An Interesting Thing About Data Analysis...It Reveals Interesting Things (Especially About Establishing Web Presence) #NWP

There's no need for me to get into quantified data matrixes (and I don't even know if that is a word). I wish I could be all foo foo fee about variables and indicators, but that is above my head. All I know is that when I look at the graph sent to me today, I can say, "Dang, Doris. We're doing really cool stuff."

Actually, Doris is Ellen.

To the right, you will see graphics of the numbers of individuals we've reached through the CWPFairfield.Org website. In the seven years before I arrived, the site had a budget that was 75% over what I currently have to work with. I've only known scraps, however, so I've been strategic about how we spend money. We decided the online universe is the way to go. We've taught ourselves html coding, revamped our website, became strategic about social media, and marketed our product (WRITING FOR TEACHERS AND YOUTH) in new and exciting ways. The first large jump is when I became a director. The second large jump is when Ellen was hired to assist me.

You probably can't see the numbers, but we've increased our online viewership by 270%. We had over 47,000 unique hits visiting our site (that is the number of people who stop that can't be counted twice. The # quadruples for repeat visits).

We realize from looking at these metrics that our investment in Twitter, advertisement, Constant Contact, and making a crisper online vision available to others really does pay off.

Well, it hasn't paid off for my assistant and me, but it looks good in graphic form, at least. NOTE: Hiring Ellen full time, I attest again here, is a no brainer. Help me make this possible, world...will ya?

(it helps that we have a super, intelligent smarty-pants man who does this for a living and was graciously willing to give his time to analyzing our data for us...one nameless husband of an administrative assistant who I am indebted to and who needs to be hired full time).

This graph, along with the 2014 ISI Survey given back to me today by the National Writing Project, makes me thrilled by the work our committed team is doing ---- 100% of the participants last year felt the teaching institute was remarkable, top notch, and the best professional development of their career. That's huge.

But now I need to get back to work. My goal is to understand how people can make such graphs and to figure out what it REALLY is telling us. I need to put into word and speech what the squiggly lines really mean.