A Note On Apps
There are two ways to access online content with a phone, tablet, or other mobile device: a MOBILE BROWSER or an APPLICATION. It’s important to recognize the difference between the two, as each will be tracked differently and show up differently in Google Analytics.
Sometimes websites will have a different URL on mobile devices. These usually start with a prefix of “m” or “mobile” instead of the usual “www.” For example, if someone visits the New York Times on a mobile phone, they will be automatically redirected to “mobile.nytimes.com.” As long as the tracking code is present on these pages, you will be able to see the data in Google Analytics.
Separate from a website, which is viewed in a web browser, some content providers have applications, or apps. These have to be downloaded onto a mobile device and are similar to software applications. Apps are specific to an operating system, e.g., an iPhone app won’t work on an Android or Windows phone.
To track app usage, you need a program that produces a specific set of standard metrics and reports that are unique to the app. For example, instead of listing pageviews or pages as with web metrics, an app report may list screens and screens per session.
This first mobile metrics guide will focus on mobile websites rather than mobile apps, as the audiences for mobile websites are far larger than those for mobile apps. Also, all news organizations can have a mobile-optimized website, but not all organizations have the resources to build and maintain mobile apps.
Sometimes websites will have a different URL on mobile devices. These usually start with a prefix of “m” or “mobile” instead of the usual “www.” For example, if someone visits the New York Times on a mobile phone, they will be automatically redirected to “mobile.nytimes.com.” As long as the tracking code is present on these pages, you will be able to see the data in Google Analytics.
Separate from a website, which is viewed in a web browser, some content providers have applications, or apps. These have to be downloaded onto a mobile device and are similar to software applications. Apps are specific to an operating system, e.g., an iPhone app won’t work on an Android or Windows phone.
To track app usage, you need a program that produces a specific set of standard metrics and reports that are unique to the app. For example, instead of listing pageviews or pages as with web metrics, an app report may list screens and screens per session.
This first mobile metrics guide will focus on mobile websites rather than mobile apps, as the audiences for mobile websites are far larger than those for mobile apps. Also, all news organizations can have a mobile-optimized website, but not all organizations have the resources to build and maintain mobile apps.