I've had the chance to get a lot deeper into the web analytics world these past few months. I took a class taught by
Clint Rogers where we explored analytics in general and its possible applications to online education. It was a paradigm-shifting experience.
To be simple and direct: web analytics is powerful, powerful stuff. I knew of analytics before; heck, I'd even used Google Analytics a time or two. But once you start to understand the power behind using data to drive your content and design, it's hard to imagine why you ever
wouldn't put analytics tracking in your content.
A caveat: obviously for a lot of our client work it may not be feasible (or even legal) to put analytics tracking into someone else's stuff.
But, if you make content that's your own, or if you work for a company that produces its own content, or even if your consulting company can get access to do it for your clients, then you absolutely should do it. Really, you
can't afford not do.
Here's why:
1. Make Smarter DecisionsHow many times have you sat in meetings where decisions, even very important decisions, were made because of how people "felt" about things? "I really feel the user will ..." or "I'm sure that they won't look at that," or "Here's how our user experience should feel."
Think about how ridiculous this is. One person, or even a group of people, can never determine how their end users will use, view, navigate, or treat their products without observation or testing. Unless there are some really sweet marketing techniques I don't know about, it's impossible!
You need
data to drive your decisions. Here's a great example. In the Elearning world, we've built content for organizations that had tight constraints on the amount of rich media involved. They told us they
had to assume that we were dealing with an older demographic of users with dialup connections. A major decision about the quality of content was decided without any recently-obtained supporting data. If we'd had analytics in front of us for their content we could have said "You're absolutely right," or "You're crazy, 95% of your users have DSL or better!"
If you are publishing your own content, how much more important is it, then, to know your personal return on investment? Can you say with confidence that the addition of that Flash banner on your homepage increased sales by 17%? Not without analytics.
2. Prove Your WorthIs this ever more applicable? Your boss calls a meeting of all developers and announces that there are going to be some cutbacks. You've worked your butt off for this company. You've made some really cool stuff. You might just get canned.
Enter analytics. Don't just plead your case to your higher-ups,
prove to them that your content has made a difference. Show them the increase in sales conversions because you knew it would be a good idea to place a search in the top corner. Show them how more usable your RIA is than the old system. Show them how much money it made them. Show them the data that proves Flash is more valuable than a cheaper alternative.
Or, if your economy happens to be jumping through the roof at the time of reading this, then
you be the one to call the meeting. Show your company how much you have made them, and how much you think you're worth. Again, this is powerful stuff.
3. The FutureWeb analytics is growing. More and more companies are relying on web analytics to make their online content stronger and more effective. Analytics will become, faster, smarter, better, and yes, cheaper. You and your company will need to be as efficient as possible. You need to be sure your content is optimized, that its useful, engaging--that it works. You simply can't do it to the extent necessary without web analytics. Not only that, but in a few years, you'll be looking like a dinosaur amidst your competitors.
Getting StartedGoogle AnalyticsIf you're just getting started, think about using Google Analytics. It's free, super easy to use, and getting more powerful all the time. Here are some resources:
OmnitureIf you or your company already have access to Omniture, it's a fantastic resource. Here are some resources for Flash/Flex integration with Omniture:
Labels: Flash, Flex, technology, Web Analytics
