What is the best approach to determine Average Time Spent on Page and Time Spent per visit?

[chiradeepm69851]

Hi,

I am using Reports and Analytics version 15. Based on the article Updated Time Spent Calculation, it seems that version 15 calculates average time spent on page more accurately by controlling how traffic variables change from one page view  to another and by time-stamping server calls.

Which reports should I use to fetch the most accurate data for "average time spent on a page" and "Time Spent per visit" for a specified time period? I mean, I wud like the following:

1) The "average time spent on a page" metric should display a time as close as the actual time the user spends on a page, including clicks to links, video views etc. but NOT visits to a new page opened from a new tab within the same browser. Basically, I wud like the value of  "average time spent on a page" to be as close to the the time spent by the user during a particular session in which he interacts with a particular page. 

2) The "Time Spent per visit" should be as close as possible to the actual time spent by on site.

For 1) is it best to use the Pages report and add the Time Spent metric? 

For 2) is it best to use the Site Metrics > Time Spent Per Visit report and then add Visits and Total Seconds Spent data and then divide the latter by the former to get the average time per visit?

Regards,

Chiradeep  

[AkhilSharma · Accepted solution]

It always depends what our end objective are for which we are doing the analysis.
1)For example if i want to study the average time spent on each my specific page, then I would go by the Site Content> Pages Report and add Average Time Spent on Page metric (pre-defined standard metric).
However, as per your query,
"The "average time spent on a page" metric should display a time as close as the actual time the user spends on a page, including clicks to links, video views etc. but NOT visits to a new page opened from a new tab within the same browser. "
but as per the definition on Updated Time Spent Report:
" Calculates a visitor's Time Spent value based on Web beacon time stamps generated by the visitor's page views and link events (custom, download, exit, and video)."
Hence it calculates the time spent based on beacon time stamps and link events like custom, download,exit or a video.

2)For accurate time spent per visit you can use the Site Metrics > Time Spent Per Visit report and then add Visits and Total Seconds Spent data and then divide the latter by the former to get the average time per visit or else make a calculated metrics.

If it solves your query, give it a heart or you can mark at as closed.

Thanks
Akhil

[chiradeepm69851]

Hi Akhil,

Thanks for your reply. It certainly solves the best part of my query.

I have just a small clarification regarding the "Average Time Spent on Page" metric. Let's consider a scenario where the user opens a page on your website and spends 2-3 min reading it. He then opens several other pages from different sites in new tabs on the same browser. (this by the way is a common web browsing behavior). He then comes to your page after 25 min, reads it for another minute, closes the page, and exits the site. Does SiteCatalyst 15 have a way to stop the time counter on your page the moment you leave it and restart the counter after your revisit it within those 30 minutes. Or is there no way to accurately count the time the user realistically spent on the page and the standard 30 minute rule applies unless you view another page on the site withing 30 min? Also, while calculating "Average Time Spent on Page" metric, does SiteCatalyst adequately adjust the average time spent for pages that have more links (assuming the user clicks them), videos on them vs text-only pages?

regards,

Chiradeep

[AkhilSharma]

Hi Chiradeep,

Q1) Does SiteCatalyst 15 have a way to stop the time counter on your page the moment you leave it and restart the counter after your revisit it within those 30 minutes. 
Answer: Yes,the moment the webpage is shifted to background tab with another tab opened from different website, the beacon stops counting for the background tab till you resume the tab and revisit the page with in the time.

Q2)while calculating "Average Time Spent on Page" metric, does SiteCatalyst adequately adjust the average time spent for pages that have more links (assuming the user clicks them), videos on them vs text-only pages?
Answer) "When you view the Time Spent on Page met­ric in the Pages report for “home page,” what you’re really see­ing is the average time elapsed from one page name (“home page”) to another (such as “product page”) ".
Read More: http://blogs.adobe.com/digitalmarketing/analytics/time-spent-interacting-with-just-about-anything/

Let me know if it solves your query.

Thanks