Cool custom measure column: Number of first-time visits

This is a nifty extension of the generic create-custom-measures-based-on-KPI-pages post that we did a couple months ago.

You already can easily get reports on New vs Return Visitors, and you can use New vs Return as a dimension combined with something like Campaigns as another dimension.  Or you can use New and Return as filters in custom reports.  This is a little different, and we think it’s actually better.  It’s not a dimension (a row called New or Return), it’s a measure (a column, with numbers under it).

We’re calling this measure ”First-Time Visits” and it makes a column that shows the number of visits that were visitors’ first-ever visits.  It’s very cool in reports on campaigns, search terms, search term groups, or other “source of visit” reports.

It uses one of the important, but hidden, parameters that are created by the very very smart SDC server when it processes hits.  It’s possible only if you collect data using SDC (SmartSource Data Collector).  Normally, WebTrends uses this parameter in reports such as New versus Return Visitors.  We piggy-back on it for this special custom measure.

Reality check

You DO want to know which traffic sources are bringing in first-timers, right?  Of course you do.

Think about it.  One of the big wins for any banner campaign or affiliate site or paid search ad or organic search keyword is bringing first-timers to the site.   To introduce people to your wonderful, engaging, helpful, valuable and well-organized site and to let the site do its magic and induce these newcomers to buy, come back over and over, or whatever it is that your site is supposed to do.

How-to

Here’s how to make a First-Time Visits measure, in detailed step-by-step for those who haven’t done something like this before.   We’re following the procedure from the create-custom-measures-based-on-KPI-pages post .

• Open the WT admin screen and go to:  Report Configuration >> Custom Reports >> Measures >> New Measure
• Name the measure something like “First-Time Visits”.  Same for the column name. 
• “Value to Base On” is Query Parameter and “Parameter Name” is “WT.ti” - weird, but trust us. 
• Ignore the Advanced button and go to the next screen.
• “When to Measure” is “Hits that Match Specified URL.”  It’s the last choice in the dropdown menu. 
• For “Do you want to sum this measure across the visit” choose “YES.”
• In the “URL Expression” window, enter “*” using Equal To.
• Click on “New URL Parameter” to open the URL Parameter window.  In that window, enter “WT.vt_f” as the parameter name.  Yes, WT.vt_if is the magical internal SDC parameter that SDC sets to a value of “1″ if a visitor doesn’t have a pre-existing WebTrends cookie.  (it sets it to a value of “2″ at other times, but we only want the 1’s.)
• Parameter Value should be Equal To the number “1,” using the Text radio button
• Click Done.  You’ll go back to the mean Create Measures screens. 
• Go to the Format tab and set it to “No Currency” and 0 decimal places
• Save

Now you’re ready to add the measure to an appropriate custom report.  It works great with a report where the dimension is Campaign ID (WT.mc_id on entry page, in other words). 

IMPORTANT:  Note the above statement.  We get mail about this from people who skip over it.  When adding the measure to a custom report, specify the Method as “COUNT”.  The default is Sum.  Don’t use Sum.  Use COUNT.

Postscript:

Do we need to mention that people who delete their cookies or use multiple computers will mess up any means of identifying them as repeaters or first-timers?  Or that browsers that refuse persistent cookies can’t be classified as repeaters or first-timers?   The results won’t be perfect.  But they’re pretty darn useful anyway.

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