Web analytics in a vacuum is not web analytics
After roughly my millionth viewing of Caddyshack recently, it dawned on me that Ty Webb was really onto something when he said, "A flute with no holes is not a flute, and a doughnut with no holes is a danish." Particularly in the world of Internet marketing, misnomers are ubiquitous. I think the real crime here, however, is when someone confuses data presentation with web analytics.
From our friends at Dictionary.com we will find that the term "analytic" means:
1. pertaining to or proceeding by analysis. 2. skilled in or habitually using analysis.
Now, I have no intention of altering the course of English, but I do feel by pluralizing the word and adding a preceding "web" requires that those in the web analytics community perform some actual analysis. It is too easy and occurs too often that we fall into the trap of spitting out cookie cutter reports detailing basic information such as time on site, page views, et cetera, et cetera. You can talk your business associates or your clients blue in the face with terminology that they do not understand and you can even talk over any questions they may have with a dazzling array of terminology that they don't fully comprehend. Unfortunately, this may make us feel like we've done something important, but it doesn't accomplish anything.
So how exactly, do we stay out of this trap? Communication. For the vast majority of us, other decision makers - whether it's management or a client, is the person holding the real knowledge of what the web site is supposed to be doing and what the end goals are. So it makes sense to create a system that keeps these people involved. More importantly, speak English to them. Bounce rate and backlinks might not mean anything, so focus on outcomes when you communicate with these people. Say "revenue" not "conversions", and keep benchmarks handy that give a clear impression of where you've been, where you're going, and more importantly, what the data means in business terms.
Remember, if there's no business, there's no web analytics and there's no work for people like you and I. So keep the important business stakeholders in the loop as you begin and move forward and you'll be far more likely to be performing REAL web analytics. Moving forward with your internet marketing and analytics initiatives, this will provide better outcomes for everyone involved.
The author of this article is a Managing Partner of Michigan Internet marketing firm Netvantage Marketing, providing clients with search engine optimization, pay per click management, and web analytics consulting services.
