Using Google Analytics as a process evaluation method for Internet-delivered interventions: an example on sexual health

The study aimed to demonstrate the potential of Google Analytics as a process evaluation method for Internet-delivered interventions, using a website about sexual health as an example. This study reports visitors behavior until 21 months after the release of the website (March 2009December 2010). In total, there were 850 895 visitors with an average total visiting time (i.e. dose) of 5:07 min. Google Analytics provided data to answer three key questions in terms of process evaluation of an Internet-delivered intervention: (i) How do visitors behave?; (ii) Where do visitors come from? and (iii) What content are visitors exposed to? This real-life example demonstrated the potential of Google Analytics as a method to be used in a process evaluation of Internet-delivered interventions. This is highly relevant given the current expansion of these interventions within the field of health promotion.