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The role of web analytics specialists has started with creating the reports, management dashboards and providing insights on the website performance, campaign performance, landing page performance etc., and closely monitor the trends. (We had never prepared the reports back in late 90’s rather used to look at raw logs and log analyzer reports Check: Web Analytics Evolution). Most of the web analytics specialists also work in tagging/implementing the tracking mechanism and managing vendor relationships.

I am attempting thru this blog post to see if “Web Analytics Practice should be taken to the next level in the organization by bringing it to SEO, SEM, Designers, Usability and eMarketers and make web analytics as a part of their jobs” and what web analytics specialist should get into.

Keeping that in mind, let’s keep the web analytics role into three modules as you see below: Implementation, Reporting and Analysis

Based on how Web Analytics roles are evolved over a period of time, web analytics specialists are not the ones who work on SEO, SEM, Email Marketing, Landing Page Development, Offer Generation, etc., But, most of the Web Analytics professional do know each of these functions. However, people who has started their career directly with Web Analytics is a different case.

Bringing Web Analytics to the larger community like Search Engine Marketers, Email Marketers, Designers and Usability Professionals would dramatically increase the level of understanding and acting on the data more quickly. Everyone who is involved in web business should understand what metrics to monitor, what kind of analysis can be done for his/her function at job.

For example, A/B Split Testing or Multivariate testing should also be done by Usability Professionals along with their regular Usability Testing Methodologies. A/B Testing and Multivariate Testing should be part of their tool box. Similarly, A/B Testing and Multivariate testing should be part of Campaign Manager’s and Designers tool box too…so that they can test the various campaigns and how they are performing at various levels. It is recommended that these tools are used by the respective function people than web analytics specialists who has the technical knowledge of the tool but have limited knowledge on the design, and usability principles. (Expecting that vendors will make their tool interfaces more usable and understandable by the regular users)

Similarly, SEO’s should monitor the Gateway Page traffic from Natural Search, and Pages that perform and don’t perform. Search Keyword Reports including Natural, Paid and Onsite search to find the new keyword opportunities to target the new or the same web page for newer rankings. SEO’s should also know classifying the keywords, content pages within a website for monitoring the performance and for newer opportunities.

Search Engine Marketers and Online Advertising people should know how to get the post-click, pre-click metrics & associated visitor behavior and how you can use some of the statistical methodologies available (statisticians help needs here than a just web analytics person – increasingly web analytics folks are turning to learn these methodologies) to better target in your next campaign.

Similarly, Email Marketing/List Management folks, Affiliate Marketing/ Co-branding, Server Webmasters and all have their own metrics to monitor, report, analyze and ACT!

Web Analytics people should take a larger role as evangelist in web analytics thru out the organization and ensure that all respective function people effectively use these tools for the benefit of business.

Expecting that the amount of time people spend on reporting will going to be reduced a lot over-time but analysis and business insights would take a lion’s share here.

Expecting Web Analytics role would soon be split into technical and anlaytical roles. It is no more just tagging the web page by including a generic javascript but more than that, person without good understanding of the technicalities may not get into a full-time web analytics implementation specialist role like before. This is going to be more an IT job than a business functional job. Similary, analytical roles would see a huge turn as the businesses started seeing the importance of optimizing their web functions. Analytical people are getting into learning more statistical tools and methodologies for optimization purposes.

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