Why Bother with Web Analytics?
Mar 3rd, 2008 by Jennifer LeClaire
I was talking on the phone last week with a consultant who understands the power of words. He also understood the power of analytics, but admitted he was clueless as to how to really make web analytics work for him.
This is the disconnect that’s still prevalent in the web world. While web analytics is only a first step — Conversion Design and Conversion Content principles are vital toward optimization — it’s an important first step.
So when I saw the post over at iSnare this morning, I thought it was worth reviewing. Kathryn Dawson writes:
“If you use Analytics on your web site not only will you find out what works but you will also find out what does not work. This can save you a lot of time and money. You could find that a very competitive keyword phrase that your web site has been targeting converts poorly. This type of information is vital because it allows you to use all your time and resources on bringing in traffic that converts well and improves your bottom line.”
That’s really the bottom line of web analytics. Nicely put, Kathryn.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Ah - but without keyword attribution assiging keyword conversion to the “last one in” can often dramatically distort the figures.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Agreed, wholeheartedly. My point was that folks who never thought about this before are starting to think about it. The information is vital. The next step is teaching folks to put the data into context. Certainly, we must look at the big picture. Thanks, Gerry, for chiming in and helping me finish my incomplete thought.