How a Google Grant and Google Analytics Improved a Website: A Case Example of a University’s Arbitration and Mediation Website Used by Students, Business and the Public

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Grand Valley State University Arbitration and Mediation Website and to explain how web site analytics provided by Google helped redefine and reshape this website so that it was easier to use and delivered better content for users all over the globe.The web site’s focus is on two common forms of alternative dispute resolution, arbitration and mediation. The web site is currently used as both a free resource for arbitration awards and as a teaching tool for these two popular alternative dispute resolution methods. Mediation and arbitration have become the chosen method of dispute resolution in business so the need for more information about these topics is timely.The Websites are aided by a Google Grant that has provided the administrators with an unprecedented amount of data relating to its usage and users. This data has allowed the administrators to change and adapt the website in the goal of making it more user-friendly and ultimately a teaching aid. The primary purpose of the team that administers the arbitration web site (and other web sites and mobile applications) is to teach through technology as a public service of the university.The site is used by many in business and the public in general all over the globe.