Generate sample data and reports

In addition, if you are an Account Administrator, you can create either one or both of the following demo data centers containing:

• Default sample data
  You create a data center, in which conversion tracking, touchpoints, personas, lead scoring rules, and all other metrics are predefined. Sample data is imported in advance and historical statistics are calculated, so you can get familiar with features and types of reports straight away.
• Custom scenario
  You create an empty data center, which gives you the flexibility to define your own conversion tracking, touchpoints, persona, lead scoring rules, and other metrics. In the metric and rules definitions you can use URLs that are based on your actual website. Once you are done with all definitions, you populate the data center with sample data to examine the reports statistics, based on your definitions. Be aware that all imported data is sample data and therefore is not based on real tracking of your site. To see real reports for your site, enable the tracking on your site and create an actual data center to track interactions on the site.

Once you create your sample data centers and define your scoring models and metrics, you populate sample data to test your demo scenarios. You can use any of the two approaches for creating sample data centers, depending on your familiarity with the product and on your organizations requirements.

NOTE: Keep in mind that sample data centers generate fictional data in a way to get you acquainted with the product.

To get an overview of how Sitefinity Insight works, take a look at the Getting Started Guide.

Sample data is imported for 30 days in the past from the date you populate your data center with sample data. When importing data, Sitefinity Insight simulates the interactions of visitors throughout this time period, so that in your reports you get conversions, touchpoint hits, and statistics for all metrics defined. In additions, audience data that is imported is both for anonymous visitors and known contacts. Known contacts are identified by their email address.

Once you populate your data center with sample data, the statistics you see are for the day before because all statistics are calculated once per day. To get statistics for the current day, you need to wait for the nightly calculation of data. However, if you do not repopulate the data center with sample data on the next day, the reports show 0 hits, conversions, and so on. The reason is that no actual tracking is performed. To get new statistics, repopulate with sample data.

The following sections describe the two types of demo data centers you can create to get an understanding of how Sitefinity Insight works.