Create reports that will be useful for you or others in your department. Explore the Google Analytics dashboard to discover which types of information are most pertinent to you. These reports can be simple (ex: the number of visitors to the Admissions section) or more complex (ex: the top referring sites for visitors from each country).

Drop me a line if you have an idea for a report but aren’t quite sure how to make it happen. I will also be detailing some techniques for more complex custom reports in another blog post.

I created a report, now what?

Sit tight and watch your statistics for a few weeks. We can then discuss techniques for improving your section of the site based on these analytics.

Sites DOT MIISThe Middlebury Institute site network.