Tracking the Impact of Your Web-Based Content.

Web-based content delivery is becoming increasingly popular due to the speed at which information can be relayed as well as the goal to reduce printed materials.  Program impact was traditionally assessed by number of publications sold or requested, whereas tracking web impact is more difficult. Free website tracking software such as Google^TM Analytics, however, offers a simple method to determine impact. Two turfgrass program websites (www.turf.uconn.edu and http://turf.uark.edu) were created in 2007 and began to track information using Google^TM Analytics. An average 20,000 pages were viewed on each website between launching in the spring and the end of the 2007 calendar year. Pages were viewed by people in 58 countries and territories. Direct traffic accounted for 44% of the visits, while referring websites and search engines accounted for 25% and 31%, respectively. Cost savings were documented by the 233 downloads of the 2006 University of Connecticut Turfgrass Annual Research Report, which was previously printed for $4.00 per copy and distributed free of charge. Google^TM Analytics can automatically develop customized extension and impact reports on a variety of information.