Comments on KAIZEN Analytics: A Web Analytics challenge: the “Ignorance is bliss...

Hi Michael, Great post! The Online Measurement a...

2009-12-16T17:24:37.619+01:00

Hi Michael,

Great post!

The Online Measurement and Strategy Report 2009 found that the barriers to effective online measurement are remarkably consistent year-on-year no matter the tool.

While investment in staff increased and technology spend decreased this year compared to last, there is clearly an underlying skills shortage and lack of maturity at the levels required (especially in the UK and Western Europe in my opinion).

As Andrew Hood (Lynchpin MD) points out in the survey, as the technology gets more sophisticated, the challenges of interpreting the data increase. We are at a level where the two are not yet in synergy (again mostly in Western Europe).

Given the above, and the pertinent points in the post about the lack of maturity in the industry which leads to common sense deficiencies, experiences like yours and papers like the WAMM are going to be a huge step in helping people 'get there'.

Kevin Middleton
Lynchpin Analytics (Online Measurement and Strategy Report Sponsors)

@alexbrasil: thanks a lot for taking the time to s...

2009-12-14T14:09:56.868+01:00

@alexbrasil: thanks a lot for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Many things in WA (or any discipline) sounds like common sense but - well - failed to be applied in reality.

I agree that we - Web analyst - can easily make the error of being arrogant or not cautious enough.

Business stakeholders will support WA if they can see something positive in it - just blaming and bringing bad news isn't really positive attitude :-)

Sometimes they will be interested in WA only if it serves them the way the want. For example: after a major redesign of a site, the manager will come to you asking "can you provide me figures that show our site is doing better since the redesign?" The question is biased as the stakeholder only wants to hear good news (the site must be doing better). If you don't, you are likely to be ignored :-) Here again, diplomacy is key.

However there are occasions where a good "electric shock" is necessary (no more mister nice guy) - to make thing moves. But to be done cautiously :-)

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

@Stephane: Thanks for the feedback. Technology is ...

2009-12-14T13:59:50.033+01:00

@Stephane: Thanks for the feedback. Technology is the easy target - let's blame the tools when the results are not the ones expected or when people fails to get the insights they want. But yes, I strongly believe that the problem is often elsewhere -whether at people level (HiPPO's, lack of understanding...), organization (no process) or governance (no roadmap, no strategy).

And yes, all these aspects are covered by your model. But you know how a fan of the WAMM I am :-)

This is a topic I have put a lot of thought into, ...

2009-12-11T14:55:47.487+01:00

This is a topic I have put a lot of thought into, so this may be a bit long.

There has been a lot of discussion recently in the community about the failed promises of web analytics, and while I will not attempt to pin all of the blame on this factor, I truly believe it is a significant one.

Web analysts need to have a grasp of human emotion and have been involved in the work world long enough to understand the way it and people operate. Often I think we come off as cowboys, running into an office, calling everyone idiots and smirking while we demonstrate why.

It sounds like common sense, but this is a very, very bad way to proceed, and the only thing it will accomplish is getting us kicked out of the room. We then go and pout in the corner because no one listens to how smart we are. Don't they get how stupid and wrong they are? What the heck is wrong with them? Where's our raise, the hookers the groupies and the cocaine?

Part of being effective in this industry is learning where to pick your battles and learning when and where, and most importantly HOW to stick your nose into someone elses business.

Once again this is common sense, but you need to build relationships with the people you are going to be critiquing. This is easy to do-- since any reasonable sized company has PLENTY of positives to highlight. Did a small team in your company put a lot of effort into something? Go hunting for the results-- trumpet the successes and show that you cared enough to go looking for positives in the work someone else did.

Recognize that if something DID go wrong, that it's easy to criticize from the sidelines. Evaluate the reasoning behind the decision-- if your critique is especially damaging, point out how the thought behind it was perfectly legitimate, but it just didn't work out. Give them an out to try again, but this time with the lessons learned.

In short, don't back people into corners. Treat people as you would expect to be treated, and help them do their job better-- this does not include humiliating them. It should be common sense, but sadly, I don't think it is.

Great post, completely spot on, and IMO revealing to some of the real challenges in this industry that are glossed over with fancy charts and the idea that everything is utopian when numbers come into the mix.

Michael, I can't agree more with you. And as E...

2009-12-11T14:33:13.038+01:00

Michael, I can't agree more with you. And as Econsultancy unveiled, and as I also confirmed through my research on the Web Analytics Maturity Model, technology is the least of a problem.

And as your little story highlights, the real challenge is with Management, Governance and Adoption (or simply put... how the business stakeholders "gets it").

Incidentally, it also funny to watch all the replies to Eric Peterson's tweet "What is the #measure industry's biggest problem? I have my opinion. What's yours?".

All of the answers, so far, can be categorized in one of the six critical factors of a successful online analytics driven organization.