Managing web analytics

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Thomas Bosilevac

Managing Analytics in the Enterprise

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Where have I fit in…Utilizing analytics: 5 years• Agency world (VML)

• E-Commerce (WhatsHotNow)

• Business Process Apps

• Virtumundo – SPAMMERS (but learned a TON)

Managing analytics: 5 years• Web Analytics Manager Caterpillar

• Program Manager (ITA) Microsoft IT

Implementing and speaking about analytics: 3 years• (Principal Consultant,Speaker, CYA’r)

• Independent (Holland America, LuxuryLink)

• (Co-founder) Bridgeleaf Software

And tons of “projects”(uearn.com, manhattanbars.com, droogle.ca, AllInOneStats.com)

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Now I am trying it my own way…

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AGENDA

How to get started (5 things I wish I knew)

How to get promoted

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1 - JOB DEFINITION

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People / Technology / Time

Technology

Opportunity

People

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Set Expectations

•Set expectations early•X number of dashboards \ month•X% of time spent on ad-hoc requests •X experiments per month•X hours training available per month

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So many jobs – only one role

Small / Startup

• You are the team• You are the key internet

marketing advertiser/influencer

• You will be extremely busy• You can make a HUGE

impact• Iterations and site changes

are non-political• Utilize, try , partner with

free and cheap tools often• Most likely you can start

from scratch• Spend your time wisely• Planning• Automation• Ad-hoc analytics

Large (Non internet savvy)

• You are the sole analytics guy/gal

• You may be an extension of the marketing team

• Your recommendations are extremely valuable but may move to committee

• Politics start to play a role as management plays CYA games with data

• Analytics is likely installed, but the implementation may need to be refreshed (do your own research)

• Marketing , Sales, Management teams all come to you

• Quickly establish a reporting RoB or expect to be a report monkey.

Large (internet savvy)

• Hired as part of a team• You are the extension of the

Analysis and Insights team• Your boss is also an Analyst• Your recommendations are

expected and needed in order to keep the business going

• You are stuck with the current tool and marketing technology platform

• Luckily, your work is managed and structured

• Take advantage of a live budget for tools like Tableau, ObservePoint, TrackMyMarketing.

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2 - MANAGE THE YOUR

DATA

It is politicalIt can be dangerousIt is REALLY usefulIt is getting a ton of buzz

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Defining the Opportunity

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Understand the input:• How is traffic coming in? Who, How, Where,

WHAT?

• What are those URL’s below the Top 10?

• The conversion late is low …• Was a new location introduced?• Are you getting significantly higher traffic? • New content? New message?• Change of price, product location?

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Protect your data

•Always look at the pros and cons of how, what and when you publish data.

•Just because data is available to YOU does not mean it should be available to everyone

•Post changes, data loss, errors, etc…•Limit the fire drills but respect urgency.

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Challenge the Hippo’s statements:• “More people is great”

• “This is a long term campaign – conversions are unimportant”

• “I don’t trust these numbers (when they are not in their favor)”

• “OK, so you got me…our goals are changing next Quarter though

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Determine your Audience

• How long have they been using the current tool?• Do they understand a view vs visits? (HITS!^*&^)• Is the team well respected or is the data “questionable”• Do you show them overviews, reports, or insights only?

Viewers Reporters Analyzers

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AUTOMATE

OR DIE

3 -

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The challenge…

A tremendous amount of time is spent each month compiling reports.- Collecting data- Combining, sorting- Filtering, grouping- Creating graphs- Creating “selectors”

This takes away from:- Time providing insights, recommendations OUTCOMES

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Don’t be a report monkey!

Going to becomes the rare necessity…

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Technology Stack

Screen clipping taken: 5/27/2010, 11:15 PM

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Use Technology

Always think automation, it will totally save you, your end-users, and your vendor.• The key difference between reporting and analysis

Utilize the Freemium ecosystem

Google Analyti

csTwitaly

zerBucket

BTMailChi

mpWordpr

ess

Omniture

Radian6

ExactTargetJive

Software

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CREATE A WATER-COOLER

MOMENT

4 -

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Expected reportsThis months email campaign had 34% higher sales than last month.

Out top three acquisition sources are Direct Traffic, Google, and Bing. This has unchanged for 4 months but we did see a 4% drop in traffic.

The top three locations where folks come from are: New York City, LA and Chicago.

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Outside box reportingDid you hear Mary’s campaign had the highest Average Revenue per Sale EVER?

Did you know those 400 sites with < 5 visits a month add up to 15% of our traffic --- from mom and pop blogs?

Oklahoma has the highest traffic (not including Virginia)… as measured by % of visits/Total population. 4% of the state has been to our site!

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30Unassigned

MultiDisMgmt

Research

Sales

CustSvc&Supt

Services

Evangelism

Tech Sales

Marketing

Engineering

Business Services

ITOperations

Legal & Corp Affairs

Operations

Shared-Mktg&Finance

Hardware Eng

Shared-Eng&Mktg

Finance

Quality

HR

Intranet Site* Usage by Profession= Average Monthly Visitors / Employees within Profession

J A S O N D0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

HRWeb ITWeb

% Reach to Current Employees

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5 - Make it a mini-series

The best analysis work is when it is performed on an ongoing basis.

The true insights come after viewing the data after trying out several tactics (A\B testing, regional launches, new or revised content)

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TEAM MEMBER TO MANAGER

Create Your KPIExpand your impactPromote Your ServicesIntegrate the CompanyMake it a mini-seriesImpactful reportingUse Technology

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Define Gaps

• Are goals defined?• Which projects

should we track first?

• How do we test?

Framework

• Do we just have a web analytics system?

• Are campaigns automatically tracked?

• Has the site been audited?• How may properties do we

have?

Technology

• How do we define Visitor?• How long does a session last?• How do we define data loss?• What information is available

with and without campaign codes?

Definitions

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MaturityJust (re)starting

Reviewing Reports

Assurance Reporting

Responsive Reporting

Performance Analytics

Advanced Analytics

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Create your own KPI’s

SavingsInternal Project SavingsExternal Campaign costsTime to Insights

EarningsNew rev streamsIncrease Conversion Rates

New OpportunitiesFind lost customers to retargetCombine datasets to get new segments

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•Your salary and work is watched•Get your work noticed•Assure your reports are driving action

You MUST gain respect of senior management

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External Value• Respect of site users

• A/B testing does have limits• You can’t and shouldn’t track everything• Respect data privacy even when you have the data

• Respect of Industry• Go to the conferences• Join the IIA, WAA• You are getting trained – EXCELLECT!!

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• What are people working on within the organization

• What reports already exist?

• What changes are being made to the website (now, soon, planned later)?

Pretend you are an investigative reporter, or Sherlock Holmes

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Promote your services

• promote case studies of achievement

• open up a Center Of Excellence

• host an Intranet of insights

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The people in your neighborhood

From Cult of Analytics::Stephen Jackson

•Analytics Team•Outsourced Team•Time of other company members

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Integrate the company

• Look for integration possibilities across the company. • This is the big picture• Integration of data points will be a HUGE focus as the industry moves

forward. Start the relationships now!• Be a part of this integration or be pushed out…• No need to jump to one uber-solution JUST YET, investigate the tools

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Expand your impact

• Teach the fish to crawl and walk, you run• Use that automation, publish UTILIZED dashboards and scorecards

• Don’t depend on scheduled reports, in fact try to ban them• Publish data the way users need

• Produce a Jump to Action Map• Define how the data is used before spending time• Show Action Card here

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Get ‘er DONE!!5 Things to concentrate on• Define your Job at the start• Manage the Data• Automate• Create the Water Cooler moment• Making a mini-series

How to get promoted• Create your own KPI’s• Promote your services• Integrating the company• Expand your impact