Reality: A small fraction of people who can benefit from data actually use it.
This is especially true for the world of web analytics.
I realize as we swim around our fish bowl this seems hard to believe. :)
But it is very true.
Sure one problem is that many Fortune xxx companies don't even have a web analytics solution or, worse, are paying z millions for it and using it to report page views.
Either little or quite sub optimal use. And that's a shame because you can get a lot lot lot more from the web analytics tool.
So why are we in this sad state?
In talking to many Marketers and Sales folks and Website Owners and "Management" it becomes clear that much of the hype about web analytics being like climbing to Mount Everest or being useless or messy or full of "dirty data" has sunk in quite deep. [Tears rolling here.]
Or "web analytics" auto translates into people's minds as "counting hits". [Uncontrollable sobbing by me at this point!]
People would rather pull off a finger nail than learn how to leverage their website data. [Large clumps of hair pulled out, to clean the aforementioned tears!!]
This is all soo sad because the reality is that. . . .
Web Analytics is like Angelina Jolie: It's sexy, it kicks butt, and is a goodwill ambassador!!
Right?
We believe it, but how do we get to a point where others in the organization do as well?
Step One for each and everyone of us (and you are unique and abnormal in that you read a web analytics blog!) is to accept and recognize the fact that Web Analytics might be having a lot less impact than it should. Once you accept then you can move on and do something about it.
Step Two is to realize it is a challenge to win a Olympic medal in swimming, but that should not scare you from trying to learn to swim and get pretty good at it. There is a shallow end of the pool where it is easy to get started and get better over time. Nothing wrong with wanting to compete at the Beijing Olympics of course, just make sure upfront that that is what you are shooting for with your effort: one massive payoff after a lifetime of investing.
Step Three is to try and get everyone in your organization just a bit more excited about using data, make it more appealing than pulling off finger nails. Maybe even attempt to convert them into Raving Data Lunatics (people who will do anything to get their hands on data before making their next decision!).
A reader's email started this whole train of thought:
I'm going to try to convince decision makers within my company that they should start incorporating web analytics in their everyday work. However, these people have more than enough on their table and adding another task on their todo list is easier said than done, to say the least.
My question is: Have you run in to this before and do you have any good tips on how to approach these people in order to make them all fired up for the task and adding it to their todo list without hesitation?
See yourself reflected in this reader's email? I am sure we all find ourselves in that situation from time to time.
Go do Step One and Step Two first, then here's how to do Step Three. . . .
# 1: Do Something Surprising: Don't Puke Data Out.
You are undeniably smart. When we get a new job or interact with a new team or get our first web analytics tool installed our first tendency is to impress the Marketers and Decision Makers with the quantity of data we have.
We proceed to puke data out.
Reports go out. The adventurous amongst you might even export into excel and proceed to send 16 tab spreadsheets with every conceivable number anyone could want, along with the directions to heaven.
Try to resist.
That is what they expect, by now, and they are wary of data pukes.
Surprise them.
Give them a gift, a gift of an answer.
Go have a conversation with someone who wants to talk to you and listen. Ask these questions:
"Please tell me a little bit about your job?"
"What aspects of your life / job touch our website?"
"What's one question you wish you could get answered about our website, or what's one thing you could learn from our website Visitors?"
Now go back and answer that one solitary question. Don't send a report back. Call them and tell them the answer. They'll be hooked after you do this once or twice.
Now teach them to fish (metaphorically of course).
Remember you can't convince people by puking data out, you can't expect that "they'll figure it out", and repeating things sixteen times or moping about how "they don't get it " does not work.
Smile, go have a conversation and go back with a answer. How is it possible that that won't work? You are so pretty!
# 2: Start With Outcomes / Measuring Impact, Not Visits.
Just open any web analytics tool and you'll notice that Visits and Visitors and Time on Site and Repeat Visits and Pages and other such stuff stares at you.
Go ahead try it, I'll wait here. Check out any one you like: Google Analytics or Omniture or WebTrends or CoreMetrics or the one your brother-in-law just invented (the one that proactively sends a small electric shock to Visitors who abandon shopping carts on your website).
And like duty bound people that we are we rush that out of the door. We try to explain cookies and time on site and exits to our Decision Makers.
You might as well be taking Japanese (unless you in Japan, in that case you might as well be talking Hindi).
When you start make sure you start by showing how wonderful Web Analytics is at measuring Outcomes, the reason for your website's existence.
Show them how much money your website is making. Show them how many leads you got. Show them Macro and Micro Conversions. Show them how the site is solving for driving traffic to your retail stores, or movie theaters.
All those things they get! And they'll be hooked.
Then they'll ask:
Angie, where do these people come from?
Jennifer, how come that is only $14 million, what about all the great persuasive content we have?
Maya, is this right, only 15 people out of 20 million checked out our store locator, why do you think it is (because the link is invisible!)?
Michelle, so you are telling me our pathetic website is generating more leads than all our sales people combined?
See what I am saying?
They will ask you for "traditional web analytics " data, but if you start there they will have very little appreciation for why it is important to listen to you. What's your hook? Not the purple shirt and pretty jeans you are wearing today. Its Outcomes and Impact.
Go back to wearing kakhi's, and give them the addictive stuff.
Or to put it in Bill Clinton's famous phrase: It's the outcomes stupid .
# 3: Create Heroes & Role Models (and no, not yourself, put your red cape back).
It is really hard to convert the entire organization, and it does not matter if you have 50 people or 20,000. And here is the other troubling factor: why should they all, at the same time, listen to you? And do you even think you can excite everyone all at the same time with something generic? And. . . . I can go on about the reasons.
Find someone receptive to your advances (and I don't mean in that way). Find a willing partner, find someone with low hanging fruit or with a willingness to listen to you or someone who will atleast let you tag the site right or someone who is spending a lot of money or someone with a small site or. . . . you catch my drift.
Now put your heart and soul and all your skills as a Analysis Ninja in finding them actionable insights. Live and breath their business (ps: this is always a good idea). Make the Decision Maker a absolute hero from data driven decision making.
Here is the amazing piece of human psychology: Heroes rarely want to stay in their cubicle farm / corner office and be happy. They want to fly around (in your red cape no less!) and talk about their heroism. They want to share (/brag).
Let them tell your data story. Let them excite their peers. Let them show how they did it.
And here is the amazing thing: You still come out on top.
The other Decision Makers / Marketers will, again human psychology, get jealous and will want to themselves become heroes (or get a higher bonus as well). They will ask the original hero how she/he got so smart. Guess where all the roads will point: You my dear.
Go ahead sit down on your gray chair and smile a evil smile, and don't forget to stroke that white cat as you smile! :)
Ok so that is me just teasing you a bit, but you can never go wrong by creating evangelists for the impact data can have on a business. Create those evangelists, make them heroes, let them sell.
You just go find a gray chair and look for a white cat! Ok ok I'll stop now!!
# 4: Web Analytics 2.0 Baby! Use Your Customers & Competitors.
HiPPO's might not listen to you. Marketers will be full of themselves. Even your boss won't really pay attention to you.
Here is the dirty little secret: You have two powerful weapons – your Customers & Competitors!
I have consistently found that few HiPPO's or Marketers or Decision Makers will argue with your Customers, and hence customer insights. You can tell them all you want that dancing monkeys on the home page don't work. But give them that same feedback from 4Q (a free survey – checkout the improved invitation ) and bam the dancing monkeys are gone!
So use this power.
Figure out what your best customer listening channels might be (oh and clickstream is not a direct customer listening channel, I call it Behavior analysis, here I am recommending Experience analysis – more: Trinity Strategy ).
The other great strategy is to build excitement by using competitor metrics (say using something like compete.com or hitwise.com or other sources – say customer satisfaction survey indices).
No one wants to look bad in comparison to their competitors and everyone wants to beat them with ever more consistency! Leverage this!
Present analysis about share of search or media mix modeling or upstream and downstream traffic or task completion or other such things.
Don't you think Marketers at DHL will be so much more happier with the above graph ("oh what are we doing so well!") and ones at FedEx and UPS will want to know how to get better.
Problem of excitement solved!
# 5: If You Want Excitement, Make It Fun!
Ok ok so perhaps not everyone thinks Analytics is Angelina Jolie. (Boy that was hard to say!) But have you tried to make it Sexy and Fun?
(Oh I totally forgot to ask you: Have you drunk the Kool-Aid? Forget almost all of the above if you are not convinced that Analytics is Angelina Jolie. Nothing harder than trying to convince people of something you don't believe in.)
There are so many small and big things you can do to make Web Analytics fun.
Do #2 on this list first, it is always extremely sexy and in fashion to make money / improve conversions / measure multichannel impact. But try some of these other things as well. . . .
Hold contests.
The first time we ran a multivariate test we wanted everyone excited (and learn some statistics) and so I had a contest. $1 to get in and the challenge was to guess by how much conversion rate would improve from that first test.
Oh boy everyone wanted a piece of it. We had 25 dollars I think before the test started. Guesses were all over the place, 5% and 20% and 9% and …. As soon as the test was live they were all checking the Offermatica results (and I had explain statistical significance!) and asking why B was not winning or D or whatever they were rooting for.
It was a hoot. And they learned about testing and a very valuable lesson: That to have huge impact on conversions you need to create versions that are very different. You see the conversion in that test only went up by 0.75%.
The winner had guessed .65% (and was laughed at before the test started because it was such a low number). I was the winner. And I put the $25 to buy cookies for the office. :)
Do such stuff. Have a quarterly contest to the person who figures out the most useless metric on your "golden blessed dashboard". Or the Marketer that figures out the most creative use of VOC. Or the department that logs the most actions taken. Or . . . . you are more creative than I'll ever be.
People love to play, and they love to win. Tap into that.
Hold Internal "Conferences".
Why is it that you need to go out to learn and share? Why not hold a half day "conference" in your own company every quarter where Marketers come and show off their key learnings to everyone else?
Find the biggest conference room you can find (or book a conference room at a nearby hotel), mike them up, have them do presentations, let them teach.
People will learn from each other, but it is also exciting (and a honor) to stand up and present and teach. Oh don't forget to invite their bosses.
If you want to go all out, print shirts (you can get them for as little as 15 bucks!) or, this works really well, hand out a plaque to the presenters (something they can proudly display on their desk, trust them they will – right Jeff? :).
Notice you also just made someone a hero.
Hold Office Hours.
We often live in our caves (with our Angelina Jolie posters!). All requests have to come in via the ticketing system, it will be "prioritized", Excel goes out.
Sad.
Each week set aside half a day where anyone can come and ask you (/your team) any question they want. About a existing report or for some ad hoc analysis or for how to access / interpret report. This is not so much fun as much as you'll become more accessible and people will know that when they want to learn you are there.
Or have a scheduled hour where you invite Marketers / Decision Makers and have them shout out questions and you show them live with ClickTracks or IndexTools or AdCenter Analytics how you can answers their questions on the spot!
Fun is your friend.
End of the story. . . .
Web Analytics is exciting. It can be a amazing high when you figure out a new way to analyze the data, or answer a real business problem. Sometimes you answer a particularly tough Marketing problem and then Web Analytics can even be a orgasmic experience.
But you need to think different.
Try the above tips, and I wish you all the very best in exciting your organization (big or small).
Ok now your turn. Would you care to share some of your insights? Big or small? What has worked for you? Please share your own strategies and success stories. Thank you.
PS:
Couple other related posts you might find interesting:
- Six Rules For Creating A Data Driven Boss!
- Seven Steps to Creating a Data Driven Decision Making Culture
- Convert Data Skeptics: Document, Educate & Pick Your Poison
- Competitive Intelligence Analysis: Metrics, Tips & Best Practices
- Five Free “Advanced” Web Analytics Examples: Look Outside, Think Different
- Multiplicity: Succeed Awesomely At Web Analytics 2.0!
Insightful and entertaining as always Avinish. I'd like to make one comment as it applies to this industry, at least from where I'm sitting.
People don't have a bloody clue what web analytics actually is. Most are humble enough to admit it, at least in private, in my experience there is a measurable correlation between the term "Web analytics" and glassy eyes/confusion.
I thus think that exciting people about web analytics necessitates an easy, concise way to explain what exactly it is and simultaneously illustrates what impact it can have, something which I have struggled to do in the time that I started writing this post, which leads me to believe it will require some thought ;)
Great Post Avinash
# 2: Start With Outcomes / Measuring Impact, Not Visits.
This is exactly what counts! in conjunction with others.
Regards
Anil
Great post Avinash. I'm currently reading your book and found that combining both the book and blog has become very valuable in preparing my first Web Analysis and Strategies for the company website! Without any doubt I was going through your readers same question and luckily it was touched in this post.
You made it all the way through that Angelina/Analytics metaphor without mentioning bounce rate.
Avinash: I salute you.
Great post – you touched on a lot of things that I find exciting about analytics. I also agree with your comment, "Show them how much money your website is making." I have found that using web analytics to project future profits is my favorite aspect of the trade.
Wow, this is good stuff. People forget that much of the battle to increase website conversion is a political battle…not everyone in the organization will immediately recognize website analytics recommendations as the path to increase revenue.
Hi Avinash
Really interesting post!
However its really sad that people still don't know much about the beauty of web analytics. There are very few organizations in India, that actually use web analytics tools.
It's really difficult to convince people here to use WA tool on their wesbites.
I'm hoping to take some tips from your post, and get the ball rolling here!!!
I have been reading your blog for some time Avinash and I am amazed at your ability to surprise us. You keep posting new unique material that no one else comes close to. Congratulations.
Most of this article applies to anyone who is involved in analytics of different types, online or offline.
I liked #5 in particular because I can do those right away. Simple but very effective.
Thank you.
That sounds like something I said at lunch the other week… and it's soo very true.
One of your best postings ever!!!
Damn fine stuff Avinash. Take… two bows. ;-)
Cheers!
– Steve
Fantastic post, Avinash. I really enjoyed your suggestion of holding a small contest. Like many others, I have had difficulty getting people on board and this sounds like a terrific idea.
How successful has this been when you've tried to repeat it? Does it still hold excitement for individuals after the first or second time?
Although sometimes I find your blog to be a bit too sales-esque (maybe just you really enjoy what you do with analytics?), posts like these (beyond the silly Angelina stuff) really makes it worthwhile to continually read.
Please keep up the great work, I really enjoyed the ideas of how to get other people at the company interested in analytics–something that will come in useful for not just myself but certainly for anyone who is continually confounded by those who do not place facts before they make decisions.
Can't help but nod my head and grin — I got bruises all over my forehead from banging it against the wall in trying to push Web Analytics. Not to mention the Roadshows (aka the dog and pony show) to my credit that makes me supremely qualified to play in a vaudeville :-).
I had to convince the HiPPOS [and certain other members of the Animal Kingdom] to make an investment in the right infrastructure/tool (by showing what we lose by not having it) and then on the benefits of using WA to make decisions. Both of this was not an easy sell. Part of the problem being an over abundance of data from other channels and the long-entrenched forecasting/business planning process based on traditional analytics & modeling.
Anyway, your post resonated very well with the various issues I had seen –I only wish I had the powers to hypnotize the decision makers into seeing WA as Angelina Jolie :-). Great post.
Avinash … Good stuff here — Thanks so much for writing this post…we often forget why we call ourselves 'professionals' and only increase the 'info-glut' on our clients' plates…our reports tend to get lost amongst the slew of papers on their desks.
Alex B: Totally off the seat of my pants, but how about this for a simple way to explain. . . .
* Use Web Analytics to get a peek into your customer's hearts and minds. Use that insights to create better website experiences, solve big problems, and improve revenues for your company. Win-Win-Win. *
Hopefully atleast it's a start.
Todd: I do agree that people often underestimate how much politics (or perception) is a roadblock. Certainly not something to be taken lightly.
Fernando: The techniques recommended here are reflective of my ten plus years of Practitioner experience in Business Analytics (and the last few years web analytics). In as much not only have I had success with them but they have worked in different companies.
The only difference I have seen is that some cultures are more open to one technique and others are more open to a different one, but in the end we are all humans and it was that part that I always hope to influence.
Now to be sure I have tried other things and they have been stinkers, but that's a story for a different day! :)
Demerzel: I appreciate your feedback. I'll reflect on what the "sales-esque" elements might be. I really don't this blog in any way to be "sales-esque".
But I'll fess up that, as you mention, I really do enjoy all this analytics stuff.
Again, thanks so much for sharing your feedback.
-Avinash.
I have been working as Web Marketing Analyst for almost 2 months now and believe me- it wasn't easy at first. Way back in college, we had our Strategic Management paper with all those graphs, charts, figures, projections, analysis and the like which caused me headaches and sleepless nights. I've never imagined that I will land on a job that involves statistics and keen analysis. But, I'm very happy and proud to share that Web Analytics is making me crave for more figures and analysis, for more knowledge and insights. I may not be an expert yet (of course…I'm just a beginner in this field) but I'm very much willing to learn. Thanks Avinash for all of the blog entries on Web Analytics. These entries are really helpful for beginners like me. I'm wishing to see you one day and talk to you in person. Maybe when that day comes, I'm one of the best Analyst…because of you. Whoa!!! Who knows…:) Till next time:)…03
Nice Article.
I'm a fan of yours. But I hate Angie because I am a fan of Aniston ;)
My former job was ecologist. I remember my teacher telling me: first go into the fields and note and describe what you see. Then start doing your analysis. It will make your analysis much more simple and effective.
I think in web analytics accounts the same. First take a look at your visitors and then start your analysis. This blog of Avinash clearly complements my thoughts about web analysis.
Thank you Avinash, I will gracefully use your opinions, thoughts and this blog to inspire.
jan rodenburg
consultant
the peoples valley
dutch online office
“respect for the individual and the acknowledgement the ‘I am’ factor”
Avinash:
Always enjoy your work – and here is my advice for use of web analytics. Use them to tell a story.
People get inspired to do something by a story – not by data.
TO'B
MotiveQuest
Thanks Avinash! I have been reading your blog for a few months now and its really great stuff.
I think this is my favorite post so far. It reminds me of the chapter from "Don't Make me Think" where Krug talks about how to get around the common arguments in web teams have on usability and how to convince your boss to start usability testing.
I find these type of chapters/blog posts to be just super helpful. I feel like these political questions are something a lot of readers (at least me and the commenter's above!) have in the back of their mind when learning about the technical concepts but either we aren't sure the author is aware, or we think they might be aware but we still don't really expect them to address the issue.
But when the author/blogger does addresses it, especially so thoroughly like this post it is just awesome.
P.S. Have been using 4q now for a few weeks and it has proven to be very useful already. I set it up on a site I made for my parents business and they were very pretty amazed at what people had to say and were very eager to make some of the changes they suggested. Compare that with the months I have had GA running on the site, and the only change I made in that time was to optimize the page titles for SEO!
Also just wanted to say how cool I think it is that you donate 100% of your book profit to charity.
Big fan.
-Dan
To date, I've appreciated all of the experiences you've shared in various places. Some are actionable, some are amusing, all have some degree of thought behind them. Beyond the WA world, bloggers at large could learn something from you :)
I made the poor college-graduate decision to go to work with a company who created a web analytics position for me. They've gone from uncontrolled growth to stability, but have disenfranchised a lot of their employees along the way.
I really identify with the "Hold Internal Conferences," except we do it externally, and I occasionally pay for the lunch. I use the angle of "what do you do here" and listen for opportunities to use existing data to make more efficient moves. It's all gravy until the paths start to cross (read: politics).
Find time to listen to the people around you. They can use your expertise (not your ego), they just don't know how to tell you. The key to talking web analytics is to not let anyone know you're talking web analytics.
(Another) Inspiring post, Avinash! I especially like #3. And I already have the white cat!
Avinash – awesome post and very helpful as I am currently pushing the value of WA upstairs (again). Any tips on showing the monetary value of a pure content site?
Matt – great line – "The key to talking web analytics is to not let anyone know you’re talking web analytics"
cheers
Jon
After working with analytics for a while I knew that the hardest part is getting through to people. Everything else is just hard work. People matters demand a different skill, or rather skills. What works for one person might not work for others. Anyway, after sending out data and reports I found out that people do not act on them..mainly because it is to intimidating. Now I have shifted strategy. Conclude the findings in words and not graphs/excel. Then talk to everyone involved not through a big conference but grab them at the coffe machine. So far this has worked fine. If you are an analyst out there remember that chaning peoples habits takes time. Loooooonger than you might think :).
Thanks Avinash for a great blog. Keep up the good work, and I am really excited to hear from you about what Google Analytics has in stored for the near future, since you have inside info.:)
/T
Hi Avinash,
Thanks for a great post (again)! I work at a company that are fairly new to web analytics and I am currently doing a tour within that company to increase awareness about web analytics. I've noticed that my colleagues sometimes view web analytics as just a mount evererst of reports and they don't really know where and how to start – something that usually ends up with nothing more than a bunch of big sighs.
My medicine has (so far) been to make it fun and exciting instead of boring and plain numbers. so in my first slide during the tour I say: "it's complex, it's time consuming, it's statistics… and it's worth it!"
The "worried" look on their face turns into a more "curious" look afterwords and the "fun-and-exciting-approach" works like a charm. Giving examples of "success stories" in the web analytics world (outside the walls of my company) has also been of great value for the audience. That said, it would be great to read a post about success stories from projects you've been involved in!
All the best,
Carl
Good post! I've worked at a publishing company, and web analytics according to them was boring, useless en incomprehensible…..
I wish I had these tips when I worked there, but will keep them in mind, now that I've started my own company :-)
Hi Avinash,
This is my first comment on your blog though I am a regular reader from late of 2007. Wonderful post this is. You are not just a expert in web analytics , expert in WEB ANGELINATICS too.. :D I mean.. skilled in explaining the things… I admired at your way of blogging with the neat pictures, examples and so on..
Occam’s Razor, really an excellent reference to students of the "Web Ananlytics" University. Of course, for the professors too. Keep up the good work.
Thanks,
Praveen Kumar C
Many LOL's (and enriching) :)
Thanks for the great article Avinash !
Sorry I haven't been by in awhile. This post though, is just another example of the kind of thinking that can truly drive a business, and here you are espousing it for FREE.
It was only just Monday when I sat down with a brand-new client and pointed out exactly where their conversions were dropping off and why, all after about 20 minutes of analysis.
Sure, they were impressed… and not just a little bit dubious. Could I help them REALLY?
We'll see, but this blog in particular is one I mention when people are a bit wary of my assertions. Thanks for that.
Yet again, another fantastic post Avinash! :)
Bravo! Keep the good stuff coming, it's why I keep coming back.
Best,
~Li
Whouha! What a fantastic post, even still in 2011!
I've got an assignment and… I had the idea of being interactive and creative with how to successfully present a website data! Well here are a few ideas:
Depending on the kind of data, the target of the analytic of course…
What about designing a calendar with many tracing paper sheets for each month where you could see the evolution of a given data?
Or a flip or flick book that would show the evolution of a data over the month for the past year?
I'm really new to WA and it's not my job yet so I hope I'm not out of subject!
Thanks for all these posts, it's an amazing website to know for sure!
Avinash I just came to your site to find something to reference (with appropriate documentation ;)) –the KPI development chart for the bike shop I believe. I am making an analytics video for my blog, and I stumbled upon your inventory of posts. Now I have 4 of your articles in tabs as I am in 1/3 through recording this video. LOL.
Should time permit would you link me to that chart? I bet it is more readily available in your mind :). This post was perfect timing too. CEO's and marketers, sales people alike don't understand the power we have access to, and it's certainly time–billboard advertising and magazine ads without any traceable results??? I doubt the big ad agencies really want their clients to get their hands on any of this information–especially not to visit your blog or think to do a search for one of a hundred analytics your name will show up for! I'm gonna go get focused and get someone excited about analytics today!
Thanks again Avinash–so many millions of dollars worth of knowledge here it's incredible.