The Question of Web Analytics

Not long ago, Avinash Kaushik posed this question via Twitter: "Inspire me: If there is one web analytics question you want answered what would it be? What's your juiciest/mundane, daily, challenge?" The tweet generated a huge response, and in a post at his Occam's Razor blog he answers a number of queries that range from the serious to the lighthearted:

How do you convince people to look beyond page impressions for usable measurable metrics? In essence, replies Kaushik, you must demonstrate why the aggregate metric cannot measure or reflect customer behavior. He advises the gradual integration of analysis based on metrics like visitor loyalty and length of visits. For instance, report the number of impressions, but note that visitors from Source X had more impressions.

I want analytics data justifying the removal of main navigation:-) Kaushik offers a facetious commendation on the reader's bravery before responding with a serious response that applies to any concept, however solid or foolhardy: "You have only one option," he says. "Test!"

The Po!nt: According to Kaushik, your focus should be on the three basic outcomes a website can deliver: increasing revenue; reducing costs; and improving customer loyalty and satisfaction. "When in doubt ask yourself if what you are doing falls into one of those three buckets," he says. "If it does, keep going. If not then I suggest you revisit what you are doing."

Source: Occam's Razor. Click here for the full post.

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