Website Metrics
“If you are able to nurture a visitor's interest and hold their focus over a range of pages, then they're more likely to take action.”
-- Anna Kaine, ESM Inbound
Overview
An analysis of information provided via Google Analytics shows that AACT site visitors:
- Spend more time on our website than the average for other sites
- Spend more time on individual pages, as well
- Predominantly use a desktop computer, indicating they are seated and focused on the content the site provides
- Skew younger, with 61% of site visitors under 35 years old
Visitor Numbers
- In early 2021, AACT’s website averaged 67,574 page views per month, with 54,526 unique monthly page views per month.
- This number increases in months when major events are scheduled.
Engagement
- Visitors spend an average of 1 minute 46 seconds on a page
- Most visitors view more than one page
- The Google Analytics “bounce rate” measures the number users who view only a single page on a site before leaving. The lower the rate, the more pages on the site are viewed.
- On average a site should maintain a bounce rate between 41% - 55%.
- A percentage lower than 26% is considered excellent: In March 2021, the AACT website bounce rate was 23.72%. This means that about 76% of site visitors viewed more than a single page.
- Coupled with an average time on a page at 01:46, AACT’s low bounce rate indicates significant visitor engagement with the site.
How Visitors Find Us
- Approximately 75% of new visitors are directed to the AACT site via search engines like Google, while the remaining 25% come via referrals from social media or other websites, or who go directly to the AACT website (aact.org)
New vs. Returning Visitors
- This metric varies over the course of a year, especially when AACT is presenting major events such the national festival or conferences.
- However, in early 2021, the AACT website drew 57.27% new visitors, and 43.87% returning visitors.
Content
AACT’s website provides two basic types of pages—"stationary” or “fluid”.
- The information on stationary pages remains fairly constant, with few changes or updates during the year. These include staff and board directories, membership benefits, a searchable glossary of theatre terms, and our Theatre People pages (with job descriptions for various theatre positions).
- “Fluid” pages are updated frequently, and the pages themselves are often time-sensitive, with a limited run. Examples include AACT’s festivals and conferences, webinars and online roundtables, as well as job postings, and our COVID-19 Response page.
- While one might assume that dynamic pages would generate the highest readership, many static pages consistently also have high visitor rates. In the list below of most-viewed site content, static pages (indcated by *) represent nearly 50% of the top 15.
Most Visited Pages
- Theatre People * (sample job descriptions for administrative & technical positions)
- Theatrical Terms Dictionary *
- Play Contests
- Job Postings
- AACTFest 2021
- Obtaining Rights for Productions *
- Sample Mission Statements *
- Industry Connections
- Membership Benefits *
- COVID Response
- Spotlight magazine
- Webinars
- Roundtables
- Starting a Theatre Company *
- Fundraising & Grants Basics *
How Users View the Site
- 69.70% view on a desktop computer
- 28.81% view on a mobile device
- 1.49% view on a tablet
The high rate of desktop computer usage above reflects the fact that most AACT members work with or for a theatre company, and their computer is used predominantly for administrative, marketing and production purposes. A desktop computer also indicates the user is seated, and highly focused on the information the site presents.
Age & Gender
Age
- 61% of AACT site visitors are under 35 years old
- 28% are 35-54 years old
Gender (as defined by Google*)
- 54.15% of site visitors are male
- 45.85% are female
* Google does not track those who do not identify as male or female