Response Fields and Data Analysis

NextSteps, a powerful digital tool developed by the Jesus Film Project, offers robust analytics features to help you measure and improve the effectiveness of your digital ministry campaigns. This guide will walk you through the process of accessing and interpreting the analytics data provided by NextSteps, enabling you to make data-driven decisions to enhance your outreach efforts.

Understanding the Importance of Data Analysis

Proper data analysis is crucial for digital ministries because it:

  • Helps determine if your message is reaching the right audience
  • Measures the effectiveness of your digital campaigns
  • Empowers ministries to adapt and improve their strategies

Accessing Analytics in NextSteps

NextSteps provides two primary methods to view your journey's performance data:

  1. Analytics Overlay
  2. Detailed Analytics Report

1. Using the Analytics Overlay

The Analytics Overlay provides a quick, visual representation of your journey's performance directly on the journey builder interface.To access the Analytics Overlay:

  1. Open your journey in the NextSteps journey builder.
  2. Locate and toggle on the "Analytics Overlay" switch.

Key metrics displayed in the Analytics Overlay include:

  • Unique Visitors and Card Visits: At the top of the overlay, you'll see rounded numbers for unique visitors and total card visits.
  • Traffic Sources: To the left of the social media card, a basic breakdown of traffic sources is displayed.
  • Per-Card Metrics: Above each card, you'll find:
    • Estimated number of unique users
    • Overall card drop-off rate
    • Average time spent per card
  • Action Element Performance: Each actionable card element is overlaid with a bar graph visualizing the number of users who chose that option.

2. Accessing Detailed Analytics Report

For more comprehensive data:

  1. Click on the "Analytics" icon next to the strategy button in the journey builder.
  2. This will open a detailed report with additional information about:
    • Visitors
    • Traffic sources
    • Top performing cards
    • Traffic locations
    • Device types

To view information about individual users:

  1. In the detailed analytics report, click on the "Visitors" section.
  2. This will display data about individual users who navigated through your journey.

Name & Email Response Fields

We've recently implemented several updates to NextSteps to enhance your experience with data analysis. Subscribe Blocks have been removed.

  • New Journeys: The "Subscribe Block" is no longer available as a single block option when building new journeys.
  • Existing Journeys: If you previously used the Subscribe Block in your journeys, it has been automatically converted into its individual components:
    • A Name Response Field
    • An Email Response Field
    • A Button (which submits the data entered in the fields when clicked) This change allows for more flexibility in how you collect user information.

Enhanced Analytics: Export Your Visitor Data

We're excited to introduce the ability to export your journey analytics! This provides a much more user-friendly way to view, analyze, and manage your visitor data outside of the platform.

  • Export Format: Data is exported as a CSV file, compatible with spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
  • Simplified Data: The exported file provides key information while removing less critical details (like 'Next Step' and 'Skip Step' columns found in the previous 'Visitor Activity' view), making it easier to focus on relevant metrics.
  • Pre-Export Filtering: You can use built-in filters before exporting to narrow down the data you need. For example, you can filter by specific responses.
  • Customizable Date Range:
    • You can select specific start and end dates for the data you wish to export.
    • By default, the date range spans from the journey's creation date to the current date.
    • If you change the dates and need to reset to the default, simply refresh the page.
  • New Data Columns (Name, Email, Phone):
    • The export now includes dedicated columns for 'Name', 'Email', and 'Phone'.
    • These columns are populated directly from data submitted by visitors through the corresponding Name Response Field, Email Response Field, and Phone Response Field blocks within your journey.
    • Important: If a visitor submits their details (Name, Email, or Phone) multiple times within the same journey, these columns in the export will reflect the most recent information submitted by that visitor.
  • How to Access the Analytics Export:
    • Option 1: Via the 'Response' Button
      1. Open your journey in the Journey Editor.
      2. Click the 'Response' button (located near the top).
      3. The Analytics Export page will open directly.
      4. Note: Using this method automatically checks the 'Submitted Text' filter by default (you can uncheck it if needed).
    • Option 2: Via the 'Analytics' Section
      1. Open your journey in the Journey Editor.
      2. Click the 'Analytics' button (this will typically open in a new tab).
      3. Within the Analytics view, click on the 'Visitors' tab or section.
      4. The Analytics Export page will open.

This new export functionality empowers you to perform deeper analysis, track responses more effectively, and integrate NextSteps data with other tools.

Interpreting and Utilizing Analytics Data

To make the most of NextSteps analytics:

  1. Set Clear Objectives: Define what success looks like for your digital campaign. This could be reaching a certain number of unique visitors, achieving a specific engagement rate, or meeting conversion goals.
  2. Monitor Key Metrics: Regularly check your unique visitors, card visits, and drop-off rates. These metrics can indicate the overall reach and engagement of your journey.
  3. Analyze Traffic Sources: Understanding where your visitors are coming from can help you focus your promotional efforts on the most effective channels.
  4. Optimize Based on Performance: Use the per-card metrics to identify which parts of your journey are most engaging and which might need improvement. Consider revising or replacing cards with high drop-off rates.
  5. Tailor Content to Your Audience: Use the information about traffic locations and device types to ensure your content is accessible and relevant to your audience.
  6. Track Individual Journeys: The visitor-level data can provide insights into how users are interacting with your content, allowing you to personalize your outreach strategies.

Best Practices for Data-Driven Ministry

  1. Regular Review: Set aside time regularly to review your analytics and discuss findings with your team.
  2. A/B Testing: Use the insights from your analytics to inform A/B tests of different content or layouts to continually improve your journey's effectiveness.
  3. Combine Quantitative and Qualitative Data: While analytics provide valuable quantitative data, also consider gathering qualitative feedback through surveys or user interviews to get a complete picture of your journey's impact.
  4. Stay Aligned with Ministry Goals: Always interpret your data in the context of your overall ministry objectives to ensure your digital efforts are supporting your broader mission.

By effectively leveraging the analytics features in NextSteps, you can gain valuable insights into your digital ministry efforts, allowing you to refine your strategies and maximize your impact.For more detailed information on using NextSteps and its features, visit the NextSteps Support Page. Additionally, explore the Jesus Film Project Tools for more resources to enhance your digital ministry efforts.

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