Google Analytics - Network Properties

I must be blunt - the Network Properties is the section of Google Analytics that I visit the least. It truly is some pretty basic reporting, and I've only found a couple applications for the data in the reports. Essentially, these reports provide you with connection-level metrics for your visitors:

• Network Location
• Hostnames
• Connection Speeds

The Network Location report does not provide geographical location details (those are in the Map Overlay report). Rather, this report tells you which internet service providers (ISPs) your visitors are using, by referencing the internet service that owns the user's internet protocol (IP) identifier of each visitor. I haven't yet found a very practical business application for this report, but this is what it looks like:

I really don't know if Cable internet users are more likely to convert on your site than DSL, but I suppose this is the report to tell you...

Hostnames

Hostnames report makes an attempt to provide the hosts from which your visitors are comings. However, this report is not even remotely reliable. To quote the Google Analytics tip feature directly:

"Hostnames sometimes provide insight into organizations that are interested in what you offer."

I love the 'sometimes'. I would like to know how often that sometimes is, because if you take a look at this sample report, I don't see any organization or host other than my very own personal blog host domain!

Well, I can't be too hard on Google Analytics, because it's not really the intended functionality. If you're looking to gain in-depth reporting into the actual companies that are visiting your website, you'll need a different solution, such as LeadLander. Really, this report is not yet all that accurate.

Connection Speeds

Of the Network Properties reports, this one may be the only one that I can see a direct business application for. Here's what a report looks like:

Suppose you're going to run a marketing campaign, and you're trying to determine how to design it. Will it be an interactive flash site? Will it be heavily graphical or feature streaming video? Well, something to watch out for would be if a heavy portion of your visitors are on dialup (perhaps your site caters more to an older generation). In that case, you'd have the metrics here to validate a low-bandwidth promotion, or at least an alternative promotion format for your dialup visitors.

Again, these reports aren't necessarily earth shattering, but I suppose they may provide something of value. To someone. Maybe.