Aug 18 2008
The technology stinks and besides, I don’t have time!
I always have conversations that go something like this:
Me. “Hey, do you use any web analytics tools on your website?”
Them. “Yeah, [enter vendor name and tool here] is awesome. it can do [long list of features here].”
Me. “Cool, have you tried [enter other vendor name and tool here]?
Them. “Yeah, it’s terrible, it can’t do [long list of features lacking here].”
Me. (completely dejected) “Oh … uh … ok.”
Too many times we focus on the specific tool that can do precisely everything we ever wanted to do. When it comes to web analytics, especially when you’re starting out, it’s not about the technology, it’s about how you use it. There are a long list of tools to use, each with their own best and worst features, but the bottom line is that you can gain valuable insights no matter which tool you use.
Another conversation that often takes place:
Me. “Hey, do you use any web analytics tools on your website?”
Them. “Sure.”
Me. “Cool, what type of insights do you pull from your analytics?”
Them. “Nothing, really. It just tells me visits are going up and down, which is expected. To tell you the truth, it doesn’t tell me much. Besides. I don’t have time to do all that stuff.”
Me. (totally dejected again) “Oh … uh … ok.”
When it comes to web anlaytics, a lot of times we hear, “I just don’t have time,” or, “I have the tool, but it doesn’t tell me anything worthwhile.” Excuses. Both of them. The *time* excuse, might be legitimate, but it’s still an excuse. The *nothing worthwhile* is simply an excuse. Nothing more. Let me expand.
Time. Nobody has time. For the majority of website owners (at least right now) really gaining insights with your analytics tool will demand that you go above and beyond your “job function.” It’s as simple as that. Webmasters. Designers. Developers. Content Providers. (Are you all four??) They are all busy. If you’re in all four roles, you, especially, have no extra time. It’s about planning. If you take some time up front to set up a methodology and a strategy, you’ll save time later.
Nothing worthwhile. This is just an excuse. Plain and simple. I *guarantee* if you are looking for them, your data will give you insights. There are so many ways to get them.
I know we aren’t doing brain surgery here. We aren’t saving lives or the environment. Nonetheless, especially for *customer service* type websites (university library, admissions, registrar, bursar, technical support, help desk, etc.), not using web analytics *and* using your web data to gain insights is almost certainly costing you (money, time, users, all of the above).
I find the same sort of arguments around CMS systems, especially commercial systems. If your first analytics system is all you know, then many times your world view is shaped by marketing (c.f. WebTrends).
Really, it comes down to using *something* and actually spending time looking at your stats. Using any analytics package opens the doors to actually make judgements based on semi-objective numbers, not the subjective opinions of developers/webmasters, or worse SEI “professionals”.
Thanks for another practical, insightful post. I agree that it’s critical that web analytics (certainly those that are already functioning) are at the very least synthesized. I can certainly appreciate the ‘time poor’, but it strikes there is also an ultimate responsibility to the customer (student, prospective student, faculty, staff) to apply the findings of the analytic system, regardless of job function. Shouldn’t the result of good analytics inform all web executions?
Would you say that the audit of analytics versus master web, UX objectives goes largely unassigned in the realm of higher ed? Is this another instance where the decentralization of communication efforts (marketing, university relations, PR, recruitment) has caused analytics to fall through the cracks?
Brian and Sam,
Thanks so much for your comments.
Brian: You are so right about a first system being all you know so you shun all others. I have absolutely done this (and still do to a point). We use Omniture SiteCatalyst at work and I find myself cursing Google Analytics when I try to do similar things on my blog. It’s not GAs fault, it can do what I want. I just need to find out how. Using *something* *is* the key and people need to realize that it is probably going above and beyond their job description, but it’s necessary for the good of the user.
Sam: I am all about making sweeping generalizations, so I am going to agree with you that in higher ed analytics goes *very* under-appreciated. Admittedly I have only worked in higher ed for two years. I come from a corporate background where ROI is everything. That just doesn’t seem to be the culture in higher ed I’m finding.
I think what folks in higher ed need to realize, though, is that analytics is not just about ROI. It *is* customer service. By not using analytics and gaining insight into what is frustrating users, we are delivering bad customer service (or student service if you want to think of it that way).
Right now I think that too many website owners in higher ed think of web analytics as a marketing function and nothing else. As we both know, that can’t be further from the truth.
I also think the web analytics community needs to promote itself more to sites other than e-commerce. I don’t know how many conferences I’ve been to that are 90% e-commerce centered. That’s definitely part of the problem.
That’s actually sparked some thoughts in my head. I think I’m going to expand on this conversation in a post next week.
Thanks to you both.