Quantifying StackMap’s Success with Google Analytics

A North Carolina University completed their implementation of StackMap’s Collection Mapping product two years ago. Since then, they have seen increased patron engagement with their catalog as well as a greater focus on user needs. We were able to sit down with one of their Library User Experience Web Developers, to discuss how Collection Mapping, along with Google Analytics, has proven this increase and allowed them to better understand the needs of their patrons.

Collecting analytics was something we realized we wanted after our Collection Mapping setup. We worked directly with the StackMap team, and they went above and beyond. 

We completed the Google Analytics setup in November, and since January, we’ve had over 1,000 clicks on the Map-it button! This was an unexpected but pleasant surprise for us. Having this information was extremely important to know how much patrons were using the product in the catalog. Additionally, learning how to set up analytics on our end allowed us to customize and think about what other analytics we could collect in the future.

We were initially excited about the ability to map items and having the Map-it button in the catalog. We now appreciate that setting up Google Analytics has allowed us to get as granular as possible in understanding how much usage we’re getting out of Collection Mapping. We can see how many clicks items in our catalog are getting and what subject areas are getting more traffic than others.

This is one of many customers that have set up Google Analytics to better understand the popularity of Collection Mapping among library users. Setting up Collection Mapping can not only make navigating the stacks easier than ever, but also encourage catalog interaction given how easy it is to just click Map-it to find what you need!