How to determine annual users for websites

The OC Global Alliance requests information from each of its teams about the number of annual users for ministry websites. This article explains how to determine the number of annual users for websites by addressing these frequently asked questions:

If you have suggestions, comments or questions not addressed here, write us at research@oci.org.

What is meant by the number of annual website users and why are we interested in this figure?

The OCGA Annual Ministry Summary and Numbers Report requests the number of annual users for your ministry website. This number is made up of one-time visitors and return visitors to a particular website (the latter are only counted one time, even thought they used the website more than once). For the purpose of the OC Global Alliance ministry summary the calendar year (January 1 to December 31) is used. Although the number of annual users is an approximate figure, it is one of the better measures of ministry website usage that we believe all teams within the Global Alliance can provide, as will be explained below,

Let’s clarify what we mean and do not mean by annual users.

  • Hits. "Hits" represents the number of times the server that hosts you website has been accessed. One page on an internet site can require multiple “hits” on the server to load. For example, there is the basic page that contains the text. Each image requires a hit. Perhaps there is a cascading style sheet, a plug in or java script which also require a server "hit." A well developed home page, for example, might require tens of hits on the server to load. For our purposes, the number of hits in a year does not provide useful information about the number of users accessing a ministry website.
  • Page Views. This statistic represents the total number pages that were viewed. This is a better measure of website traffic, but this is not what we are asking for in this survey. It is, however, valuable to know which pages on your site are receiving the most attention.
  • Sessions. This statistic records the number of sessions for a website. During a session, a user may view one or more pages. A return user (visitor) will have numerous sessions during a year.
  • Unique Annual Users. This would be the exact number of individuals who used the website in a year. We would love to know this, but it is not possible to determine because in today's technological world people may use multiple devices, such as smartphones, laptops, or desktop computers, at various locations to access a website. In this case, the number of individuals who accessed the site would be less than what the digital trail indicates. On the other hand several people may use the same device and browser to access the site. In this case, the number of individuals who accessed the website would be greater than what the digital trail indicates. It is not possible, then, to know exactly how many unique users a website has.
  • Annual Users. This number is the best indication that modern technology can provide for website usage. The number of annual users counts one time visitors to a website as well as visitors who used the website multiple times. This is what is sought for the OCGA Ministry Summary.

How do I determine the number of annual website users?

Your website host or a third party website analytics service, such as Google Analytics, can provide you with insightful information about the amount of traffic for your ministry website. You should be able to configure the administrative settings to give you the total number of annual users for the calendar year (January 1 to December 31) as described above. If you are using Google Analytics, see the specific instructions in the next FAQ.

How can I determine annual users using Google Analytics?

Using Google Analytics, take these five steps to determine the number of annual users.

  1. Log into Google Analytics.
  2. Select dates from top right corner. See point A) in the image below. Set the date for January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015.
  3. Open the Audience tab from the left hand side bar if it is not already open.
  4. There is a drop down menu from which you can select the metric “Users”. See point B in the image below.
  5. After doing so, the number of users for the year will be displayed. See point C) below. This is the number of annual users.

I don't have a website analytics service. How can I estimate the number of annual users using hits or visits?

Hopefully your web hosting service can provide you with some information about the traffic for you site for the calendar year. Based on the information you have, use the appropriate formula to estimate the number of annual users for your website.

As you see, this is a general estimation. To prepare for next year, set up a website analytics service TODAY! See the next FAQ for recommendations.

What can I do now to best prepare for next year?

Be sure that you have a website analytics service that is monitoring the traffic for your ministry website for the entire year. We recommend Google Analytics, a free service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Reportedly Google Analytics is the most widely used web analytics service on the Internet. Sign up at https://www.google.com/analytics/standard/.

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