Google > Case Studies > By tailoring the features of Google Analytics, LunaMetrics helps PBS increase both conversions and visits by 30%

By tailoring the features of Google Analytics, LunaMetrics helps PBS increase both conversions and visits by 30%

Customer Company Size

Large Corporate

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

Google Analytics

Tech Stack

Google Analytics

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Customer Satisfaction
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics

Applicable Industries

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing
Business Operation

Use Cases

Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
Predictive Quality Analytics

Services

Data Science Services
Training

About The Customer

PBS is a private, nonprofit corporation, founded in 1969, whose members are noncommercial, educational licensees that operate 353 PBS member stations. The Public Broadcasting System's interactive arm helps individual PBS producers and local PBS stations create and promote each section within PBS.org for programs such as NOVA, American Masters, and Sid the Science Kid. Led by Web Analytics Director Amy Sample, the team at PBS needed a cohesive system across the entire enterprise, and for this they turned to Google Analytics.

The Challenge

PBS, a private, nonprofit corporation, was facing a challenge in monitoring the web performance of all its properties. They had a selection of web analytics tools installed, but these proved difficult to maintain and use. PBS wanted to develop a coordinated approach to analysis and reporting that would inform their future strategic decisions. They needed a cohesive system across the entire enterprise, and for this they turned to Google Analytics. In addition to top-level analysis of PBS.org and PBSKids.org, they also hoped to implement a solution that would allow producers of individual programs to see only the data on those pages and microsites that related to their own shows. This challenge proved more difficult than the standard implementation of Google Analytics, since giving a producer access to one show would not only allow them to see all other shows, but would also force them to dig through massive amounts of data in order to find their own.

The Solution

To meet these requirements, Luna Metrics devised a custom technical solution for PBS that expanded their existing standard implementation. LunaMetrics included two Google Analytics account codes on each page. The primary account code let Amy and her team see all data for the entire enterprise in one place. This would allow her team to make decisions that would improve the website as a whole. The second account code was specially designed so that each producer could only see the data relating to his or her program, but not for other programs. This setup would effectively allow for the account governance that PBS needed to impose, and make it much easier for producers to evaluate their web performance. LunaMetrics rounded out the project by providing training on the use of Google Analytics. The PBS interactive team now have the metrics and know-how to refine their online efforts, while PBS producers can easily keep tabs on the performance of their shows online, and make dynamic adjustments for improvement within their own online offerings.

Operational Impact

Google Analytics has been a key facilitator in the transformation of PBS online. The tool enables reporting that is robust, tailored and meaningful, which means that stakeholders are no longer focused on static monthly reports.
Instead, they are increasingly able to use analytics to inform critical and timely business decisions on a day-to-day basis.
The tool is flexible enough to cater to the needs of PBS even as the broadcaster's interactive ecosystem constantly expands.

Quantitative Benefit

Analysis of search engine trends led to an increase in PBS traffic by 30% during the first year after implementation.
PBS also used valuable conversion funnel data to optimize the registration path in PBSKids; this activity increased conversions by one-third.
Since Google Analytics was set up to allow PBS to evaluate the way users consumed video, the broadcaster created two new portals: PBS Video and PBSKIDS Go!