Learning and Sharing

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Learning Google Analytics

Some of you know I'm in a graduate Web Analytics course through Boston University. And those who know me know I may not have a lot of talents but I don't mind putting myself out there to learn something new even if it means looking like a fool.

Here are just a few things I've learned about Google analytics.
1. You register your site with Google Analytics and it gives you a unique bit of java script you embed in right after the <head> in the html code of each page of your site. Here's my unique tracking code for this website:


<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-134536164-1"></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag('js', new Date());

gtag('config', 'UA-134536164-1');
</script>

2. That tracking code then tracks anonymous info for those that visit the site. I'll attach a screenshot of my current dashboard to give you an idea of some of the things it tracks.

3. There are lots of more sophisticated things you can do from there, such as tracking performance of a certain digital campaign, bounce rate on certain pages to determine their effectiveness, etc.

I'm testing a Destination Goal in Google Analytics. If you click HERE, it will show you my certificate of completion of the beginners course for Google Analytics Academy. It will also register your visit in my Google Analytics goal dashboard. I'll share my learning and results in the next several days.

Here's what my dashboard currently looks like:

Here's a link to a 3 minute video on LinkedIn Learning that covers a few of these basics.

I just completed the Google Analytics Academy Beginners Course, at it was lots of fun. Here's a link to more info if that's your cup of tea.

My First ERD (Entity Relationship Diagram) and Learning SQL

For work I run the software platform we use to create and store our process documentation. The data is stored in a database server. The database logs changes/transactions and in order to pull some data out of the database for reporting and for other uses, we use SQL (structured query language). ("We" as in mostly the IT folks I work with. But I'm learning!)

As I learn more about databases, I drew this Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) for a university setting. An ERD is a way to map out the relationships between various tables that make up the database. My diagram is super simple and it has some mistakes, but I wanted to share my first attempt here for comments, critique, etc. in the hopes of learning even more.

Here's a link to the ERD I drew using a tool called Lucidchart. I suppose you could use Gliffy, Visio, or a dozen other tools. (By the way, since I'm new at this, what are some of the most popular tools folks in the know use to draw ERDs?) Here's a video tutorial about ERDs produced by Lucidchart.

As for SQL, I find it very interesting. I completed all 52 exercises at w3schools and also had to run a bunch of SQL scripts using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio for an assignment for my Web Analytics course with Boston University.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Handy Personal Income Tax Flow Chart

As we head in to tax season, here is a handy flow chart to better understand key tax figures that impact your personal financial planning.

Take a look and let me know what you think. Here's a link to the PDF.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Handy Real World Application of the Present Value Formula

Financial Planning Quiz from the American College

The American College recently did some research into the minds of wallets of people preparing for retirement. Here's a quiz they prepared to test your knowledge about financial planning topics. I took it and missed a few (some of them are tricky, I'm warnning you!). Take a look. There are 38 questions.
American College Quiz

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Four Reasons to Look Beyond the S&P500 for your Investments

Here's an <8min. video presentation on my thoughts as to why investors ought to include other investments beyond just the S&P500 index fund. Here's a link to the slide deck for your reference. I hope this is helpful and I welcome any feedback. Thanks in advance!

Saturday, August 16, 2014

How Zebras Purchase Life Insurance...and What They Can Teach Us About Insurance Concepts

Here's a presentation I made to share some of the things I've learned about insurance. Let me know what you think. Hopefully this will help to make you a better informed insurance consumer.