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What’s the question you want your web analytics to answer?

K.I.S.S web analytics. Keep it simple. I am not a web analytic specialist. I’m an entrepreneur, venture builder, integrated marketer, student- teacher, teacher- student, consultant, coach and ultimately the eternally curious one in the group.

Not everyone was born and raised on analytics. In some circles, the mere word ‘analytic’ causes the early onset of marketing paralysis and leads to hyp0-marketing symptoms. And all sorts of business anxieties.

Of course this is not true for the geeks among us, but not all entrepreneurs and business owners are techies or geeks.

So let’s K.I.S.S. (that’s ‘silly’ for those of you crazy enough to believe I’d ever call anyone stupid!)

Web analytics are the website traffic data that inform us how consumers behave online. Data we use to better understand clients, their experiences and desires.

Peter Drucker says that business has 2 functions;

1. marketing- aligning the company with the client.

2. Innovation; providing solutions.

Analytics inform us how we are doing on both of these primary functions. And make no mistake, even though web analytics seem marketing cozy, nearly going steady like (because they help marketers manage and measure marketing investments) they are by no means merely a marketing issue. Web analytics are a business issue…(They are not the exclusive domain of marketing)

At the heart of every business is the consumer. (And employees- but that is another blog post.) Understanding the consumer is key to marketplace success. Web analytics is a tool for gaining valuable consumer insights as well as measuring and managing business investments.

So first things first.

First clarify the goal; business/marketing campaign/communication or other. I mean what the heck is the purpose of all of your busyness?

Next clarify the behavior/performance you believe is essential to realizing the goal ( Key Performance Indicators)

Then develop the strategies; the overall plan that lays out how you will marshal resources to achieve your goals.

And then execute the tactics; the means to achieving the goals, KPI’s and strategies.

Afterwards and in 24/7 manner monitor, assess and measure the results against the key performance indicators identified prior to execution.

Measurement and reflection allow us to improve, tweak, change, learn and grow the business. We measure so that we can act and transform the value delivered and experienced by our consumers, prospects and tribe.

So what’s the question you want your web analytics to answer? Well; what’s your goal? What do you want more of?

Email sign ups?

Purchases?

Uploaded content?

Downloads?

Minutes on site?

75% of shopping cart initiations to complete the funnel and purchase?

Google rank for keywords

Campaign ppc goals met

Back link goals achieved by due date

% of new visitors who request consultation.

…or?

Goals drive strategy and tactics and inform your analytics.

What are you selling? No; not your products and services. That is not what you are selling. What are the solutions, what does the client really want from you?

Pose the question first; what is the goal; of the business, division or campaign. And make no mistake, until the goal is clearly defined. Do not go past GO, do not go forward or you might just end up with something worse than the early onset of marketing paralysis, you might end up in marketing jail for wasting valuable resources, ( like your life or the businesses precious resources) executing out in the marketplace with no clue. You can’t possibly measure what you’ve yet to define…

Forget information overload. Don’t be seduced by the ‘more analytics are better’ lie. Especially not at the beginning of your online marketing journey.

Focus is better. Clarity is key.

Now a little reminder…because repetition is the mother of skill.

1. Company/Campaign/Integrated Marketing Goals

2. Client Behaviors/Actions desired

3. Key Performance Indicators; the measurements of success.

4.Marketing Strategies to achieve success; overall plan

5. Marketing Tactics : the individual means to execute the strategies

6. Measurement, evaluation, feedback and reflection (web analytics, surveys, customer intercepts, key financial measurements)

A couple of web analytic sites

Google analytics ( are free of course)

Omniture

Coremetrics

Iif you’re using Google Analytics. The first thing you want to do is to upload the google analytic code to every page of your site. Click here for directions.

If you’ve already uploaded Google analytics to your site, check and make sure the analytics code is on every page. Click here and go to EpikOne.com’s site and use their SiteScan tool (free) to do this. Or review the how to’s. And don’t miss this page, Google Conversion University; Analytics Curriculum.

K.I.S.S. web analytics begins by posing the question…”What’s the questions you want your web analytics to answer?”

Ready. Set. Focus.

Simply…

Pam Hoelzle