Webtrends has the following comments on the OMB’s proposal:

1. Webtrends supports privacy guidelines focused on transparency and control. Under the OMB’s proposed framework any federal agency using web tracking technologies on its Web site would be required to adhere to the following basic privacy principles:

• Adhere to all existing laws and policies (including those designed to protect privacy) governing the collection, use, retention, and safeguarding of any data gathered from users;
• Post clear and conspicuous notice on the Web site of the use of web tracking technologies;
• Provide a clear and understandable means for a user to opt-out of being tracked; and
• Not discriminate against those users who decide to opt-out, in terms of their access to information.

Webtrends recently stated its support for broad privacy principles such as these in the context of government Websites. In applying these principles, we respectfully recommend that the OMB focus on principles of transparency and control applied proportionately to the privacy risks. The OMB should also avoid being overly prescriptive about how agencies are expected to comply. Specifying technological methods that should be utilized can be overly burdensome and could even prevent the use of more protective privacy solutions that are constantly being developed. Instead, agencies should have flexibility to find effective solutions that work best for their Web sites and citizens’ needs, while taking into account the privacy impact of the level of tracking being conducted and the type of information being tracked.

2. Webtrends recommends additional tracking levels based on additional factors. The OMB has offered for consideration a three-tiered approach to the use of web tracking technologies on federal government Web sites:

• 1st – Single-session technologies, which track users over a single session and do not maintain tracking data over multiple sessions or visits;
• 2nd – Multi-session technologies for use in analytics, which track users over multiple sessions purely to gather data to analyze web traffic statistics; and
• 3rd – Multi-session technologies for use as persistent identifiers, which track users over multiple visits with the intent of remembering data, settings, or preferences unique to that visitor for purposes beyond what is needed for web analytics

In addition to these three tiers, we respectfully recommend that the OMB consider other levels based on the following factors:

• Whether First Party Cookies Are Implemented. Federal web administrators that choose to serve first party cookies should have less stringent privacy requirements than those that use third party cookies. Third party cookies are served up by, and data collected using, applications on third party servers. In contrast, first party cookies are served up, and data collected, using applications on the agency’s own servers. By storing their own cookie data, federal agencies can better control access and use of the data collected from visitors to government Web sites. Further, because first party cookies are only delivered by the sites they are visiting, privacy issues are minimized. With first party cookies, citizens know who is collecting their data and who they can contact if they have a problem with a cookie.
• Whether Web Analytics Data is Anonymized. A distinction should also be made based on whether personal information is tied to cookies or if visitors remain anonymous. Processes have been developed that obscure or eliminate IP address and other potential identifiers. Such techniques further enhance privacy, while still allowing for meaningful analytics. Whether these processes are used should be taken into account as additional factors in determining what levels of privacy protections should be applied.

Webtrends encourages the OMB to take its comments into consideration as it continues to develop its policy. We also urge our federal government clients to submit input to the OMB Proposed Revision of the Policy on Web Tracking Technologies for Federal Web sites to make sure their concerns are addressed. Comments can be posted until August 10th on the Office for Science and Technology blog, in response to the Federal Register Notice using methods described in the notice, or emailed to: oira_submission@omb.eop.gov.

Everyone is now well aware how much the Internet, social media and technology played a big role in the new Administration’s election. In my recent visit with our Government clients in D.C., I noticed a lot of excitement – and apprehension – about this new tech savvy Administration ability.  Almost everyone I spoke to referred to ‘gathering metrics for the Transition Team”. There seemed to be renewed interest in the web analytic programs and even more importantly – moving from gathering ‘Data’ to creating ‘Actionable’ reports.  Improving on line communication is coming of age.

While there are award winning web sites (SSA, USA.gov) many of the government web analytic programs I know have struggled to stay on top of their programs – most often because limited manpower, unavailable skill sets, budget and most famously confusion around OMB Federal Guidelines. Just getting basic stats is all many programs could get deployed. Yet with the renewed energy around ‘open communication ‘ and ‘moving into the 21st Century’ many agencies will probably be revisiting their web analytics programs for ways to improve.

So here are a few thoughts about optimizing your program:

Put the Horse before the Cart!!

• Determine the Key Performance Indicators for your web site before you start creating reports
• Understand the how to collect accurate data for your specific situation
• Create a strategy to get the most out of the data you collect
• Know what your end users audiences are and how they like to receive information.

Leverage WebTrends great flexibility and customize your program

• Create a relevant templates, dashboards and reports for your specific end users based on your KPI strategy – this will engage your end users and lead to successful adoption.
• Deploy – Review – Revise – Redeploy… Web Design and Web Analytics should be considered a ‘marriage’. One affects the other as new content is added to the website or as the appetite for advanced analytics increases.
• And as always, consider partnering with WebTrends Professional Services to get to value sooner.

If you’ve got any questions or topics you’d like to see addressed specific to the challenges (and successes) of government websites, please don’t hesitate to comment or reach out to me directly.

“Me want cookies!”   This is what I hear many of my Government clients say – more specifically they want to understand cookies in relation to their web analytics.  I have come to call this the “Cookie Monster” issue since there is so much confusion.  So for my post here (and with many thanks to DJ) I thought Let’s start with dessert first!

Below I have listed from most accurate to less accurate the ways visitors are identified on-line:

1. Authenticated:  The technique by which access to Internet or intranet resources requires the user to enter a username and password as identification.  This is the only way to count visitors “across machines”, as no matter where they log in they are identified correctly.  Cookies are really just tracking unique computers!
2. Persistent Cookies :  A text file containing a random identification string that “lives” on the visitors computer.  Using the value stored in this cookie, WebTrends can identify if you’ve been to the site before and identify you as a “new” or “returning” visitor (but can’t tell anything else about you… it’s a random number after all!).  This is also used to provide “unique visitor” counts in WebTrends.
3. Session Cookies : A text file containing a random identification string that only remains in the computer’s memory for the length of the visit, or “session”.  It does not live on the machine after you navigate away from the site that set it, so there is no way to identify visitors that have been to the site before.
4. IP Address : Internet Protocol Address is used to identify a computer connect to the internet.  Since there are only so many IP addresses to go around, more often than not individual machines end up sharing the same IP address due to the use of proxy servers (used by large organizations like companies and universities), internet service providers or even home wireless routers.

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