Analytics- A Marketing Managers Friend or Foe?
Analytics- A Marketing Managers Friend or Foe?
There are several challenges you face when trying to evaluate the traffic to your site.
You 1st need to evaluate the source: What analytics program are you using, how does it collect data, what are ways that data can be corrupted or skewed?
You then need to establish reporting: What frequency will you evaluate; hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or all of the above? Do you understand the metrics of the reports? Do you need hard #'s, percentages, or both? What about charts, everyone loves charts!?!
Once your done playing Devil's Advocate and have your reports in hand, now comes the real work- Analyze the data. This is where many will throw their compass in the water and try and steer by the stars. This is also the point where I tell you that most people are not objective in their review of data, specifically when they have a direct interest in the data they are reviewing. The best advice I can give is: Be aware that you are biased and hopefully you can try and take a more objective stance when analyzing future data. I often recommend getting trusted, intelligent individuals who have no stake in the information to review and give you their quick opinion on the data, it can really open your eyes. In most cases it will show you obvious big picture information that may have been overlooked, or it can simply confirm your evaluation of the situation.
Many have heard of "Analysis Paralysis" and many others have experienced this malady. The best way to avoid analytic confusion is to keep the big picture in mind (Key Performance Indexes), understand the metrics, and ALWAYS compare apples to apples when possible.
Analytics A Marketing Managers Friend or Foe - To learn more about this author, visit James Wells's Website.
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With a history of little more than 10 years under it's belt, online web analytics can be a cure or a curse for todays' marketing managers. In the 1990, most tracking was done via web log analysis software on the server or via simple page counters, today cookies and javascript applications (like Google Analytics) allow all kinds of visitor data to be captured, reviewed, and analyzed.
There are several challenges you face when trying to evaluate the traffic to your site.
You 1st need to evaluate the source: What analytics program are you using, how does it collect data, what are ways that data can be corrupted or skewed?
You then need to establish reporting: What frequency will you evaluate; hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or all of the above? Do you understand the metrics of the reports? Do you need hard #'s, percentages, or both? What about charts, everyone loves charts!?!
Once your done playing Devil's Advocate and have your reports in hand, now comes the real work- Analyze the data. This is where many will throw their compass in the water and try and steer by the stars. This is also the point where I tell you that most people are not objective in their review of data, specifically when they have a direct interest in the data they are reviewing. The best advice I can give is: Be aware that you are biased and hopefully you can try and take a more objective stance when analyzing future data. I often recommend getting trusted, intelligent individuals who have no stake in the information to review and give you their quick opinion on the data, it can really open your eyes. In most cases it will show you obvious big picture information that may have been overlooked, or it can simply confirm your evaluation of the situation.
Many have heard of "Analysis Paralysis" and many others have experienced this malady. The best way to avoid analytic confusion is to keep the big picture in mind (Key Performance Indexes), understand the metrics, and ALWAYS compare apples to apples when possible.
Analytics A Marketing Managers Friend or Foe - To learn more about this author, visit James Wells's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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