Sweet Analytics,'tis thou has ravished me!
-Marlowe, Christopher
According to the Web Analytics Association, Web Analytics is the tracking, collection, measurement, reporting, and analysis of quantitative Internet data to optimize websites and web marketing. Since times have changed (duh!) and online is how we pretty much do everything, Web Analytics can be really helpful.
Okay. Web Analytics tool. Google Analytics. Check. Check. But how can you actually make this really cool tracker to work for you? How can it succeed? All you see in that dashboard are crooked graphs, numbers, and a lot of reports that you try so hard to understand. According to the book Web Analytics: An Hour A Day by Kaushik, Web Analytics is rather complex, and it is always optimal to step back from the tools and reports and first understand the basics.
What we not-much-technical-stuff inclined people should actually do is to try to look at our vision, how we approach with web analytics. We shoud start with the right mind set.
What do we consider before web analytics?
First, focus on customer centricity. Ask yourself what purpose does your website do for you or your company. Your website should not only focus on gathering clickstream data just to monitor website traffic. It should serve its purpose. Focus on the WHY DOES MY WEBSITE EXIST question.
Sometimes sites are only viewed or even scanned, people do not even bother to look at what you're trying to tell them. Viewed pages are just viewed pages. You don't measure success by the number of your visitors. They have to buy something. They have to comment. They have to reach the "Thank You" page and then you can say your site is a success.
If you get your site purpose in line with what you want to achieve, web analytics will follow.
Second, solve for business questions. Be different. Your business may be the same as your neighbor's but hey, stand out. Have a differnet strategy of delivering customer value. Focus on your business questions and not just reports. try to answer questions like "How can we achieve revenue increase in the next quarter?" or "What are our customers' problems with the website?" These questions can help you analyze your reports in the long run.
Answering these questions can actually help you or your company gain competitive advantage.
Third, follow the 10/90 rule. Spend 10% on your tools and 90% on brain power or people. People are the assets of the company, not the tools. High- end web analytics tools are expensive and they can generate massive amounts of reports but do not succeed in giving results.
Successful web analytics come from your people.
Fourth, hire great web analysts. People who
- used more than one web analytics tool extensively,
- visits web analytics groups and blogs,
- visit websites and web pages before diving in to the analytics,
- understand technicalities,
- are comfortable in both quality and quantity
- are explorers
- communicate effectively
- are street smart
Again, relating these discussed components with the Telecommunications Industry or specifically SMART Communications, the company has to consider these things to be successful. It has to find ways of optimizing its web presence. Even though they have strong visibility in the market, it always pays to have more. And you can get more through the web.
My group mates are also into web analytics. Read blogs by Camille, Charles, Julie and Ikah.
